I would have thought your input is sufficient to be first author. Also, if you are the main person "driving the writing", you should be first author, I think. Why not ask her whether she agrees to for you to be first author this time, as you have worked on the paper a lot. I think good supervisors give their students a chance to write papers and be first author. If you want to stay in research, you having first author papers is important and I would have thought being a bit assertive in these things is essential. All the best..

Hi Annieslim.
As other posters have mentioned, lots of PhD students will go through phases of "sadness" - Especially in the second year, it can get tough, I think. I remember being quite defeatist at one point. Whilst the feeling of sadness seems quite strong, you know that that is not all (as you are happy with your home life). From what you say, maybe a new perspective on your work will help: I think it is normal to feel challenged with the work itself, the varying quality of supervision etc. Some people get sad, some angry/short tempered, some undecisive - all as a reaction to this challenge, that we sometimes take too personal. Remember that things like writing is a skill and that we all start out with something that we think is "rubbish". The point is that it is a start and not the final product. It is a learning experience and with time it will get easier, it is a process. Also, of course, your work will be critised, or your approach (or whatever), don't take it personal, it is part of learning what makes good science/a well-written piece/ a sound argument. My mantra is "Never give up" (although I appreciate that for some people giving up the PhD is the right thing to do). If you want this PhD, look after yourself - demand good supervision with constructive criticism that will help improve your work, maybe go and see a counsellor who can provide additional non-academic support, and when away from PhD work, relax and dont think about it. All the best whatever you decide.

Yes, I agree with Sim. Oral presentations are much more effective at getting your message across, but also to increase your professional visibility. It is so much easier to take in well presented information via an oral presentation and I agree poster presentations can be a waste of time unless you are willing to engage with people one-to-one (or small group) for the whole poster presentation slot..

I am so sorry to read about this. It is sad really, but fact is that now things will change - or actually have already changed. Yes, nothing will ever be the same again and you might take some time to get over that/let go of the old plans/ideas/notions etc, but remember that where one door closes, another opens. Finish your PhD, it is something you really only do for yourself and that is what you should concentrate on - yourself and putting yourself first. Best of luck with getting that thesis finished!!

What is weird anyway? I mean probably what most people do seems somehow strange, weird and with limited usefulness?! mmm, i mean "crazy" might be a better way of decribing things.. i am only working with lifeless instrumentation, so it's all not that crazy, but there might be some people out there working on children, animals or something?!

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I mean it is strange. On the BBC website you can read that he said something along the lines of this being his proudest moment or so. Yes, of course it is right and good to laud people for their achievements, but in most cases, as this is, is it not enough to get TV/Radio/Media awards, and generally getting paid well, successful with your own show and all that..is that not enough? Why do these people in the "limelight" also have to get honorary doctorates - what are we left with? :-s;-) - uhh, sometimes it is nice to get yourself a bit wound up... simple distraction pleasures...

I know this is not really an answer to your post, Monkey, but I am kind of thinking about this PhD - job gap as well. I have been semi-offered a postdoc after my PhD (working with my sup), but really it would start during the PhD as I cannot see myself submitting by the end of the year yet. I do not actually want to stay at my current uni long-term and I am really unsure what to do. I have always said to my sup that I want to finish the PhD first before starting a new job (and have friends who strongly recommended that to me), but doing the postdoc would mean I would not have to do the initial job hunting and also there would be no gap whilst I am also waiting around for the viva etc. I am concerned that there will be few jobs around when I finish so maybe taking what I can get is the best way forward? But then, it is so against what I really want (doing one thing at a time and focussing on PhD soley).. Anyone got some good advice?

I am with you on this one. It does kind of devalue what we do, it is stupid. I mean what does an honorary doctorate actually mean - what did he do for it?

I think it would be hard to work full time and also do a PhD full time, it might not be impossible, but certainly extremely challenging. It would be like having two full time jobs. Is this really what you want to do?
Generally, I am not sure I understand what you would like to do for your PhD. PhD means research, so you would be researching certain aspects about scripts for film/tv (etc), what would that be? Did the MA include some part of writing yourself, and if that is what you want to do mainly, that is different from a PhD on screenwriting..
If indeed you want to research screenwriting and not actually write a script yourself, yes, why not approach universities/departments that offer MA's. I presume it would help to already have an idea of what aspect you want to research, and maybe some other departments might be more appropriate - film, media, history...?

I feel for you Pamplemousse. It is gone all a bit ridiculous, really. Hopefully things will change soon, good luck.

What's about the university itself? Sometimes the university has got funds to support students or specific societes (e.g. alumni) can provide studentships... With bioengineering, are there potential industrial sponsors? Good luck..

why not watch Wimbledon tennis this week? definitely a distraction, and quite exciting at times, too!
i must say that some of the players show real stamina and determination, which is quite inspiring, i find.

Are you based in the UK? If so, I am a bit concerned that you have to start a new project in your fourth year. I understand that lab work can be fickle, and in the end you need enough material for a thesis, but do you need to start this new project, can you not build on what you have found (even if it's negative results) in previous work?
How does the research trip fit in? You have not expained that bit enough..
All I can think of is: Don't give up! If you have concerns about the new project, talk to your supervisor about it and suggest some other ideas that you prefer doing. I know impromptu meetings can completely throw one, but after some consideration (and recovering), arrange a meeting with your sup and see whether you can take matters further in a positive spirit.
It can get tough at times, but dont give up!

Yes, it can be massively annoying not getting an answer back. Just email them again (and again, and again - every day maybe, considering it's so soon) and say that you have not heard back from them and you need to make travel arrangements (and other arrangements?)and need to know details of your time slot. Do you know how long your presentation is supposed to be?
Just keep the pressure up with regular emails and clear language (that "you need to know asap).