Hi tt,

I think it should vary. Ideally the relationship would be flexible but with understanding that the supervisor knows more about the big bad academic jungle and that as the research progresses, the student has more insight into the topic.

This said, a supervisor may need to assert authority at times, but only to keep the student on track.

Hope this helps.

Hi Journey,

In my personal experience, all of the posts I've seen filled in new universities have gone to people they know and who fit into the department's social scene. For example, there was one interview I went for where th Head of Department's best friend got the post.

I study at a top department and, yes, the three new recruits there are also from top universities. But one of them is an ex-student, while the external examiner of another was on the interview panel, and I know that external wanted to butter up the student/candidate's department. From what I've seen, the 'it's not what you know, but who you know' philosophy applies to some degree in all universities.

Getting to know people is always a good move - teaching helps with this (appologies if you've done this already). I can't add any more to what people have already said about finding work.

However, I've always had the impression it's harder for those in the sciences because so many PhDs are funded, often to carry out research work cheaply. Arts PhD funding is unbelievably scarce but thee have still, historically, been a similar number of lectureships. So I've thought that there would be much, much more science PhDs than there are science jobs.

Good luck! X

Yes, I am part-time. I could not not have got away with an unproductive year otherwise.

Hello 007, sorry to hear you sad news about your mum.

I can only relate my own experience of losing a sister at the very start of my PhD process, she died a week before my official start date. I could not concentrate on the work for at least six months afterwards, although I did plod along doing things. I chose to keep going because I wanted life to go on. I didn't want any more loss at that time. Looking back, it was great for me to have that sense of purpose to carry me forward, but it was not a productive first year at all - a fact not helped by my first supervisor who wasn't right in a few ways.

I was lucky not to have started until after those precious last months with my sister. I'm not sure how you will manage that. For me, being with her came before everything else and there was not enough head space just for dealing with that alone, never mind a PhD.

Only you know how you feel and of you can do it. But I hope my story helps in some way.

Best Esk xx

I know what you mean about the duvet thing... I'm further along than but am now finding motivation tricky.

Hello Helebon,

Yes that sounds do-able to me, so long as you have your PhD well set up.
By this I mean that you need to be sure of your subject choice - that it's right for you and is viable. Also, and perhaps most importantly, you need a good supervisor, this can make or break your project and your schedule. I've seen enough of PhD processes (including my own early stages) to know that a bad supervisor can drag your work out for years longer than need be. It can also spanner it completely...

One of the great things about self funding is that you get more choice about your supervisor. So my advice is to exercise that right. Do some research and find out who is the best person for your topic and for the contacts you will need when you finish. Find out what their track record is in terms of past PhD students, are they proud of the achievements of their students? You can do this by checking their profile and speaking to current students - but you will have read between the lines, because PhD'ing is a highly political process.

Thank you Jojo, that's just what I needed to hear! X

Yes Tanemahuta I have given myself a year, but think perhaps getting it to a complete thesis first draft stage by September is more likely... fingers crossed.

Yes it's good to chat with people with the same goals!

Thank you for your encouraging words. It doesn't feel like I'm so advanced - all I can see us 30k plus left to write and the assembling. I think I may have misled you in my earlier post - I've been working on the outline and two shorter chapters since September - and the outline is a re-draft, although it is unrecognisable now.

The long outline is just what you describe. There is an introduction of about 5k which will probably form my final intro, this includes my research questions and a lengthy justification for my thesis structure, which is unusual; then there are about 1-2k on each unfinished chapter; and a page for the finished ones. I basically give an abridged version of the whole thing, including chapter structure, what the key arguments are and where I am going to lead my readers. It's been hard work and a long process, but I do feel much better about the thesis now. Fingers crossed it'll be ok!

Hi Tane, thanks for bringing the thread back! I've just 'cracked it' with my research questions and structure, according to my supervisor. I have a 10,000 word outline - or mini thesis which I'm doing some last minute tweaks on now. I have one chapter (7.5 k) that is almost finished and another (8k) that is half done. That's basically what I've written since the thread started. I also have two longer chapters (16k each) finished, which leaves two further long chapters of about 16k words to write from almost scratch, plus my introduction (which will be drawn from the outline) and my conclusion. My thesis will be 85-90k words. I really, really wish it had worked out shorter! I have about 55k words near to final draft... One girl I know only wrote 50k words for her entire thesis. Plus I'm sute examiners like shorter documents.

I am hoping the assembly stage won't take too long. Anyone any idea how long it takes?

My supervisor edits mine and we discuss structure and so on too. He talks me through each point, even about grammar and writing style so I learn. This has worked very well and these days my work comes back with much less ink on it. He even circles the odd times in my bibliography when I've left an extra space after a full stop. Clearly, I am a lucky PhD student...

Hi I'll add to that and say word count is usually between 50,000 and 100,000 words. Also I reiterate what's just been said: A PhD is not a course. If you are looking for a course then don't do a PhD, you will hate it.

Here, here. Even a PGCE is 9k now, no matter what you subject or how good your degree...At least in the 1850s things were getting better, not worse.

If it were me I"d keep them... Vac pack 'em and store them in the attic/under the bed or wherever possible, at least until I knew I was not going to stay in academia. I hate waste and off you do decide to pursue the academic career, they're the foundation of your research and teaching. Why give it away to a mega-bucks uni? That's my tuppenth worth - I still have all my undergrad notes from 15 years ago and I have found them useful for research and teaching ideas.

What a blessed relief! I could cry for you... Enjoy it! Xxxx