cleaning, although not really a favourite, it's always good when something that really needs cleaning gets done. Making something to eat and stopping for cups of tea and snacks, watching TV and coming onto this forum!

hello algaequeen hope you got well through your paper and eska you look to be doing really well. Over the past couple of weeks I have been preparing for an interview. I still have some preparation work for a few interviews at the end of the month. I am now into writing up my data analysis. I have drafted up over 1,000 words today. It's not so impressive as its just cutting and pasting quotations and writing around them. For this evening I am going to go through all my nodes in Nvivo and decide which ones need to be redefined or moved. I will also work on one transcription.

Hi JoJo, I think its hard for others to understand what it means to do a PhD and that deadlines always get moved around.
February is really not very far away at all, two more full months away. I am sure your mum is so proud of you and just worries for you.

I know people who do take the full time to write up and I always look to them as examples of inspiration because they did it in the end. You know you will finish, you are not writing a thread to say that you don't think you can finish but that it's taking a bit more time. You will get there, all those years of work are now coming to the end and that's what is great. Best of luck over the next few months you are almost there.

I think what Keenbean says is reasonable. It might not apply to other institutions or regions but when I left my RA post I was earning almost £24K and this was in Northern Ireland where salaries are usually lower. I aim to have a salary when I complete of between £25-30K. While it's true, that a person have to start somewhere I also think it's not unreasonable to want to live a bit better than on a student salary. Like the other posters said it depends where you live, I know this salary scale in Ireland would be meagre not sure about other EU countries.

Hi Sue, I am resigned myself to the fact that I am a socially awkward person anyway! I am ok with a group of friends, talking in a small group but when it comes to talking at a big table with people who come across as so articulate I just freeze up. I like to listen anyway but I think you can only really learn if you contribute as well. I went to a meeting where I was so concerned that I wouldn't speak and I didn't, one person shouted SPEAK in front of the bigger group!! I think people find it hard to be around someone when they are quiet and it makes them uncomfortable. I too feel this when someone is quiet around me.

Sorry to go off the subject as I know your thread was not about speaking in a group but I also think I would like to stay on working in research after the PhD. The thought of working at home while it has it's advantages can be too isolating at times. I just want to get dressed up and be in the real world. I think as a contract researcher you are more part of a team and won't be as alone as much as we are now. I am just about to get into writing up the data analysis chapters but I can imagine that when you are really into the writing stage you are still thinking about writing even when you are not writing, if that makes sense!! Like teek said I am sure you are a great person to be around its just when you are quiet people comment and as I said this makes people wonder if you are ok. You hadn't seen your colleagues for a while so it's natural you might be a bit quieter doesn't mean you are losing your knack of socialising. Also agree with teek that we need to be out in the real world as much as we can manage. Staying in for days just made me feel miserable. I am now back at my gym and seeing people around does make a difference, just hope I can keep going to the gym!!

Many congratulations Heifer and thanks for posting such a motivating thread and how your experience went. Many of the things you describe I am going through now so I am grateful for your post and best of luck for your future.

Hi Eska, thanks for support. I think I am stressed because I know I need to be further on that I am. But will keep on going anyway.
Hope you got your references and outline sorted.

I finished my reading from last night this evening - DONE! I have to get questions out from this reading now. Then try to read a paper for a workshop that I might try to attend tomorrow. Today was taken up with a medical appointment and then had to rest in the afternoon for two hours because I didn't sleep till late last night. I wish I could solider on when I am tired but I can't, which explains why I have no set hours and work all over the place! Must try to get some regular hours going when I am getting more into the writing phase. Glad to hear that some TV in the background is a shared experience!! I have ugly betty at the moment!

Dear Keenbean, first of all well done you for teaching 70 third year students. I am soon to be a 4th year and have no teaching experience under my belt. I understand how you feel about your supervisor being there, my supervisor present at any talks I give really makes me nervous and I just feel so uncomfortable that I too want to run away. It sounds like in some ways your supervisor was trying to be helpful. If she is a good supervisor then she should not be too quick to judge your teaching skills but know that you just needed some support as this was your first seminar. Supervisors should know how their presence affects their students! The best news is that you did it. You said it went ok and you picked it up towards the end you could have easily handed it over but you didn't. That is the best thing that you continued on and I think your supervisor should appreciate that. Why are we so hard on ourselves?! Be kind to yourself this was your first interactive seminar and you done it now you can build on this for the next one.

