OMFG! (I use this in a joking way, I do not actually say OMG)
I have just been perusing a colleague's dissertation in order to work out what I should write for my methodology and what I should try and call it etc (Yes, I confess, i thought it might be titled 'methdology'. It isn't. It has a proper title of cleverness) and to do this I was going through his chapter summary at the beginning.
And I have noticed that he doesn't have a chapter called 'conclusion'.
Oh no. And he doesn't have a chapter called 'discussion' (I have already worked out that the discussion chapter is not called the discussion chapter but also has a proper name!) And as I worked this all out I also noticed that he doesn't have a discussion chapter at all really, but a conclusion. And then, I realised, *I* don't need to write a discussion chapter! OMFG. My discussion chapter is not a stand alone chapter, but part of the conclusion! The 'discussion' is the conclusion.
And get this for how slow I am. My best PhD friend said to me when I was freaking out about my discussion chapter all those months ago, she said 'there is no difference between the discussion chapter and the conclusion you know'. And I heard this and was flummoxed, but carried on regardless because obviously, every thesis has a discussion... and a conclusion (I have written two distinction level Masters theses. I Know Things (soon to be revised to I Know Shit All)!). And THEN, get this - it is hilarious; I went for a meeting with my Sup. And he said to me during this meeting about the 'discussion chapter': 'what is the difference between a conclusion and a discussion?' And I proudly answered, remembering what my wise best PhD friend said, 'there isn't a difference! They are the same!' And he smiled, I was correct.
And then I went home and wrote a 'discussion' chapter, with no conclusions, and, despite two friends telling me there is no such thing as a 'discussion' chapter, have planned for months and months to write a different chapter called a 'conclusion'.
Feck me. I am so so so so so so so so so so so thick :)
This is a marvellous finding as obviously the re-draft of my 'discussion' (now conclusion) has to be done anyway and can now just be the conclusion. It also means I have one less chapter to write! OMG HOW does that happen to anyone except me?! God I am so thick I deserve a medal, I really do. No WONDER my Sup was pissed off with the 'discussion' chapter I sent him; to him it would have just seemed as though I had written a LOT about nothing (9000 words just to round up the research) and completely ignored the point of the chapter i.e. further study etc. And this is good that I have worked this out before I, ahem, try and write a 'conclusion'.
HOWEVER as far as the word count goes I am a bit worried... I have just lost 8000 words I thought I was going to write. I will only do 8 Chapters now which only rounds up to 64000 words :( I'd say each chapter was about 9000 words but still... it falls short.
Uh oh.
And now I have the small worry about whether another chapter is somehow missing. This dissertation I have read has TWO methodology chapters. Eek. Though it is a thesis about using a particular methodology to study conflict so guess that is why [blush]. I am so thick. And actually, is only 7 chapters long and they do look like LONG chapters.
I am so thick I once wrote a practical criticism for my A Level in English Literature on a poem and when I asked about the poem to my teacher she said 'oh that poem? nah, it was written when he was high on opium, it means nothing.' I sheepishly threw away that analysis I spent HOURS on and was very chuffed with and wrote a new essay. I could analyse ANYTHING and write ANYTHING about NOTHING. This is not a skill, it is a WASTE OF TIME!
Seriously, am completely mad.
But I have one less chapter to write! CHUFFED to bits. And I realised this on a saturday to boot ;) I can celebrate! (by having this evening off!)
What a (happy) twat.
x J
I have just been perusing a colleague's dissertation in order to work out what I should write for my methodology and what I should try and call it etc (Yes, I confess, i thought it might be titled 'methdology'. It isn't. It has a proper title of cleverness) and to do this I was going through his chapter summary at the beginning.
And I have noticed that he doesn't have a chapter called 'conclusion'.
Oh no. And he doesn't have a chapter called 'discussion' (I have already worked out that the discussion chapter is not called the discussion chapter but also has a proper name!
And get this for how slow I am. My best PhD friend said to me when I was freaking out about my discussion chapter all those months ago, she said 'there is no difference between the discussion chapter and the conclusion you know'. And I heard this and was flummoxed, but carried on regardless because obviously, every thesis has a discussion... and a conclusion (I have written two distinction level Masters theses. I Know Things (soon to be revised to I Know Shit All)!). And THEN, get this - it is hilarious; I went for a meeting with my Sup. And he said to me during this meeting about the 'discussion chapter': 'what is the difference between a conclusion and a discussion?' And I proudly answered, remembering what my wise best PhD friend said, 'there isn't a difference! They are the same!' And he smiled, I was correct.
And then I went home and wrote a 'discussion' chapter, with no conclusions, and, despite two friends telling me there is no such thing as a 'discussion' chapter, have planned for months and months to write a different chapter called a 'conclusion'.
Feck me. I am so so so so so so so so so so so thick :)
This is a marvellous finding as obviously the re-draft of my 'discussion' (now conclusion) has to be done anyway and can now just be the conclusion. It also means I have one less chapter to write! OMG HOW does that happen to anyone except me?! God I am so thick I deserve a medal, I really do. No WONDER my Sup was pissed off with the 'discussion' chapter I sent him; to him it would have just seemed as though I had written a LOT about nothing (9000 words just to round up the research) and completely ignored the point of the chapter i.e. further study etc. And this is good that I have worked this out before I, ahem, try and write a 'conclusion'.
HOWEVER as far as the word count goes I am a bit worried... I have just lost 8000 words I thought I was going to write. I will only do 8 Chapters now which only rounds up to 64000 words :( I'd say each chapter was about 9000 words but still... it falls short.
Uh oh.
And now I have the small worry about whether another chapter is somehow missing. This dissertation I have read has TWO methodology chapters. Eek. Though it is a thesis about using a particular methodology to study conflict so guess that is why [blush]. I am so thick. And actually, is only 7 chapters long and they do look like LONG chapters.
I am so thick I once wrote a practical criticism for my A Level in English Literature on a poem and when I asked about the poem to my teacher she said 'oh that poem? nah, it was written when he was high on opium, it means nothing.' I sheepishly threw away that analysis I spent HOURS on and was very chuffed with and wrote a new essay. I could analyse ANYTHING and write ANYTHING about NOTHING. This is not a skill, it is a WASTE OF TIME!
Seriously, am completely mad.
But I have one less chapter to write! CHUFFED to bits. And I realised this on a saturday to boot ;) I can celebrate! (by having this evening off!)
What a (happy) twat.
x J
3 comments:
I loved this! I had the same thing, but with my "methodology/theory" chapter, which about a year ago I convinced myself was going to have to be, y'know, 20 odd thousand words to explain to the lowly masses How Smart I Am for thinking up a New Way to Read Poetry. Then a few months ago I discovered that if I did that, I'd pretty much have nothing else to say. Well done dumbass me. In any case, I'm in the same boat as you, as in D'oh! I've just saved myself some work, but what happens to the wordcount? THEN I remembered my new best friend: bibliography, which (at least at my uni) counts towards the final word count. AND appendices too. So in three weeks time I'm going to submit a thesis that *nudges* 80,000 words. ish. Everyone tells me to sod it, that nobody cares about the final wordcount. So I am telling myself to write and write and give in what I have at the end. Sod it!
Gosh -- can't believe I wrote so much -- sorry J!
xx
hehe! glad I have some company in not knowing what goes in a PhD!
My uni doesn't count appendices or refs in the wordcount - or even footnotes. Just Text eek. Am terribly wordy so think I'll manage in the end, my sup despairs :)
x J
I know! I will do a really long acknowledgement section, huge abstract and loads of keywords! :)
x J
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