:D Congrats! On the downhill now!

To be honest the only part I've really disliked is the end. And even then it's not just simple dislike...

I've enjoyed it immensely, even when the research has hit snags or when there have been tight deadlines. I can't really think of much, if anything, that would have made me as happy these past three years as my PhD has. I do want it to be over though so I can actually start my career, and earn something. The end just seems to be lots of paperwork and waiting though which is frustrating.

That's a pretty good question really. Maybe we should investigate in the thread?!

For my part...

The general area of mine is Psychology with the specifics of it being a bit obscure and combing two areas that don't really play well together.

I'm 24. Barring any horrible events I should still be once I'm all done and dusted. And to answer the past experience question along with it I went straight on from my undergrad. Same supervisor and similar area to my undergrad project.

Have a fairly friendly relationship with my supervisor. We can joke about things and chat happily enough. When it comes to work and the PhD it's always been a case of the research being mine and led by me (barring the initial tips and direction to begin with). And I think importantly we're fine with disagreeing - predictions, interpretations, direction etc.

Other life stuff has been great too. Good Uni, lived in a nice vibrant area. First 2 years I lived with a great friend. We were well match house mates. Final year I got to live alone. And towards the end of my first year I started going out with my current girlfriend and hopefully future Mrs Peljam. So all was, and is good :D

To be honest the only part I've really disliked is the end. And even then it's not just simple dislike...

I've enjoyed it immensely, even when the research has hit snags or when there have been tight deadlines. I can't really think of much, if anything, that would have made me as happy these past three years as my PhD has. I do want it to be over though so I can actually start my career, and earn something. The end just seems to be lots of paperwork and waiting though which is frustrating.

I'd have expected you and the others to be on the proposals in some fashion if it's extending work that you've done. It's not like the three of you have no background in the project and are being hired after the grant. Your work sounds like it might be the background, you've been working on the proposal and you'll likely be carrying out the research. Maybe there's something else going on or I'm being dim but it sounds a bit like you're getting shafted.

You need big names on grants but not at the cost of bumping you and the others off. I can see why they're not happy. Especially seeing as it looks like you'll be putting down that you 'worked on Project X' rather than 'worked and won funding for Project X'.

Whenever I included conferences I tended to do it in the research section. They might not be a paper but often they can be published as proceedings, so I included them as a seperate section (Conferences/Proceedings, Papers, Submitted Papers, Forthcoming Papers).

The job application process is never fun. In an odd way it is even worse when you get good feedback because you're left wonder what else you could have done? It's something that had bothered me before. I had 3 interviews, and was the runner up for 2 and was considered a good but inexperienced candidate for another (based on publication record mainly). At that point you kind of wish they had said something bad because you could at least improve it for the next interview, rather than feeling helpless about the competition you'll be against. Especially when as Sneaks says you might up against people with much more post doc experience than you (leading to the question of how you get the post doc experience if you need that experience to get it in the first place!).

You're getting to interview a lot though so they must see something they like. And again the feedback is good. It's just I think a matter of quantity with applications sometimes. Eventually one of them is going to fall your way. My supervisor said as much to me really when I had gotten my third rejection. He lost count of the number of applications he submitted for his first job. And now he is part of many interview panels and selection processes he says sometimes there's very little in it. So it might be much closer than you realise.

I thought pretty much the same as you Sneaks. With the PhD in the bag it would be easier when it came to competing. Though I think now it can managed so long as you're at the stage where you're about to submit, and have some of the details in place. They might place a lot of emphasis on the references from your supervisor to confirm that you are as good as done but it means you can compete a bit earlier I think.

Can be done :) I've got a job to go to and I've not submitted yet (though I'm meant to this month). I worked it out as being just over 50 applications, and 4 interviews. I think the other 3 interviews helped. It doesn't sound very helpful but they are great preparation. I wouldn't have been half as confident in the last interview if I hadn't had the experience of the others.

