Hello all,

This is my first post though I have been lurking for a while. Many thanks to everyone who may have unknowingly provided me with advice whilst I was deciding to undertake a PhD and applying!

I accepted a PhD yesterday and am very excited about starting! Though I have since been having moments of feeling like I may be thrown in completely out of my depth! All perfectly normal I'm sure!

Anyway just wanted to say hi for now,

Kirsty

Hi, and welcome to the world of procrastination!

When are you starting the PhD?

officially Sept but might be sooner if I can change my Summer plans (work elsewhere).

Yes, am a bit scared I might get distracted here.. must start PhD with self-discipline at least!

Excellent. Just one word of advice from my own experiences. Instead of reading literature before you start your PhD, a holiday of two weeks or more would be very beneficial for the whole thing. It will be a tough few years ahead and I wish I would have recharged my batteries before it started.

Nice One ! What are you studying ?

Thanks jouri, I will really try to have a couple of weeks off first. I graduate in the summer (undergrad degree) but had planned full time work so will have to see how it works out.

It's in the cancer therapy area masters, something I've been wanting to get into for a while so really excited!

Congratulations and welcome! and definitely enjoy your summer!

Thats the same field I am goin to do in September , I got my place in Leeds after turning down the offer from Cambridge because I thought the supervisor in Leeds is more approachable and the project is more relevent and exciting. It is on the regulation of p53 protein / apoptosis , I prob will meet you at one of the conference or somewhere

You sound excited, how cute. THe feeling won't last though. Welcome to hell.

welcome you to the big family

Hi Kirsty

That makes three of us (you, me and masters) starting this autumn).
I'm excited too :)
I was given the same advice about the summer (take a break) but I'm not very good at that.

Regarding LostInOz's comment, he (she?) is feeling down at the moment and from what I understand (although I may well retract this later) a PhD is not hell all of the time!

ejc x

Nice, I think it is this time when everyone should get their places sorted !
ejc, are you studing in the field of cancer research as well, and where are you and Kirsty going to base at ? I am abit excited about the phD but also abit nervous about what I suppose to achieve in the first year .

Hey guys,

It's nice to see you all so excited, quite refreshing, actually. Tips - enjoy your holidays, take a break (not so easy to do/find once you start your PhD work)... I think it's good that you're using the forum to get to know each other - that's a good way to build a support network as you get started. Hope the PhD turns out to be all that you want it to be... it's a bit of a rollercoaster ride - hold on tight!

Guys,

Did you think you had the offers after you had the interviews , because I thought I had two rotten interviews but still got both offers to my surprise , I was so shock , It must be the pretty face .

Congratulations masters and ejc! I will be based in London- found out whilst I was still actually at the Institute that I had got the place, which meant there was no horrible waiting checking my email every half hour! Didn't think the interview went too badly, I had done a fair bit of reading but some of the qustions still caught me out, I was just honest if i didn't know the answer. It was still a surprise when I was told though!

have a good weekend everyone and thanks for your messages