Check with your department - they may make exceptions as sometimes despite trying to finish within the time allocated it's not possible due to problems along the way (e.g. data collection, analyses, supervisor etc...) Have a solid plan of what you want to do and be prepared to answer questions on why you haven't got the data already if your supervisor doesn't know already!

Good luck and I hope you get something worked out. It's best to get it done ASAP before it feels like it's dragging on! (up)

I totally get what you mean! Confidence isn't my thing either so I don't usually say anything in front of big scary academics either.  I find presenting scary too which is why I usually just do it at smaller meetings! I am usually not very good either when put on the spot so always worry about not being able to answer questions afterwards but this comes with knowing your subject which you will do by the end of your PhD.  The talk I gave at the national conference was at the end of my PhD so I was able to answer the questions easily which I wouldn't have done before. I always find if you tell people that it's your PhD research they will know that you are in training so will not be that hard on you. 

I can also think of lots of things I should have said at my viva but didn't so worry that my external examiner who is a nice person doesn't think very much of me despite passing me! They are very on the ball and brought up stuff that I didn't even think/know about so I had to admit that as it wasn't what I would have considered a major point but it was useful to the interpretation of my results.  All I can think about is how to avoid this person in future as I think they think I'm not very clever! It was pointed out to me that they must have thought I was fine as I passed but I can't help feeling this way!  I also over analyse things too much and it does eat you up afterwards as I can always think of things to say afterwards! It just plays on your mind!  Incidentally I'm also awful at networking and I've given up as the few times I've tried it I have messed it up so have given up on trying to find a job that way!

But we just need to believe in ourselves as Olivia points out and the academics are not always right! My friends think I need to go on an assertiveness course which they may be right as I need to develop more self-confidence!  I was told by an academic that confidence comes with knowing your area so I think there is hope for us! Presenting does get easier the more you do it so I think the other stuff should as well.

Good luck that's great news especially in current situation! You can do it and have obviously got a good CV to have so many interviews! I would suggest to know your area really well (both specifics and the broad area) and how you fit into the dept's research and overall environment. As you have passed your viva you don't need to bring up the issue of corrections. If anyone asks just say you are doing them and they'll be done soon.

Go with the part time job and I can't believe the call centre said that! Shows you what it'd be like to work there! Good luck with the post doc - that'd be great! I'll keep my fingers crossed!!! (up)

======= Date Modified 27 May 2011 11:01:12 =======
Like the others have said think of it as constructive criticism and suggestions on how to improve.  Your confidence will improve as you progress through it so it will feel less like an "attack" unless you get an academic who is out to score points! It's about being able to answer questions about your work and getting feedback - so it's ok to say "That's a good point which I'll look into" or something along those lines.  It's very scary especially if you cannot think on the spot but that comes with knowing your area and greater confidence.

Start off with presenting at smaller events (e.g. dept seminars, workshops) and work your way up to national and international conferences.  I presented at a national conference this year for the first time and it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be as I dread the questions at the end incase I can't answer them but I turned out to be one of the few people who did my particular topic so the questions weren't too bad and I could answer them easily!

Hello,

Good on you for embarking on the PhD but like Rick said I'm not sure doing it will increase your residency chances as I think this depends on how many years you have worked in the country to gain citizenship if you are not from EU. I would check the conditions as a PhD is counted as studying and not working even though you might as well be except you don't pay tax!

Good luck

Hi KB,

I agree with the others and think it's down to stress.  You are probably just like a pressure cooker at the moment even though you don't feel stressed so crying is just your release mechanism.  Doing a PhD is emotionally tough as there is pressure from all sides being thrown at you and not to mention the pressure you put on yourself to do a good job so it is really like a rollercoaster!  I totally agree with Caterpillar's comment about people being nice which makes it worse.  Don't worry about looking bad as I'm sure your supervisor/team members have all seen it before and have probably been through it themselves though some may have forgotten what's like.  It's bad timing that your counsellor is retiring - maybe she can keep in touch or you can meet for a coffee or it might be good to get a fresh perspective.  I hope you get something sorted.

