Actually, I take that all back, I've just found I have a star!! Thank you to whoever that was!

Well, believe it or not, I happen to feel very comfortable with my zilch star status (cries hysterically in the corner)!

Demanding is definitely the word for some undergrads- I only graduated from my BA a few months ago, but I remember overhearing a conversation between two undergrads (okay, I was eavesdropping!)

One of them was saying to the other how disgusted she was that her dissertation supervisor hadn't emailed her back with feedback regarding her whole dissertation, went she sent it to him two days ago. How her poor supervisor was meant to get through her diss in 2 days, alongside teaching and supporting other students, is beyond me!

I don't think it's just the lecturers that feel this though- there is nothing worse in a lecture than a persistent know-it-all who feels the need to constantly put the lecturer or their peers down, or a student who feels the need to dumb themselves down to get noticed. It drives me crazy!

I think it's so off-putting to pick up, for example, a journal article and see such complicated language used. In journals like these, I find myself reading sentences three or four times, just to try and work out what they actually mean! As long as you feel happy with your writing, as well as your supervisor, I don't think it's appropriate to try and change your style to make it more fancy.

Hi everyone,

I have to write a critical review of a journal article for my MA, but am really struggling with getting into the right mindset. Any tips on how to tackle a critical review for the first time?

Thanks,

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Really sorry about the triple post!!

Hi Emma,

I've just started my MA, and am starting my PhD next year, as I've got ESRC 1 + 3 funding. This means that I've already had to propose the research I wanted to do for my PhD, as that was what was looked at during my interview for ESRC funding.

It definitely doesn't have to be life-changing! As long as it looks worthy of doing (e.g there's limited research in that specific field etc), and you make it evident that it is worth doing, then that's all that matters! The area I'm studying for my MA diss, which will also form the basis of my PhD potentially, is definitely not life-changing, it's just something I'm passionate about which hasn't been researched in the way that I intend to research it.

And don't worry about having exact ideas for your proposal- mine has completely changed now! They just want to know that the research you propose could be done, and that you're motivated to do it.

If you want any advice about the ESRC process then let me know!

Keenbean, thankyou! Glad I'm on the right lines but will also talk to my supervisor about it :-)

Hi everyone,

I'm currently writing the research proposal for my full-time MA diss (which is also an assessed piece of my MA), but I'm just a bit unsure about something and I'd be grateful if anyone could help.

I'm planning on doing semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Obviously I don't know exactly how many participants I'm actually going to be capable of getting and interviewing/transcribing/analysing etc, but if I say 10 participants does that sound about right?

Thanks :)

Tasha, I agree with Stressed, your supervisor sounds like he has been completely unreasonable, and a bully! Are you not able to continue with the topic you're interested in, just with a different supervisor? Although there may not be a supervisor who is directly involved in you area, surely there are others who may be slightly involved in it and thus could supervise? I'm guessing going to a different uni isn't an option seeing as you have funding?

Please don't doubt yourself- 48 hours is a hell of a lot of working each week. Maybe revisit why you wanted to do your PhD in the first place. Remind yourself of why you wanted to do it all. Have faith in yourself. And please don't let a bully damage your confidence.

And you clearly are 'good enough' to do a PhD, your commitment and getting a First shows that. Believe in yourself!

Well done, that's great news :) I've just started my MA and am already feeling the strain!

Hi Natassia,

I applied for an ESRC 1 + 3, and to get that I had to do a proposal for the PhD stage during the 3rd year of my BA. The area I proposed was far from specific, and I only had chance to do limited research around the area, so it was very general. However, I was specific about the methods that I wanted to use (basically because there was only one method that made sense to use to get the data I wanted to get).

And about where you want to do your Phd, definitely consider other universities than your own. I was incredibly attached to the uni where I did my BA, and the support I got from lecturers, in particular from my supervisor, was brilliant, and I seriously didn't want to do my Masters or PhD anywhere else. But my lecturers encouraged me to apply to another university (where I could get ESRC funding and which was overall better than what my first uni could offer), which I did. Now, I'm at the new uni which is absolutely fantastic, and I'm so glad I did it. It's very easy to get too comfortable, and although it sounds brilliant that you'd have a group of supervisors, definitely consider other uni's so you can make a well-informed decision!

Try not to stress and keep reading those PhD books, they helped me when I was trying to understand that strange new world!

Hi Ogriv,

I've been with my boyfriend for 3 and a half years now, I met him just before we started our BA's, so I've been with him through those three years, and now I've just started my MA while he's got a full-time job.

I think the main thing is support- if you have that off your partner, there will be very few problems! My boyfriend is incredibly supportive of everything I do. As he works full-time it's quite easy- I do my MA work while he's at work, we have tea together and whilst he's off playing footy etc a couple of nights a week, that either gives me time to do a bit more work or gives me chance to have a bit of time to myself! All the other nights we watch tv, go out for tea, or recently, ice skating!

I definitely don't think you have to sacrifice your degree for a relationship to work...likewise I don't think you have to sacrifice your relationship to get the best degree result you can- I got a 1st in my BA, all while my boyfriend was by my side!

So if you meet someone, it's definitely possible to fit it into postgrad life!

Oh, and about being overwhelmed about your Masters, I know the feeling! If anyone says the words 'critical analysis' to me again I'm going to tear my hair out!

I agree with what Natassia says, but just wanted to ask, have you started looking at the mass media part of your course yet? I've just started my MA, and there's one module in particular that I'm a bit confused about and I don't find it particularly interesting, however the rest of the course makes up for it. So could it just be the fact that looking at the politics side is making you feel this way? But, think seriously about whether you prefer mass media or film...it sounds like your more interested in the film side.

Don't worry, we are all rusty after coming back to academic from time off, I sure am anyway!