Hello Everyone,

I am eight months into my PhD programme (Finance) and although I honestly feel absolutely privileged and grateful to be in the position I am currently in, there is just one thing that continuously seems to be troubling me. That is, I feel that my research isn't convoluted enough. Because my area of research is quite a niche, the questions I am studying are very original. However, the methods just seem too simple to me. For example, in one of my (three) papers, once I have the data I will apply a methodology which frankly requires no coding whatsoever and analyse the findings. My supervisors are very pleased with my research questions but being in a department where everyone seems to be using such rigorous math I feel quite vulnerable. Perhaps age has something to do with it too. I am the youngest (22) in the department and although I graduated with a 1st and Distinction in my BSc and MSc degrees, I obviously lack the real-world experiences gained by my colleagues who although graduated with 2:1s and Merits, are clearly doing something much more advanced than I am. I did originally submit quite a mathematically rigorous proposal however my supervisors told me that those topics would overwhelm me and that I should focus on completing a neat and original thesis within three years.

So I guess my question is, has anyone else been in a similar position? Is there any way of me getting over these worries that seem to be stinging me everyday? Aside from this problem I am enjoying the process very much :)

I would appreciate any advice or comments :)

Kahn

LSE.

Are you certain he's homosexual and not bisexual? I think you're in a nice position to be honest. Life is a collection of experiences and this seems an interesting addition to your collection :D

Hello. I am also a first-year PhD student. If it makes you feel any better, it takes me around half an hour to write my supervisor a one or two paragraph email sometimes due to me overthinking how the wording would be interpreted.

Hello. If your mark is based on a general average, as was mine, then you calculate like this: 8 modules are worth 15 credits and the dissertation is worth 60 credits. The total credits are 180. However, you can simply think of the dissertation as being 4 15 credit modules. Therefore, add the marks of your 8 modules, then add your dissertation mark (multiplied by four) and divide that sum by 12. This should be your mark.

I made an excel spreadsheet last year during my MSc to calculate final mark and how much I would need in my dissertation but I don't know how to attach it here. You just have to enter your module marks and it tells you how much you need in the dissertation as well as calculating your final mark.

Thank You :')

People say that I am very approachable and like-able. When I started my PhD in September I did speak to people from a very diverse set of backgrounds and ages. I actually made friends with about 5-6 women in their thirties. However, things turned a bit weird when a 35 year old I know tried to make a very uncomfortable move in a certain direction I was unwilling to take. This was followed up by another 33 year old trying to make such a move. I think after that I became traumatized or a lot more cautious and kind of avoided opening up too much with women in that age range . Of course I was wrong to change my perspective based on an experience with two people and I completely understand and appreciate your advice. By the way, I wasn't being flirtatious with these women at all. I just try my best to be friendly, respectful and cheerful with every person I meet.

Lastly, I am sorry if I offended anyone with the comment regarding age. What I meant was that being a 22 year old I would personally prefer to date someone closer to my age.

I totally feel your pain! The PhD has a way of wrapping its tentacles around your social life and crushing it until you are yearning for the hangovers of yesteryear. I too find not having anyone to talk to about my day or just chill with to be one of the hardest parts of doing the PhD as a single twenty-something. It's a lonely experience, but thankfully, it's also a relatively short one (3 years in my case).

I don't think pursuing relationships with other students in your institute is a particularly good idea. You pointed out that the other PhD students are too old for you, so you have some personal rule about finding a partner of an appropriate age. I would suggest a rule about dating people with connections to your career. It has the potential to end very badly!

Attend seminars and events for PhD students across multiple disciplines. Here you'll have the chance to speak to like-minded people in a similar situation to yourself. Good Luck :)[/quote]

Thank you for replying :)

Just to be clear, by institution you mean department right? Please don't tell me you are advising against a relationship even with PhD students from different departments/schools within my university? That would make things very, VERY, difficult :D

I am the the youngest in my department (22) and am struggling A LOT with finding a potential partner. I think the youngest female in the department (PhD and above) is probably in her early thirties. Most MSc students at my university are international students who will leave at the end of the academic year which therefore makes it difficult to establish a long-term relationship. After completing my BSc and MSc with a very nice circle of friends, I am finding the PhD to be a very lonely experience. I think at my age in particular, you really want someone to just chill out with sometimes without having to discuss academic issues. Almost every interaction I have with humans nowadays is based on research. I can only express my feelings to the rabbits and cat on campus but that's always a one-way conversation and they eventually hop or walk away :(

Would undergraduates be the way to go? Help me, please...