I think you'll be fine as you seem to have most things sorted out so just try to relax. It's natural to worry about your work and the job prospects are not exactly good at the moment which is tough.  As the others have said you need to take a break and get some distance from your work. Writing up is hard and takes so long! 

A suggestion is to make detailed chapter plans which you can submit to your supervisor for their comments before you start writing those chapters.  It really helped me as I could see where I was going. For the introduction I used to make notes every time an idea came to me about how to do the chapter and introduce the project.  By the time I was ready to write the chapter I had about 2 1/2 pages of notes which I just fleshed out and rearranged a bit so it was one of my less painful chapters to write and also saved me a lot of time. 

Good luck - it'll be over soon!  (up)
:p

Whether it's normal behaviour depends on your supervisor's idea of normal - is this typical for him? It's typical of many supervisors particularly those high up the ladder who have no interest in your work and just want students to make themselves look good, get more data or get time off teaching etc!!!

But then again you get some decent supervisors who are actually helpful and supportive of their students! These are less common though do exist so if you get hold of one (doesn't matter if they're your supervisor or not - if they are willing to help keep hold of them!)

Have you a second supervisor or somebody else in the dept who can help! Unfortunately your case all sounds too familiar and there is not really much you can do! The dept will more than likely let him get away with it so as not to ruffle any feathers as long as he is bringing in researching funding/raising the profile of the dept by doing funding!

Good luck with your upgrade - if they give you a hard time kick up a fuss and say you're not getting adequate supervision as the dept hates looks bad for them! (up)

That's a hard question as it depends on what you want out of it! It's important you do it for the right reasons:

1) Do it because you are passionate about the subject and want to further your knowledge - this will be worthwhile if you do it as you'll have achieved what you want to do.

2) For an academic job most expect a PhD as the minimum starting level so if you do one and then get a job it'll have been worthwhile.

If you are unsure whether you want to do one or think it'll further your chances I would consider your options carefully. It's a lot of time and money especially if you're paying for it yourself to invest for an uncertain return. Outside academia it's not necessary and maybe not bring you the expected return you are looking for especially in financial terms! It's a good achievement to have as it shows you have great willpower and motivation which you will need by the bucket load to get through but there are easier ways of showing this as it's also a rollercoaster ride and a very emotional journey to take. I totally agree with Pjlu's comment on this! It does require total dedication as it takes over your life so if you're uncertain going into doing one it'll will make it an even harder journey. A lot of people are very insecure when doing their PhDs as it's a big challenge and more like an endurance race so the old cliche applies: the highs are very high but the lows are very low! You need to focus on the end goal to survive!

Good luck with the decision. It's not one to be taken lightly! I would like to think it has been worthwhile especially if I end up with a job in academia though that is by no means certain especially in the current situation! ;-)

It depends on your topic whether you finish in 3 years or not. It is very possible in social science but not so likely in science as the experiments often develop a mind of their own and things do not usually go according to plan. Even with the best of intentions it is a good idea to allow some extra room for flexibility incase things don't go to plan or you find out something interesting you want to focus on etc. At this stage of your education - the uni does not matter so much as KB said. I'd suggest you go for the project that you are more interested in and hopefully with the supervisor who you can potentially have a better working relationship with. Their help and support is crucial to your success and will make things go better especially during the hard times!

Yeah it's a good idea to publish especially if you want an academic career and it'll help you get a job. It's not a requirement of a UK PhD to publish by the time you finish but if you can it'll benefit your career. Alot of this depends on the structure of your project as it is rarely possible in my field as the data comes together at the end. However if you're not interested in academia you don't need to publish but your supervisor will probably want to use your results so may request to publish them.

Going to conferences should be seen as part of the PhD process to tell people about your results and get yourself known which is very important in academia and to getting a job! You're are known through your supervisor so depending on the reputation of him/her you'll get some interesting reactions!

