I think Sandra may have meant that she will be getting £1096 a month as a stipend? That's marginally less than my monthly stipend and it covers my living expenses easily. I might add that I live in Edinburgh, rather than Oxford, still I would have thought that £1000 is enough to live on.

Hi all,

Eagle, I am in the biosciences too, and I know a couple of people who have a funded PhD with a 2.ii, and I know of two that got their place without an additional MSc as well. It is worth applying, one friends of mine applied for almost 40 positions! If you really want a PhD then keep going, a lot of supervisors out there will look for certain characteristics, rather than put too much emphasis on grades. What kind of places are you thinking of applying? Was your 2.ii from a good university? These things seem to make a bit of difference! I really would apply now because you will miss all the deadlines for funded spots if you wait until your Masters mark comes in.

Hey Kavsy,

With regards to your worries about lack of experience, I would say be honest with your supervisor about what you know, and then throw yourself into it! The whole point of a masters is to learn, and if you are working in a lab like any that I have been in there will be plenty of people around you willing to give you advice.
Basic molecular techniques etc are not that hard to pick up, especially as you don't have to learn to work any complicated machines! You really should stop worrying, I do a combined M.Res/ Phd course that is inter-disciplinary, completely out of my comfort zone and I have never had so much fun! Show some interest in what you are doing and most scientists are willing to talk to you for hours about what you need to know.

As for job prospects, I am afraid I have no idea! All I would say is use your masters time to get as many different techniques under your belt as possible :-)

Hi again,

The scientific disciplines generally have better funding than other areas (this isn't always the case, but most science PhD students are supported by a stipend of ~ £13,000 in the U.K) and because of this, as well as pressure to get publications and a competitive post doc, most scientific PhD's are meant to be completed within a three year period. As far as I understood, if you have to support yourself throughout our PhD without a stipend then uni's are generally a bit more lenient with the time frame of completion.

With regards to the age issue, I think one of my problems is the real lack of money as I start getting toward the age that mortgages etc become a real consideration. Is it not a temptation to transfer skills (which as a science student, seems to be in quite high demand) to a profession that would provide more security?

Hi all!

I turned 23 last month, and started my 4 year PhD just before that, and I am getting a bit freaked out that I will be nearly 27 before completing it! That's if I do manage to write up within the three year period, and if I am honest, it is causing me to seriously consider if getting this PhD is going to be worth it in the end. I guess the reason I am writing, is just to say that you are in a great position to be able to get your PhD whilst you are still young enough to change directions if you want.
As for all the people that you feel are judging you, it doesn't really matter what age you are, lab politics, and what can only be described as the bitchiness of some people is something that most of us have to put up with for some reason or another! So keep your chin up, and be proud of the fact that you will have achieved so much!