We need to see the youtube clip to see just how much you stuck the boot in :-)

I don' think it is obligatory for dogs to be chipped - the bill ran out of time with the general election. Most people I know haven't had theirs chipped (we had ours done and it did mean he was promptly returned to us when he went missing)

You should contact the university registrar's dept - they will be experienced in doing this - you shoudl always have one academic reference at least for a course or an academic job.

This is a protest not a strike therefore by walking past you are not breaking any picket (and are therefore not a scab). When there was the big staff protests 5 years ago I was a sessional lecturer and not in the union - there was little presence on the campus and so walking / driving past was not an issue (compared to when I worked in the motor industry in the 1980s when there were big stikes with serious picket lines, brazziers, donkey jackets etc (ah those were the days)). Don't forget that if you do refuse to cross the picket line there are all sorts of legal implications if it is not an official picket for your union (aside from the loss of pay if it is your union). There is guidance here http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/TradeUnions/DG_10027549

If there are protests (and there were none at my uni but there is a big one in the city centre for the three unis in the city) and anyone says anything I am goign to say that I support the cause but that I cannot jeopardise the teaching for any students who do turn up by not turning up myself. There's been no guidance from the union other than to try to go to the protest in the city centre this lunchtime (whereas for the big protest in London there was guidance about moving classes to enable staff and students to attend).

It maybe that you are experiencing nostaligia for an undergrad life which rarely repeats itself at post grad level - there is much less camaraderie (students generally have lives away from the uni) and much more focus on the academic aspects of uni life. Is there a way of doing a masters part time? You have managed to get a great opportunity getting into the movies and you may find that if you left it would be difficult to get back in.

As far as I am aware you would have to start form scatch. There is usually a declaration that no part of the work has been submitted for another qualification which you would be unable to agree to if you were buiding on your MPhil. Why did you take the MPhil if you think it is possible to turn it into a PhD?

Am I the only person who thinks that looking for courses and subjects is what the potential student should do? We can give advice on institution a vs intitution b but I think it is up to you to know / find out where the key people in your field are.

Have tried three unis I have access to and no luck i am afraid - inter library loans?

I would have stayed in industry earning a large salary with lots of perks - but I would have been unhappy.
No - that's why I changed career.

At the university I work in, the one where I did my MA, and the university I did my MSc in (and am now doing my PhD) distinctions are A (over 70), merits B (over 60) and pass is everything else. You need to be careful about making comparisons across univerisities (in particular across countries) as in some place marks in the 80+ range are the norm whereas in other places it is almost impossible to get anything higher than a 75 (this is based on my experience of teaching international exchange students - Erasmus and others) who are devastated when they get a mark of 75 becuase in their country that is a very low mark whereas in teh UK it is an A and a good mark. Fortunately for them when grades are transferred into international credits it is the letter that translates so they get their A which then translates to something like 90 at home.

Your university shoudl have guidelines in their regulations which can tell you what the marks mean there.

Thank you for all the words of encouragement - I've awarded thank you votes for those of you I haven't already voted for :-)

The really annoying thing was that immediately before I lost it I was having a conversation about the importance of backing up with an undergrad who had a virus which wiped her memory stick. Do as I say, not as I do!

I stressed all last night (which was our wedding anniversary and so instead of being delighted that my husband had bought me the same flowers as I had in my bouquet I walked straight past them to look what back-ups I had on my home computer :$)

BUT I am now ecstatic because the lady who sells the tea and coffee in the Senior Common Room had found it and put it in the till for safe keeping) :-)

Needless to say I am now backing it up (and my wonderful husband is buying me some software that will back it up automatically every time I put it in my computer):-x

Went back and the lecturer was still there but sadly my stick wasn't.

Am going to check with secutiry lodge but don't hold out much hope. Problme is that as well as loads of PhD stuff (not backed up for a couple of weeks) there is confidential student stuff (references etc) and lots of other stuff.

And it's my wedding anniversary & I promised my husband I would be home early

HELP

I have just (about 10 mins ago) realised I have mislaid my data stick which (despite my reminding undergrads on a regular basis) has not been backed up for about 3 weeks.

On it are all my lecture notes written for this year so far but more importantly there is loads of PhD stuff.

I am hoping that I left it in the computer in the room I was teachign in this morning but I have been down there and someone is in it until 4pm.

It's really difficult to comment as different institutions have different regulations regarding completion dates. Your institution will have regulations regarding how long a student has to complete the degree (part and full time) but they usually allow more than one academic year. How did you find out that the request was not granted? Depending on whether the university informed you by their usual means or not (eg if they sent an e-mail which you failed to open for weeks) you may have grounds for an appeal. You would need to have evidence that the university made no attempt and that you were not negligent (eg by changing phone number / address and not informing them).

The university I work at has regulations which make it clear that all appeals must be made within a specific period of time and only if you were unable to do so (eg if you were in hospital) can that be overruled.

You need to speak to someone in the university advice / student support office who can guide you on the regulations (or is there a tutor you get on well with who you can speak with). I don't think the fact that you have paid will make any difference.