Good luck (up)

I would go smart casual. I think it depends on your age group as I have noticed that younger academics are more informal in that they will usually wear smart casual or some even wear jeans and shirt whereas ones from the older generation wear shirt and smart trousers. I guess it depends on your field as dress codes may vary with disciplines. Have you checked with other people who are going or other people who have been to conferences in your field?

======= Date Modified 20 May 2011 01:56:03 =======
======= Date Modified 20 May 2011 01:54:53 =======
Hi folks,

I'd like to ask for some help with some funding dilemmas. I'm not sure how it all works so I'd appreciate your thoughts on this:

1) Do you apply to lots of different funding sources for one project that you'd really like to do?
2) Apply to lots of funding sources to work with different people on separate projects?
3) Am I worrying about minor details and none of this really matters?

I have even included a poll for fun! ;-)

I'd also like to know if I should tell the potential academics that I am also working on other proposals as it's a small field so I think they'll find out. I don't want them to think I am being devious and not being open. They are for different sources of funding so it shouldn't matter as there won't be any overlap in that respect. I know that in the current climate it'll be even harder to get funding that it is usually so I want to increase my chances.

Thanks very much,
Doodles :p

======= Date Modified 20 May 2011 01:00:33 =======
Hi Pineapple,

That is good news.  I am glad to hear that things got sorted out as reading about your previous troubles made me really feel for you. And I thought I had problems!  It sounds like you've got a good strategy in place and done lots of reading to keep yourself up to date. Don't worry about the typos as your examiner will give you a list of them anyway and then you'll wonder how you missed them!  The main thing is to focus on your main arguments and know why you did what you did and the outcome. They will be looking for the you to define the problem, a robust methodology, discuss your results and analysis and evidence of wider reading so you know how your research relates to others.  Another thing they might ask is can your results be replicated elsewhere so have a think about where/what else you could have done. To some extent they will ask you stuff you wouldn't have thought about so don't worry about that as it'll be general stuff related to your project or field so you'll be able to answer it.

Good luck and try to get a good night's sleep the night before.  It really helps.
(up)

I sympathise too! It's certainly tough out there with so much competition for so few jobs yet they keep advertising for more studentships I sometimes wonder if you can apply for one of those. I've seen some interesting ones which would make great postdocs! Unfortunately the situation doesn't seem to be getting better as they are keen to train students without regard for the market and their ability to find jobs which is very depressing!

The current situation in academia is awful - you seem to need to have done a postdoc already before you apply for your first one, have X no of publications or X no of years teaching experience before you get anywhere close for a temporary teaching post!

The advice I was given is to hang in there and publish! I guess there are quite a few of us doing that here hoping that our years of dedication are worth it! It does sound incredible that after all we went through we are not able to get suitable jobs! Something surely has to be flawed!!! Surely education is a good thing! Anyway there's not much I can add to what the others have said so good luck and remember you're not alone! It's a tough journey but I'm hopeful it'll be over soon! 8-)

======= Date Modified 18 May 2011 21:34:19 =======
Opps got cut off ... must be writing too much!!

A word about quality - due to the immense pressure to publish these days to be seen as a "successful" academic some people maybe tempted to play the game and publish lower quality papers or split their research into so many fragments to get as many publications as possible. There maybe a backlash about this as I've seen some retiring academics publish about this - research was a more valued activitiy in their day as it wasn't a means to an end! They didn't have the RAE in their day! Maybe it's due to the short sightedness of the research funding so there's not much job security! Even those with permanent jobs need to find funding for new projects. There is are differences between academics like students so they are only as good as their work shows (or otherwise!!!)

Basically you get out what you put in and some more so you need to know how to work the system. It's not a good place to look at the moment but hopefully in a few years time after you've banged your head off a few walls, challenged a few academics and done some schmoozing the job market'll improved! I hope so for all our sakes!

Good luck! It's a frustrating and strange experience but what a journey you'll go on! You will be able to find out how much you can put with :-s and then you'll be ready for academia!!! ;-)