As to what other people have said about feeling human again, try a nice long walk: in the countryside, along a river, or on the coast. During which time just let your mind, eyes, and body wander where they will and stop concentrating on work. Don't feel guilty and see it as a waste of time, it's a way to become more time-efficient.

I also recommend something violent, like boxing.

PhDs are really easy. I see celebrities and sports stars getting them all the time! I've also heard that a PhD is the same as 2 GCSEs, and we all know that GCSEs are getting easier!

Welcome to the forum, where people occasionally are in a bad mood and unnecessarily sarcastic.


As for the age thing, I started this year at the ripe old age of 23. I've found it really strange how Uni age is all to do with perception. For example, last year I was unemployed, had just finished my Masters and continued going to the Uni Badminton Society (needed to fill up the time) because I was one of the oldest there and had finished Uni (twice), they thought I was older than I was (25, instead of 22.) On the other end, I work as a Subwarden at a first year residence and I've had several people think I was a first year. When I've told them I wasn't, they've said "So a second year then?"

Apparently my age is somewhere between 18-25...depending on how many qualifications people know I have.

I would pitch your proposal as a Economics one - they get the most funding of the social sciences because the ESRC (created, in its current format, by Thatcher) loves Quant. work and anything that doesn't actually involve theoretical reflection or discussion. They'll give you funding if you say you keep a copies of Hayek and Friedman by your bed and have a picture of Thatcher on your ceiling.




I don't like the ESRC.

3 years?! I'll be done in two, tops. Then I'll get a Professorship and publish my PhD as a best-selling book that wins both the Booker and the Nobel Peace prize.

I say this as my first deadline has slipped away without me having done the work I said I would. Hmmmm.

I would e-mail your supervisor and explain, but also request an official transcript of your marks in your MSc from your Uni. The actual certificate shouldn't matter that much.

If the person citing the source a la Cloggs is unable to assess the merit of the work independent of the motivation of the person who did the work, then they're really not worth worrying about.


You really need to ask around the departments you would be studying in. If you start at your Uni you can at least get a good idea of how to do it if you wish to move elesewhere.

Also recognise that, frankly, humans are fucking nuts when it comes to sex (or nut-fucking.) To prove this point I, like every good first year student, will provide you with a link to Wikipedia. PLease explore the inter-related topics, particularly genetic sexual attraction.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westermarck_effect#Westermarck_effect

I always like making sweets - fudge, toffee, chocs. The good thing is if you practice you've got a really nice handmade present for all occasions - Valentine's Day, Birthdays, Easter, Halloween.

http://www.channel4.com/food/recipes/chefs/jamie-oliver/amazing-diy-chocolate-truffles-recipe_p_1.html

The thing with PhDs is that every department is different and everyone here will have had a different experience. So, can you give us a bit more info? What subject area? What grades did you get? etc

Manobkateet: You do realise that you need prior University-level qualifications before you start a PhD? You're kind of expected to have such basic skills as being able to find a PhD programme (although, being able to find a PhD programme doesn't constitute a test of your ability to do a PhD.)

You also realise that in IR you generally have to write your own proposal (which would require a level of independence not yet seen) and without which no-one can really say what a good team is.

I would use Endnote. It may take a while to put all your sources onto it, but it will take a while anyway to create a Word bibliography/references. I'm not convinced that the old-fashioned route is that much easier.

This isn't quite related to the topic at hand......but I love Endnote. Whereas before I used to write incomplete references down on scraps of paper I can now just pop it into the library and leave it alone (particularly with books that I want, just file it into a group called "Unread".) I also use it to track my progress, but then I am in the lit review stage at the moment.

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Woo! 9 episodes of Dexter and a football match. This has been my most unproductive non-hungover day so far. Thing is, I kinda stopped myself doing anything today because I had a long list of things to do and failed to think of a way to do all of them....so did none of them.



Possibly the best proof available that people on PhDs aren't necessarily smart.

Also, just to add, did think of something fucking clever in the shower today (related to my work.) So it may not have been entirely wasted.

Hello!
Now, I'm willing to accept that this is the drink talking (in which case referencing my work will mean that the author is Carlsberg et al.) but I always find listening to music is motivating in all kinds of ways. It is preferably combined with a long walk and a reflective mood.

That's my 1p.

I was unemployed.

I love my subject.

Everyone else is crap at my subject (seriously, this isn't arrogance, this is just the "gap in the literature".)

I've spent my entire education looking for a challenge.