Overview of Melsie

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PhD Dissertation in only 12 to 18 months !
M

Apparently you can do PhD by publication...

http://www.psy.gla.ac.uk/~steve/resources/phd.html

Speaking your mind
M

Quote From rubyw:

Yes Melsie, but he didn't die or get seriously injured luckily, just shot across the room and flopped on the floor. Dodgy wiring, semi-darkness, no heating, asbestos exposure, plus general dirt and filth. A management master plan that changed direction after my colleague's shock, though I doubt the students had any idea of how us staff had to work behind the scenes! We should have got the union and HSE in earlier.

That sounds awful Ruby, I'm glad he's ok. Is the situation sorted now?

Are you using double or 1.5 spacing?
M

I prefer 1.5 if I am printing anything out to read. Anything I submit must be in double spacing though, I don't have the option. I think go for the 1.5 if you have the choice, it just looks better. You could compromise a bit and use wide margins for comments?

Question about abstracts
M

It depends on your subject area I think. For instance, in my area (psychology) you can use references in the abstract but this must be in the form of a full reference not a citation i.e. so that the abstract can stand alone without a list of references after it. Again, in my experience, an abstract should not be longer than 150 words.

Speaking your mind
M

Quote From rubyw:

There's nothing wrong with disagreeing with a popular viewpoint, as long as you argued your case logically and weren't rude. In work situations I've sometimes argued against bizarre ideas from senior staff, but if they choose to go their own merry way after having potential problems drawn to their attention, there's not a lot you can do. The annoying thing is that these ideas are often proved to be ridiculous in practice somewhere along the line, but usually after lots of time and money has been wasted (or someone gets electrocuted in our case). I think it's better to have said your piece than kept quiet if you felt that strongly. Perhaps the majority trendy idea will run its course and then your suggestions will become noticed for being far better alternatives at some point!

I wouldn't worry about what potential employers might think, after the touchiness has worn off they might even respect you for proposing an alternative view if you did it well. You can't agree with everyone all the time and learning how to argue a case seems to be part of doing PhDs, so it would be nice if it was useful occasionally.

Someone got electrocuted??

Starting PhD
M

Personally I would refer to a supervisor by their first name right from the outset. In my view, anyone who asks me to call them by their title is not someone I want to work with... everyone knows the qualifications/job title of their supervisor, don't need to be reminded of it at every opportunity. I don't think that kind of formality is helpful for a good working relationship.

Maybe it's just based on where I have studied, but right from first year as an undergrad it is common for students to address staff by their first name.

Most ludicrous question asked by a student
M

I can actually understand why someone would ask that question. If you use plagiarism detection software, when you submit your essay it will give you a percentage of content that is similar to other published work. Granted, I don't think this would've been what the student meant, but still the question isn't that ridiculous.

I have to agree that the system encourages this kind of thinking - you end up focussing on what you have to do to get a good grade rather than learning about a subject because you're interested in it.

awkwardness/tension between me and supervisor
M

Quote From phdnewbie:

thanks for all the replies, much appreciated.

I will (continue) to act professional and keep all conversations work-related, my behaviour so far I really don't think could be interpreted as flirting by even the most paranoid/hopeful of people- but yes, she probably does need time to work all this out for herself. If not i'll put plan B into action and conjur up the phantom gf:D

The weird thing is, she seems pretty liberal and has more gay friends/colleagues than me! and after reading a report by her (can't say for whom for fear of being recognised ) -seems rather pro-gay rights!:p:p


Hmmm, maybe she is secretly attracted to you? :p

awkwardness/tension between me and supervisor
M

I think you should just leave it. I just don't see a way to raise the issue without it becoming even more awkward - basically you'd be saying to her, I think you're acting weird because you think I might be attracted to you, but I'm not. It's more her problem than yours anyway, and I think if you continue to be professional towards her then she'll realise you're not interested and will become more comfortable around you. You're still getting to know each other anyway and often this can be awkward enough without an underlying sexual tension.

Thrown out of PhD
M

I don't think you're likely to get any different advice to what you got on your other thread. You should really consider going to student services or the equivalent, you will get much more specific advice for your situation. Good luck, hope you get it sorted.

Of interest perhaps?
M

Thanks Bug, this stuff is great. Love listening to Australian accents, strangely relaxing...

Made to Fall (Ph.D. Unsatisfactory)
M

I can't imagine how difficult that must be for you... it sounds so unfair. :-(
Stick in there though! Best of luck with your viva and getting this whole situation fixed.

PsyD clinical psychology, any suggestion?
M

It's basically just to make sure that your knowledge of psychology is similar to that you'd have got doing a degree at a UK university. I think GBR just means you have an appropriate qualification that allows you to register with the society. To work as a chartered psychologist you need to be registered with the BPS, so you need the GBR. I think you'll need to contact them and arrange to do an exam or something. This page has some information.

http://www.bps.org.uk/membership/overseas-info/overseas-info_home.cfm

Psychology as a career
M

======= Date Modified 28 Sep 2008 15:58:08 =======
I wouldn't listen to anyone giving you information about psychology that hasn't studied it themselves; some of what you said has a grain of truth in it though.



Psychology is a science, but perhaps has different methods than in other sciences. Also there are some areas that aren't very scientific. That's why you can get a BSc or BA in psychology, whether or not you consider it a science depends on what aspect of psychology you're thinking of.



There are jobs... but not loads of them. Sounds like you're thinking of clinical psychology, in which case so long as you complete the postgrad, you generally will find a job. The problem is, the postgrad in clinical tends to be very competitive and numbers are restricted. While you're at uni, you'll need to get about 2 years relevant experience before being considered for entry. Most people doing psychology will not go on to become a psychologist - this is partly because a lot don't want to, and partly because of the competitive entry at the postgrad level. The BPS website is a good starting point for thinking about careers.



Psychology is not that poorly paid in my opinion... a clinical psychologist earns at least 35K as a starting salary.



In terms of the 'gays and women' comment, which I have to say was a bit random, you'll generally find more women at the undergrad level and professional postgrad level; an equal mix doing research PhD; and considerably more men in senior academic positions in psychology.



Hope that helps...

Psychology as a career
M

In terms of an undergrad degree, you couldn't do much better than psychology, especially if you're not sure what you want to do after uni. It's a great course for developing general transferable skills. If you're thinking of a career in psychology, it can get quite competitive - it would depend what area you want to go into, but generally you need to get experience of working in that area during your degree e.g. if it's research, work a summer in the lab; educational, get some experience working with kids etc. What have you been studying in psychology that interests you?

I'm a final year undergrad in psychology and hoping to do a PhD, so if you have any questions at all, just ask.