Hi!

My PhD is self funded - I know how difficult funding is to get for the humanities, so I’ve been working full time for two years to save up. But I’m talking about the student finance England PhD loan of £27,300, which is split across your course!

Hi all!

So I’m applying for the PhD loan, and it will be the only way I can fund my course. Along with my savings and fiancé’s wage, the £27300 split over 3 years would leave us comfortable. However, split over 4 years we would struggle. The course I want to do says ‘up to 4 years’. Do I get to choose how many years the PhD loan is spread across? Really worried about it!

Hi everyone!

So I’m looking for some advice from people who have done this as to whether or not it’s feasible or possible.

I’m currently working as a secondary school English teacher, and I’m desperate to do my PhD. I’ll need to do my PhD part-time, so I can self-fund and continue to work, and as it’ll take 6-7 years I’m keen to get started next year. However, I won’t be able to go part-time at work. While it may be a possibility further into the future, it isn’t at the moment, and I’m concerned about an economic recession or crisis hitting which will mean I need to stay in full-time employment regardless. I do get about 18-20 weeks of the year out for holidays, and I’m wondering if there are any other teachers or people who worked full-time while doing a part-time phd on here, and if you could tell me whether or not it’s realistically to do this?

I‘d really appreciate any advice!

Hi

Thank you so much for your comment, it’s very very reassuring. I’m aware about the issue with finding, honestly my actual lecturers at St. Andrews said they got distinctions and still got rejected for funding on several occasions, having to re-apply the following year, so my plan was always to work and save and hopefully get myself into a part time position which would enable me to also work on and fund the PhD!

This is really reassuring, as I said. I was super worried about my transcript, because I’ve had 8 assignments, 4 of which have been a 14/20 (so a lower 2:1), three of which have been high 2;1s and 1 of which has been a first, which has averaged out into the module results I mentioned before and my overall mark of about 15/20. I’m a little concerned they’ll see my spread of 14s and write me off, but if the research proposal etc. Is as or more important, that does make me feel a lot better - my first and highest 2;1 were in modules directly related to what I want to work on for my PhD, and I also got a good mid 2:1 in my Theories and contexts module, so I’m hoping that’ll help me out as well.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reach out to me, I do feel a lot better now, I really appreciate it!

I feel a bit silly coming on here, and essentially asking for reassurance or validation, but I’m very worried. I’ve done my MLitt this year at St Andrews (in the Scottish system, an MLitt is an MA!). I did the MLitt in a course which was always going to be harder for me, but it was a challenge I wanted. It’s very theory based, something I’ve always struggled with, but I have really enjoyed it! My module marks, however, really concern me. I’ve ended up with the equivalent of a low 2:1, two mid 2:1s, a high 2:1 and a high 1st, with the diss still to go. My average is about 15/20, so like a fairly high merit. I’m not planning on doing the PhD for several years, and I have a good graduate job lined up so I can self fund, so funding isn’t an issue (or at least I hope it won’t be)! However, I’m scared that with marks like these I might not get a place at the universities I was hoping for. I was wanting to work with staff/departments from Kings College London, Cambridge, or UCL, and while they all say that they take people with merits, I’ve heard people say that they don’t actually do that, especially Cambridge - that anyone who doesn’t have a distinction isn’t looked at. I also wanted these unis as they’re the only ones closest to me which I can attend. I do have a first class undergrad degree - could someone please give me some advice or reassurance? I’m so sorry if I look whiny or silly, I’m just so sad about my marks, and I’m scared I’ve thrown the PhD dream away 😭