The final countdown

Well into the final weeks and days of the time allotted to preparing a draft of this manifesto, various crises are blooming related to referencing, library book due dates, expansions of literature required, coding and theory (did we learn NOTHING in our research methods course about all this important stuff?) among others - it's a huge learning curve. It's during these times I often feel the true weight of the masters, as opposed to undergrad or high school. There's a lot of rigour involved here, and yet a lot of blind-staggering-along-unknown path or through unknown jungle to reach the final destination. I don't see the mountain analogy as clearly as the twisted dark forest - more appropriate for someday seeing the light at the end of the tunnel (and hoping it's not a train headed my way). The more I learn the more I realize I need to learn? I also realize the disadvantage to the accelerated, executive, distance masters where everything by its nature must be quick, superficial, and done without the benefit of face to face meetings and deep understandings.

A daunting task lies ahead, in the creation of up to about 100 pages of quality text about whatever it is my thesis is supposed to be about. Funny, sitting surrounded by papers, books, index cards, laptop, markers...I've actually lost sight of what it is about! Better write that large on some paper and stick it to the wall. As my friend A says, stop preparing and just get writing! I think it's time to stock up the applelime cider to take off the edge and get in the groove.

Advisors are being amusingly and typically different in their approaches at this point - very hands on by P, even from afar and after a long session in person always wants to know how it's going, should there be a conference call, etc. D - always busily brief, but with a warm concern. R - as ever enthusiastic and a willing ear, however sometimes creates new issues to deal with I might have been happily ignorant of otherwise.

Revised timeline now looks like this:
(Sunday evening deadlines)

May 1 WEEK 3 in countdown– write/edit
coding - May 4-5
write remainder of research methodology details (data collection, participants, site, data analysis, reliability and validity) and add references in to that already existing - May 5
write study conduct - May 6
finish entering into Refworks all relevant documents, print reference lists - May 5
write introduction – background (what, why, outline theoretical framework, context) - May 6-7

LEFT OVER FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS THE FOLLOWING:
write statement of research problem/ opportunity, research questions (whys), study limitations/delimitations, need or significance - May 7
literature review research - May 8

May 8 – write/edit
LEFT OVER FROM PREVIOUS WEEKS THE FOLLOWING:
results and findings, outcome – descriptive first then specific to research questions, think about tables and figures
discussion and conclusions re findings – hear the voice, summary of study, findings, interpretation of data, conclusion, implications, recommendations, need for future research

May 15 – write/edit, APA, references

May 22 – finish, finish, finish!!

Hopefully my boss will continue with her generosity and understanding about flexible working hours and dedicated writing time at weird hours; unfortunately my better concentrating time is getting later and later at night so new adaptations are constantly required. And that's just how it's going about now.

"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." ~ John Muir