Thank you both! I have been referring to your responses in this thread as much as to my University's online guidance! Basically, we had an online form to fill in, but also had to produce a 6-page report outlining the project and progress to date. This is really helpful - thanks for the tangible examples. My report is nearly finished now.

Urgh, sounds familiar in the controlling aspect - bet you can't wait to be finished and free! Anyway - sounds like you have a plan in place and are focused. All the best with it!

This might be a big ask, but is anyone willing to share their end of second year progress report? I am so confused about what this should/could look like and would just find it helpful to see one.

Cheers
Tudor

No problem. Yes - I have friends who lecture part time. Think it is a rarity though - TA work (teaching on seminars/tutorials) is more common.

Congrats! Know your own proposal inside out. Questions... why you want to do a PhD, what skills you think you need to have to do a PhD, what will be the impact (e.g., change in practice, development of theory etc - as relevant) and output (e.g., publications, dissemination to x, y or z) of your PhD...

I am struggling to remember what else they asked me! Specifically, in your case, I think they might be keen to ascertain whether you will be able to successfully get back into academic work (since your Masters was in 1994) and how clued up you are about how things are now in your field compared to then. Something I would want to ask you about if I were on the panel is why now? What is driving your desire to return to Higher Education now and do a PhD? This is potentially a very good question as it could give you the opportunity to really convey your passion and interest in the topic.

Re your questions to them. What do you want to know? About the support/resources available? Will you be funded to attend relevant conferences (it would be a plus if you could name one or two that are relevant in your chosen field)? Are there departmental seminars where you will have the opportunity to hear about related research and present your own?

Just treat it like a job interview.

My experience differs from Eska's in that some of my colleagues over the years have been (and still are) genuine friends. If you have one or two who are genuine friends and you feel you can really trust them, then you should be able to tell them if you want to talk about it. After all, that is what friends are for. But there is a difference between "friends" in a collegial way (e.g., meet for coffee, have lunch now and then, chat in the kitchen) and genuine friends... if they were genuine friends I guess you wouldn't have any doubts about telling them and knowing that it would go no further. If you fear gossip then best to keep quiet and talk to real friends outside of uni.

Hi GM

Sorry to hear about this. If you aren't comfortable telling them then don't tell them; it is entirely your business and not theirs. You could come up with some excuses if directly asked about things like plans for Christmas; or you could just say some of your plans and omit the fact that your partner is in prison.

You could share it confidentially with your supervisor if you want to explain that an external situation has affected your work. Or you could just say that (an external situation/a family issue) without going into detail about what it actually is.

Tudor

Liverpool!

Why:
- you already know you love it
- you already know the ropes, have library access etc
- relatively affordable
- you don't have to go in that much so it isn't a problem that it is a slightly longer journey (you can also work on the train)
- Manchester is the rainiest city in the UK (but would be my second choice in your situation)
- Leeds is quite a distance from Liverpool
- you really sound like you want to move to Liverpool

Teaching is probably the most common job for a PhD student within the university. There are also admin, cleaning, and catering roles to name a few. There should be an online jobs page or database.

Good luck and let us know what you decide!

Are you 5 hours all on the same day? Exhausting but easier that way in my experience!

For tutorials/seminars I spent an hour preparing for each one (i.e., reading around the background of the topics and activities covered on the worksheet). I could have done with spending a lot longer, but I was receiving no pay for preparation, only for the face-to-face teaching.

Sometimes queries arose that I could not answer - then we would have a discussion and see if we could come up with the "answer", or I either would direct the student/s to the lecturer on the course with their query or find it out later myself and email the group.

My tutorial sheets also had no "solutions", which I hated, as I was never sure if my model "solution" was in line with what the lecturer had in mind (which could have implications for revision and exam results). I asked for solutions toward the end, as I was just getting really stressed wondering if we were all on the same page. The lecturer did this, no problem, and it relieved a lot of anxiety on my part (although I felt a bit embarrassed asking).

Good luck!

Ps. Newlease - you weren't repetitive at all - thank you for taking the time to write... when I was feeling sooo bad about it, I kept checking this forum to see if anyone had written anything encouraging yet! Thank you : )

Hi Newlease!

Thanks for the ENCOURAGEMENT! I really needed it. I am going to write an update post on here as soon as I can (or start a new thread even as I think it is important to share so that others can be empowered). Basically, since making the decision to switch supervisors and making the request, I went through a horrible few days of doubt, regret, and fear... but I looked back on my reflections over the months and years and reminded myself of what was going on in the previous situation. After about 3 days I was at the place again where I knew I had done the right thing, WHATEVER the outcome.

I really hope that other people will change their supervisor if they are being treated badly (or whatever the reason - if it is impacting negatively on you as a person or on your research - even if it is hard to pin point what it is... the role of the supervisor is to supervise and nurture/teach - not to put their own insecurities on you). Don't be frightened to leave the comfort zone (which, admit it, probably isn't very comfortable anyway) and rock the boat. As long as it is all done professionally (do not criticize - say as little as possible) and you can demonstrate that you are going to complete your PhD, it should work out. And if not - start again elsewhere. Don't compromise on yourself or on your values (unless you've really weighed it up and are willing to do it as there is only a short time left for example).

And yes Newlease, I have done exactly that: I have a set response for if anyone asks why that person is not my supervisor anymore - and it doesn't implicate anything at all. Very wise advice - thank you!

My only regret is that I didn't do this in my first year.

Tudor

For others reading this post who might have switched supervisors by request and be feeling a bit worried...

This article suggests that it is only if you keep on needing to switch that you would be viewed as the problem.

Do you have someone in mind who can supervise you instead? It might be useful for you if you have some potential names who your head could contact about taking over supervision. That way, your PhD/write up might be less likely to be hindered by the investigation or whatever ruckus takes place.