Well done Lara for getting it all Done! Really great to see that you have achieved all your correction goals and within a really short time. Like Eska I will also miss you on this thread.

I have been away for a while, family events and just other things happening outside of the PhD. Have been working on some data though and getting a little bit done each day. Problem is, it feels like very very little is getting done and I am beginning to feel like a nervous wreck, keep having nightmares! Anyway, this evening I have lots of data reading to get through and finish drafting some questions from this reading. I probably won't finish reading everything but I will have to have these questions ready for tomorrow. Hope everyone else is getting their goals met this week-end.

Thanks for your reply Nadia. Yes, I am UK based. I heard of a case and I am not sure of the exact details, but I think the case concerned a 4th year unfunded student. The argument seemed to be that because the student didn't have to be physically on campus (and even though they were still a registered student) meant they were considered to be no longer exempt. Anyway, like you say if a person is not employed then there would be an exemption. As for part-time work, yes it will surely not be enough to make council tax payments!

Does anyone know how it works for council tax exemption when you move into the 4th unfunded year. I was told that I would be no longer exempt from council tax payments in my 4th year as I am no longer funded by the university and therefore able to get full time employment. I will need the 4th to write up my thesis and may be able to get some part-time work. I wanted to say to the person who told me this information how can I pay for council tax when the chances are very high that I won't magically have a job by the time my funding runs out. What I will have is a unfunded 4th year and no job, where is the money for the council tax??!!

Hi Eska, welcome. I have only been here a couple of weeks on this thread and find it helpful to keep track of progress when I can. Hope you had a good dance class! Today for me was another wash out, nothing done. Had to go to the Uni and I feel tired now to go to events etc. I just want to be at home and get on with my work because I feel really pressured now. Anyway..... I will declare some of my goals for tomorrow and see how I get on.

1 - finish one transcription
2 - work on transcript
3 - read one 1-2 forms for next weeks meeting

Hi Lara, I know its really selfish thing to say, but is nice to have you back if only for a short time while you do your corrections. You do start to miss people on the forum! I read your reply on your congrats thread that you will pop in and out of the forum even when you have completed your corrections. I think that's so thoughtful of you and I for one would be so happy to have your advise and tips and to know you will come back into the forum now and again if only to say hello and offer your support which is so appreciated. I haven't been on this thread for a while now got lots of admin type things to get down as soon as I am DONE with those! I will be back again to declare my goals, so mucchhhh to do its seems just too big right now! Good luck with your corrections Lara, am sure you will be done and get finished up soon, its just the last tiny hurdle or hoop you have to jump through.

I agree with Bilbobaggins, if it was swine flu then for me that does some show little responsibility. I understand that washing your hands is one of the best things we can do and off course not to sneeze and cough all over the place to protect others. I heard a doctor on a radio station saying to sneeze into your elbow if you don't have a tissue, helps if you can't get to wash your hands right away. I read a piece in a health promotion journal where the commenter, Dr Stanwell-Smith a senior lecturer at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said in relation to the media hype, that it "....was understandable, particularly with the high attack rake in the young. What should also interest health commentators is the evidence of a profound believe in public health interventions, such as vaccines - associated with a much less interest in modifying behaviour, such as not sneezing into someone's face, washing hands more often and considering the necessity for quite so many school trips and visits to crowded places. The triumph of public health measures, in reducing the risk of many serious infections, now seems a two edged sword, since many find it hard to understand why an infection cannot be easily stopped - without any effort by the public at large" . Anyway, sorry to go off topic, my university has posted a notice about what measures will be put in place should the pandemic worsen, I am not against organisations who are seen to be doing something and taking this thing seriously even if it just in the form of information.

Hi ShinyPilot, sorry to hear about your induction experience. I don't think I have any advise to give except to let you know that I have a partner but I can say that I still feel alone with the PhD. So I really sympathise if you are feeling like this from the start. I didn't have the same experience as you but its very difficult to know how you will feel in a week's time or even a months time but maybe just to give yourself a few weeks to settle in and see how it goes. Sometimes you just know if it going to work out from the beginning. But if you are on campus most days it may be easier to give yourself time to see if you will find something in common with the other students.