I would've cleared up that faithfully/sincerely had I read it sooner. Oh well, I'm sure it's fine (up)

I simply attach my work to an email and send it to my other email account (in case I am incredibly unlucky and both my laptop breaks and something happens to one of my email accounts).

Ive never applied for a research job, but generally speaking I've emailed many forms with my name simply typed in the signed section, and it's never caused me any problems. I would say it is okay to have a "please find attached" covering letter so long as you make clear in your email what you're applying for (info you'll repeat in the covering letter) and what's attached, and I would say you need a covering letter of some sort. If the covering letter includes some of the same info as the application form so be it, but not word-for-word.

Just what I think, not an expert or anything.

Best of luck with your application! (up)

That made me giggle.

I kinda like your posh bottle idea, but, that said, I doubt I'd do it; it might seem inappropriate to gift alcohol to a baby, and will it really be worth the wait? Besides, it might get smashed/drank along the way. But that really depends on the relationship you have with the boy's family. If you think it's something they would appreciate (because let's face it, the boy's not bothered) then do it; it's unique.

Personally, I like silver trinkets, but it'd have to stand out (i.e. something more unique than a spoon or a money box) and you could have it engraved. I also like the account idea, but it's only useful if the parents haven't already opened one. And for a decent sum to grow there you'd have to contribute more on birthdays etc, which means your Godchild will not be looking forward to presents from you all through his childhood, and kids like presents a whole lot. I always find myself spending more when the value is so obviously transparent as money!

My husband will be a Godparent this Sunday too. I began looking for the perfect gift but then my mother-in-law announced that she had already bought something from us (separate from her own gift). I still haven't decided whether this is annoys or pleases me.

Good luck :-)(gift)

This is a question that bothers me too!

How about an 'expoly' (oh how I've grown to hate the term!), average to good department in a particular subject, but very good in a specific topic within that subject? This (honestly) won't be sneered at in academia? Also, what if I did my degree, MA and PhD in this same expoly? I don't really, and never did, have much of a choice; I'm a mature student with a mortgage etc so I went local (and I love my uni anyway) but I wouldn't want to be unpleasantly surprised if this caused me difficulties later.

I'm not sure about your difficulties in getting onto a PhD in general, but getting funding for a PhD in Social Sciences is excruciatingly difficult even with a first class degree and a distinction at MA. That's not to say it's impossible with your grades - I really wouldn't know - but funding is so tight as it is... and getting tighter unfortunately.

Good luck.

Ahh one of my favourite quotes: "if you believe you can do a thing, or if you believe you cannot, in either case, you are right"- Henry Ford.
Very true! Every time I have what seems like an enormous task to do I freak myself out with its enormity and get very little done. It's not until I absolutely cannot put it off any longer that I make a start, and I am always amazed by how much easier than I imagined and even enjoyable it is. (You'd think I'd learn for subsequent tasks and just get on with it immediately, but I still go through the ritual of putting it off, panicking, finally getting on with it, followed inevitably by the wonderful realisation that I can do it and I could've done better had I began sooner!)

Good luck

Some say (quite rightly) that no one else can tell you what to do. But if your post represents your honest feelings about the matter, then you've already told us all what you MUST do. As Walmin said, what's more important than health and happiness?

You want to quit, but your scared you will regret it if it hurts your chances of a good career in the future. This is a good point. However, if continuing will genuinely affect you this badly (i.e. soul-crushingly badly), what are the chances that you'll ever regret it? And if you've "never hated a job as much as this", how bad can the alternative be?

I left a job I felt this way about last year. In many ways the 'right' thing (i.e. responsible, sensible etc) to do was stick it out, at least until I'd found a new job, but I just wanted to be happy again. It took a long time to find a suitable position elsewhere and I struggled financially. But it would've taken far more drastic consequences (like having my home repossessed or something) for me to regret abandoning such misery.

Good luck.

Now I'm intrigued as to what kind of work you do...

My thoughts: Politely thank him/her for taking an interest, and ask about the nature of his/her inquiry (i.e. something along the lines of "Are you from an organisation/company relevant to [whatever it is your work is about], and for what purposes are you seeking this particular information?"). No need to be too apologetic for requesting this information first; it's only normal to want to know who you are speaking to and what their intentions are before entering into a conversation entirely about your work. If you thank them for showing an interest, they're unlikely to find you rude.

Oh dear. I was about to suggest that perhaps (surely you MUST have!) misunderstood her, and that maybe she meant to light-heartedly poke fun at you for writing such emails at that time of night (y'know, the kind of thing that would usually having a ;-) at the end). But I see from your follow-up conversation that she was actually serious... and actually deranged.

I love this thread... and I am in desperate need of it too (and I'm not even a PhD student...yet). It's also really interesting to see all of the various methods each person uses to produce their work.

Ok, so it's quite late so just a small goal to begin with: read and make notes on two articles- that's all :-)