My MSc was definitely a LOT harder than undergraduate degree - and I did a four year undergrad degree (MMath).

And I always say it was also a lot harder and more timeconsuming than my PhD.

I've not really met anyone who has said that they found a masters easier than an undergrad, but maybe it's different for 'hard' sciences? I don't know.

The town itself - the population is about 1/3 students during term time and it becomes very VERY quiet when the students aren't around , but maybe I noticed it more because I lived there but went to a University somewhere else. And it's not a very big place, although some nice places to go around and about.

I can't really comment on the experience of the uni itself as I didn't go there but it's VERY sport dominated.

I've not seen that list (for the MSc in Management courses) but the list they produce for MBAs is quite well known and well respected so it might be a useful guide. Cass is a VERY good place if you can get it.

Oh, Walminski, you had me in stitches reading that!

The date has already been set, we're off to a concert. Nothing like a bit of Rachmaninoff to get the heart strings warmed! And I'll be fairly smartly dressed as I shall have to go straight from work.

I'm loving the cheese discussion, I might just slip that one in for the fun of it anyway!

I don't really know much about Business and Management but, to be honest, I would put all those universities fairly equal in terms of overall academic quality. Undergraduate and postgraduate courses can vary hugely within the same institution so it isn't a really fair comparison either.

Slizor is right about what the places are like. Exeter is really nice but a long way from anywhere. Southampton is a depressing town and a bit grey (sorry, but it is!). Leicester is nice and has a big south asian population. Loughborough is a bit dull and not a lot to do - I can say that having lived there for a while ;)

In terms of academic quality and living standards, out of the four I would personally choose Leicester.

I have a date next week, first one for ... oh god... I can't even remember the last time.

As it's been so long, I'm a bit out of practise and really nervous already! Any hints, advice, tips?

:-x

I'm not a huge TV watcher but I always watch University Challenge and current love Bellamy's People.

And is it wrong I quite like the One Show?

Can't really give any advice as I went into the private sector but congratulations!

Always, always, always err on the side of caution and dress as if it were any sort of interview - yes, that includes jacket! It's only for a few hours at most.

And I'm sure you look lovely in a suit :)

When I was doing my PhD there was a kind of official 6 or 8 weeks set by the research council.

It was always the unwritten rule though you could take off as much time as you wanted provided you got everything done - probably not so easy if you're working in a lab subject but I worked from home most of the time anyway so nobody really knew the difference. Didn't do me any harm ;)

Alpacalover, oh I'm really craving nutella now!

An appreciation of grammar would be a good start.

How many did you have?

I managed three, with lots of brown sugar and lemon :-x

Walminski, basically thanks, that was basically hilarious!

:-x

It's quite common to worry about your external, but you have to also try and remember they are there to pass you, not to fail you! Your internal examiner should also make sure any procedures are followed so it's usually unlikely you will get torn apart - as long as you are confident in your work and can articulate it, then there won't be any reason to give you major corrections.

Nerves is fine about it; if they are genuinely unsuitable then ask for them to be changed but you could end up going round in circles trying to find someone and just keep picking issues that "person x is an expert in this and will grill me" or "person y is an expert in that and will hate what i've done". But try not to worry about it, they will no doubt have performed many vivas and a viva is much a discussion of likeminded individuals as it as an exam.

And I say this having had completely the opposite and been rather disappointed - I did an interdisciplinary area and my external was someone who I had never heard of and had a very tenuous link to the area; my internal was even worse being someone who didn't even work in any of the interdisciplinary areas. Give me someone who would have challenged me on the interesting parts of my thesis anyday!