Nice one Walmiski! It's a good feeling I think when that form goes on. It gives you a much more definate end date to aim for. So long as you keep working steadily it doesn't sound like you're going to run out of time. How much notice do you have to give? For my Uni it's 3 months but they seem flexible on earlier if everything else is sorted out. Got the external and internal lined up?

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It can be done in less than three but it's very rare. Especially if it's heavily research based. Sometimes things go wrong :( And as you'll essentially become an expert in whatever area you take on it can get quite in-depth at the write up.
Normally though, and there's a thread on it floating about, if you're doing it full time you research for about 3 years and then spend sometime writing up afterwards. I'm at the 3 year 2 month mark myself. But should be submitted next month, and sit the Viva in the new year.

MRes is a Masters in Research, so the equivalent level of an MPhil I think but the emphasis is on studying the methods and stats that go along with Research. PGC is a post graduate certificate and depending on the focus of your credits can be in different areas. Like a PGCE.

Good luck with it :D Deciding what to do and which way to go can be a research project in itself.

I'm not sure but it might depend on what you mean by alternative schooling? To my mind that could fall under education and psychology. So I don't know what the exact expectations in terms of qualifications would be for going on to do a PhD. Some departments and supervisors might be fine with you not having a direct previous qualification and base it on the knowledge you have of teaching and the enthusiasm you have for the area.

I would imagine though that if research is your main aim that you would need some sort of research training, maybe as part of the PhD (PGC in research etc) or as a separate masters, maybe MRes.

PhD's are labours of love (and sometimes hate towards the end). You might be able to do it quickly and efficiently but that's still not guarantee it won't take long. They're not really the kind of thing you can breeze through really. Also :) It should be an interesting and enjoyable experience to a certain extent. The only reason I want my PhD out the way now is because I've got something else to move onto, not because I haven't enjoyed it (or that it was just a means to an end) if you see what I mean.

:D You should be able to add a special TV star (groan) to the helpful ones you've got.

Local news or did you go national?!

I'm at the 3 year 2 month mark. And it should be 3 year 5 months by the time I've done the Viva and made any corrections. I only know of one person in my department who's done it before the 3 year mark though.

I think it's fairly common to run over :) PhD's tend to be advertised at 3 years, but then there's always the writing up tacked on the end.

Ta :) I was thinking post doc route too (Although I guess anything after the PhD is technically post doc in that sense). I had been applying for research posts mainly, and the occasional lecturing post as a long shot. I'd been told, and come to believe, that I needed a bigger research profile/experience alongside some more teaching before I could even think of going for a lecture spot. It worked out though :D And I'll get to run my own research too!

Huzzah for papers! They'll be good for plugging gaps whilst you wait for feedback. Thats what I've found so far, especially as they synch up quite well with the thesis content. There's not too much changing gear in a sense if you're swapping between thesis chapters and research based on the thesis.

I've got an internal and chair sorted out now so it's nicely on track.

I think it depends on whether you're re-installing windows or repairing.

A repair in theory means that programs and documents wouldn't be wiped.
Re-install would mean you'd have to reinstall the programs, and definately make sure you have a backup of documents.

I'm basing this on XP though. I don't have any of the newer ones. Whenver I've reinstalled windows it's always wiped everything for me.

I've had a similar experience to Bilbo in that a paper was sent back for revision. Not because it was terrible but because A) there were a few issues that needed correcting and B) some of the reviewers felt it would be more suitable for a slightly different journal (in terms of specialisms rather than impact).

I wouldn't take it a rejection just yet, though revisions can still sting

My girlfriend is a master present buyer. She conquered her fear of puppets to buy and wrap a weird hand puppet thing that caught my attention in the shops. She did it super sneakily as well and I had no clue.

She also cotton'd on to my love of odd books and got me a first edition of an autobiography, signed by the author and everything :D It was wonderful.

As for my family it's a three way tie between the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Blimp I got when I was a kid, the Godzilla toy I got also when I was a kid and a signed picture of an actor from my fave sci fi show.