======= Date Modified 27 Sep 2010 21:19:17 =======
(Double post)

You're not alone: I had a similar dilemma, and went for the fully funded route, albeit in an environment that enjoys less overall prestige, - but within a small pocket of exellence in my chosen field. I don't have the added complications of living with undergrads, (don't envy you that one), but I expect I'll feel pretty isolated, as I'm based at home, and therefore fairly detached from the university culture. I've accepted that this scenario is still on balance, the best available to me. Despite having the customary newbie fear that I may have over-reached myself in terms of the topic, I'm going to give it my best. It's early days, and I suggest that you give yourself the opportunity to make an informed choice, rather than walking away before you've even started. You'll have more on which to base your decision in a few months time.

Ok, well there are plenty of Science bods here who can be specific for you. In my case, it's full-time fees of £3466, plus an annual payment (to spend on living costs at my own discretion, and without having to refund it) of £15,590, as I live in London. The rate for full-time students out of London, with AHRC funding is £13,590. Maintenance payments for part-time students are less.

======= Date Modified 23 Sep 2010 23:12:49 =======
I can't chip in with experience, but I'm watching this with interest: my last piece of research was based on a couple of factorial experiments, whereas this time, it's going to be mostly interview data. Your thread has flagged up the blunt reality of what lies ahead.

Mine's an AHRC, so it's full fees each year, plus annual maintenance, at London weighting, of just less than £16k. Are you Arts or Sciences?

My total Research Proposal was 1100 words, of which 350 words were the Literature Review. However, I spent a long time crafting that section, to ensure that it was dense with references/observations, and setting up areas of consensus/disagreement, and knowledge gaps. I listed 20 refs in the bibliography.

Thanks Moonblue, yup, your avatar's looking good too.

At my Uni, Distinctions were only awarded for 80%+. I got 79.08%. Still sulking.

I felt I had to formally mark my first day, as I'm just back from registering as MPhil/PhD. For all you seasoned brains, can you remember your Day One? I'm still pinching myself, as I'm an old bird, with lots of kids, but somehow fully funded. Reason tells me it's all downhill from here, so just for today, I'm enjoying the view at the top :-)

I'm another nervous newbie, about to reach Day One. My anxiety is a little different tho', as my PhD is a funded AHRC one, so my supervisor has had the structure mapped out for over a year. So, although I'm confident about making a strong start, I'm suppressing the inevitable worries about how much influence I'll be able to exert.

Beeney's got an entire production crew behind her, so I'm sure we could all work wonders with that level of support! Well done today, onwards and upwards, and direct your energy towards completion, rather than self-recrimination :-)

Hi Matilda
It's not stupid to feel emotional or exhausted in the circumstances: you're dealing with a force of nature that's greater than all of us! If this is your first child, it's almost impossible to imagine how little time for you and your own interests there will be after your baby's born, - I've got 3 kids, and completed my Masters with a newborn; so instead of stressing, I'd suggest that you regard these final few weeks as your biggest commitment to yourself, before your priorities are turned on their head by the arrival of your baby.
And can your other half enlist some help from a friend or family member, to speed up the progess with the kitchen?

Hi, my maintenance and fees are paid quarterly, - which I find a little trickier to handle, so it's worth checking with your funder.

It's not as though I'll be stashing it in a high-interest savings account, remember those?

Harrumph, sulking: I got 79.4% average for my MA, a Distinction for my Long Study, but no overall Distinction. Still hurts.

Is it really 1 in 5 from the AHRC? I know for a fact that my funded scholarship, ie. fees + maintenance, had a shortlist of 6, implying that more than 6 submitted proposals (I'd love to know the actual number of applicants, but have veered away from enquiring). I'd spent months developing a resprop for a different university, establishing a good rapport with a supervisor, and chasing funding, only to reply to an advert for an AHRC funded place elsewhere, and landed that one very quickly. Depending on your urgency to find a place, I'd chase a few options, rather than working through them sequentially over an extended period.