You should definitely take a look at Birkbeck - not only is it aimed at part time students it is one of the top universities in the Times Higher Top 200 so you needn't feel that part time or night school is inferior. http://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/news-releases/birkbeck-ranked-in-top-200-of-world-universities/

I did my MA at Birkbeck for fun (I was working full time as an Accountant at the time) and it was my tutor there who was the inspiration that led me to pursuing an academic career (even though the pay is much worse than accountant) - it took me 11 years from completing my MA to my starting my PhD (in part because I gave birth three weeks after I submitted my dissertation).

Good Luck with what you decide to do.

Has anyone needed to access American Theses? Did you have to visit all the libraries or was there some way of accessing them from the UK?

My PhD involved work on American National Parks and there are a few theses which I woudl like to access but they are only available from US libraries.

Any thoughts other than visiting all the different libraries?

I'm hoping for a new phone (either an iphone or a Samsung Galaxy s - can't decide which - there's some aps for the iphone that relate to my PhD - yes honestly but I think the Galaxy is probably a better phone) and a Pandora bracelet so I cna collect teh charms (my daughter already has one)

Just have to share this!

Today I have:
finished a book review and sent it off to a journal
submitted a paper (sole author as it dates from pre-PhD) to one of the top journals in my field (and definitely a very academic one)
found my notes on the structure of my lit review form months ago and they ar emore detailed than I rememebr so I can start to add meat to the bones

AND I've been to the cinema with my husband and children (to see Africa United which though sad in places is a feel good movie)

So I think I deserve a glass of wine!!!!

Is there a cash alternative to the prize?

I am part time and my fees are £1800 per year (social science) - I reckon I spend near to that on top in books, materials and going to conferences which is essential (I was lucky this year to get funded to go to a conference in Malaysia but it still cost me a few hundred pounds - there is really limited funding in the university I work in so we've all got about £400 this year for conferences which hardly covers the cost of a conference in the UK let alone one further afield (next year there is one in Oman and I woudl hav eliked to have gone to a symposium at the Grand Canyon this autumn)). I also need to do fieldwork - this summer I did a combined family holiday and preliminary research trip to the US - has it just been a research trip it would have been about £1500 for two/three weeks (as the transport and accomodation wouldn't have been shared between 4).

The other cost (which I am amazed no one has elluded to is the blood, sweat and tears (especially the tears)) A PhD is not something to be embarked upon lightly.

Oh that's a bit harsh - I hate it when there is an internal candidate. Good Luck anyway

I don't know what the gender split is but there can be a male female thing going on.  My husband genuinely doesn't notice that the kitchen surfaces need cleaning etc. He is semi-retired and so does more of the housework/childcare and has asked me to draw up a schedule so that he knows how often things should be cleaned (so surfaces several times a day, floor several times a week etc).  I really don't feel like doing this as it feels like I am telling him what to do but he said that I know how often things should be done and he doesn't   So a rota may well be the way to go.

You can do it on either who wants to be responsible for (if for example someone doesn't mind doing floors but hates emptying bins) or on a rotational basis or on a taking responsibility for specific rooms (eg kitchen, bathroom, sitting room, outside space).

I wasn't really in a financial position to tak ethis as I would be giving up a full time job with a day a week for PhD research and £1500 towards my fees for a part time job (0.5) with no support (financail or time) but it was nearer home and I hoped might get me a foot in the door of that uni. However the job was not what I thought and so with the financial contraint as well I decided it really wasn't for me. Had a very nice e-mail back thanking me for letting them know and for going to the interview and good feedback saying I interviewed well and was appointable so a win win all round really (and my HoD is thrilled I am not leaving so is being nice to me)

Interview went fine but I decided that I don't want the job - not what I was expecting plus it's only a part time job and I had reservations anyway. I sent an e-mail withdrawing my application to avoid wasting any more time.

Thanks eveyone for your good wishes

Well done - inspiration for all of us

Was feeling quite relaxed but am just putting my make up on and am suddenly feeling quite stressed - not sure I have done enough preparation for what they will ask me but it is a bit late now.

Have got my rescue remedy sweets to suck while I am waiting and have got handouts and my notes for my presentaation.

Feeling hungary and sick at the same time


AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Sadly it's based on personal experience of a fatal accident overseas with extensive investigation reports written in German which the British coroner needs in English.

If you need official translations of legal documents then you should go to an approved tranlation service. In many cases these need to be notarised as well which will add significantly to the cost. I don't think Wally's suggestion (good though it is) would be suitable for legal documents.

Have you asked the university who they recommend?

I would echo Bleebes points - there is a technique in NLP where you think of a time when you were confident etc with lots of detail, smell, noise, colour etc while squeezing your finger or pressing your nail into it to anchor these feelings - you then just repeat the action in the interview and those feelings will come back.

It has worked for me (a friend is training to be an NLP practitioner) and it was also done by Paul McKenna when he cured me of a phobia.

For nerves you can try rescue remedy which I find works too.