I am currently searching for a full time PhD, but a little unclear about the basic setup... Where are you expected to study it? Does every student get given a nice little desk in the University somewhere or do you only spend time in Uni when your meeting with your supervisor and do the majority of the work from home?

Hello!- Where I am we get given shared office space but it's entirely up to you if you use it or work from home. As I live quite near Uni I do most of my work from home and come in for supervision meetings (these also vary, depending on your supervisor/subject)....although I would use my office if I had to travel a long way to get to uni- hope that helps in some way!

Thanks Vince! So the Uni is not obliged in any way to provide a desk/work area for PhD students? I guess working along side researchers is always going to improve your PhD, rather than working in isolation at home...

What are people's experiences of this?

It will depend on the type of work you are doing i.e. if it's a lab based PhD then you'll be spending most of your time in the Uni. There will always be somewhere you can work but you may not have the luxury of your own desk, you may have to 'hot desk' with other students/share a general postgrad area.

The rules are something like "adequate work space should be provided blah blah" usually this is interpreted at least a minimum of a decent library with tables to work on for arts & humanities, and some desk space somewhere for science people.

At a science-based university, all postgraduate students are given a desk within a shared office space. 99% of us are given individual computers to use, although some of us have no shame and use them to browse and contrbiute to extra-ciricular forums.

Depends purely on the department.

We have a postgraduate room, and each student has their own computer and desk space. I work there 99% of the time, but occasionally work at home. Some days I might be on my own in here, other days it can be full.

I'm a lab-based PhD student and I share an office with one other person. So I have my own desk and computer.

I share an office with 3 other people and have my own desk (which is a mess already) and computer. Also have a computer in the lab I can use.

Thanks guys - it seems as if most Universities do make work space provisions !