Quote From Moon1:
Hi tru thanks for your reply
I am good in English I hold a master degree from USA . I have been there 3 years. My supervisor put in my 6 months assessment that I am very good in English. I asked for help from my uni tutoring center to help me improving my writing . I gave them my examiners comments, one of them said why he said you have to write your report in scientific English? You wrote your report in a good english . I did my corrections and I did my second chance of ESA . they also didn't allow me to pass and their comment was you improved but that wasn't enough for the PhD. By the way, my supervisor read my report before submitted it to the examiners in my first ESA and he said great! Good!

Quote From emily_phd_student:
Thanks Chickpea.

I totally agree that I need to give it longer. I am stubborn as hell so I know I wont give up easily and I got on the course so clearly I can't be terrible however I am still freaking out a bit.
I keep avoiding going to the office. I have pulled two sickies this week alone so I don't have to go in. I am supposed to be planning an experiment with a postdoc but I'm avoiding her like the plague for literally no apparent reason. I had a panic attack the other day because I'm pathetic.
I think the further I'm getting into this PhD I am realising that the project isn't what I thought it'd be and I don't particularly want to do it. For example, I had a meeting with my supervisor earlier and throughout the whole thing I was just thinking about how I didn't want to be there.
I think it's clear that I'm not managing the stress etc very well and I'm aware that there is clearly some underlying anxiety issue going on that I need help with but I really am struggling and I am fearful that I've made the wrong choice and keeping going will only make it worse.

Quote From nastygocart:
Thanks for all the responses! They have been very helpful!



Well... I have not really cared about rankings before, but then I started to read up on it and it got me a bit nervous. I have not studied in the UK before so I don't really know much about the academic "culture" over here.

On a side not, why shouldn't I be qualified to make judgments of my supervisor's publication record? Just because I'm a first year student it doesn't mean I'm unqualitfied to do so. And my "awesome grades" did attract attention, but what I wanted to do didn't really match with that faculty's research focus.

Quote From nastygocart:
Hi,

I'm currently a fully funded first year PhD student at a sucky ranked UK university (in most UK rankings around 80-100). My department is not particularly research oriented and has at the moment not too much cash to throw around. The university has just recently started to try to cut their spendings; staff, resources, travel expenses, conference fees, and so on. However, until now I have felt like a wonderboy that the department has gladly funded to go to conferences, but not anymore. Most of the other PhD students are not good. In some cases they are horrible. I am the only one that is funded.

My supervisor is very ambitious and has a really (!) impressive network. His/her research record is alright, not mind blowing, but OK. She/he is really keen that I produce papers during my time there, go to workshops/conferences, and get opportunities to teach. She also shares the same alternative research interest as me.

But I am starting to think that I may be shooting myself in the foot by doing my PhD at this very low ranked and poor university? Will it fuck up a potential academic career?

I have a bachelors and a two-year master's degree from a university that is ranked top 100 in the world. The faculty is well-known for their research and I have awesome grades.

I have been shortlisted for two PhD positions before. One of them was at a faculty that is specialised in my area of interest, research oriented, and is quite well-known internationally. I didn't get the position but I was ranked 2nd out of twenty applicants. Their PhD positions are always salaried.

I'm starting to doubt the choices I have done and would need some helpful advices. Should I quit? Should I hang in there? Should I wait and try to apply to the faculty that almost took me in before when a positions opens up? Any suggestions?

Quote From Maria212:
As a part time student, I would really like to know what you achieved within the first 6 months?

And as a full time student too please...?

Quote From fallenonion:
Hi pd1598. Well, my point to the OP is that, personally, I think it depends on circumstance. A blanket view that no funding means don't do it, I think is too sweeping. I have heard of self funded candidates getting jobs, so it has to happen to someone. I was trying to help, sorry if it wasn't clear. I'm assuming that the OP has some form of income, as I,doubt they expected yo live on air for years.

I'm sorry also if you think I'm ranting. My point is, there are (or should be) different routes for everyone. Not everyone peaks at undergrad, and knows at the age of 21 or 22 that academia is what they want to do. Some people, like me, felt it wasn't an option, went off and did other things, then came back to it later. Once you've got a mortgage and stuff, it's difficult to get by on a bursary. But If you've worked, and saved and are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary, why shouldn't that be rewarded? It makes no sense to me.

Quote From Maria212:
I am 27, part time PhD Student and in a full time job. My hours are a little crazy. According to the code of practice I need to invest 12 hours a week as the base minimum into my PhD. So far I have been doing two hours each day religiously after work from 6pm – 8pm and do 8 hours on a Saturday and 8 hours on a Sunday which totals to 26 hours a week part time on my PhD.
I tend to work better in short bursts as I don’t lose momentum. I am panicking because I haven’t done much since June and I am already 6 months into the PhD..!! My annual review is in April 2017 and I am just panicking because I don’t think I have made much progress! I am exhausted, tired, have pretty much no social life and working my guts out. I worry constantly that I am not working hard enough. Any advice?
What did you guys complete in the first 6 months of your PhD?? Please help!

Quote From jojo:
i can understand the theology one, but why not do an MA? or a postdoc? i just never understand people who do two masters, two bscs etc. but soon i'll be joining the two masters club after my phd. probably take a masters in a completely different field.... for the fun of learning more about the field without the pressure of a thesis.

Quote From RKV:
Dear Friends,
For doing a PhD (Aero) in the US, I got positive response from a few universities. I am 32 now (Single). I am planning to get married in between PhD.

Is it possible to work a Full time PhD with part time job (in industry)?. I have 5 years R& D work experience. I think Its possible. For that, I have to convince my supervisor as well as the University.

As a single, there no financial difficulties (Univ. PhD stipend is more than sufficient), but once married, I have to earn money for survival along with spouse.

Any Advice and suggestions will be greatly respected.

Quote From GrumpyMule:
Hello all,

I've read lots of very useful advice RE viva prep. In particular a lovely person on this forum recommended Murray's chapter in How to write a thesis and a first read of that has proved very reassuring.

I now have 4 weeks and 4 days until my viva. I haven't looked at the thesis since submission but feel the pressing need to start preparing.

My question is... how many hours do people spend/have people spent preparing for the viva? Murray's book talks about starting to prepare one month before but I also need to consider that I work 35 hours a week.

I am planning to begin spending an hour a day every day on viva prep and possibly a little more in the week before. I'm finding it really hard to know how much preparation to do (eg. how well should I know every paper cited and how much wider literature should I read). Some of these things are hard to measure in hours.

Any advice is much appreciated.

Thanks

GM

Quote From Tudor_Queen:
I'm not sure what others think about this, but I can't really liken the supervisor-student relationship to a manager/boss-employee one. For me, it has been completely different. I'd say it is more like a marriage, or very longterm relationship (but no, more like a marriage - because your funding is involved, etc so no way do you want a divorce!). Your PhD is like the baby. If you're getting on, great. If not, then there is a very different kind of stress/feeling until you can work it out with them. You don't leave your PhD in the office (even if you technically do) - it's more than a job.

But it's something you navigate once you get to know them. It would be hard to know beforehand if there were going to be issues. If you're determined to do a PhD and enjoy the process, you'll make a way for it to work out if things do get tricky on the supervisor front.

My supervisors are also great!

Quote From Mattfabb:
To be completely honest, I found that some older PhD students struggle a bit with the whole supervision thing. Being a PhD means that, to put it bluntly, you are in a subordinate position to your super. Some scholars I know who already published books and stuff, find it difficult to go back being supervised. Also: a friend of mine in his 50s is so stubborn that he ended up fighting with his supers and even with his examiners at the viva. He doesent seem to be handling it well at all...