My supervisor usually ignores my first email and then when I finally send a second one I get feedback such as "This is fine." No hello, no goodbye... it's like his emails have a three-word limit.

I find that the conversations I have with people are fine... it's some of the presentations that I find unbelievably boring. I hate when you think a paper is going to be really interesting and then you go along and you're stuck there for 30 mins as someone goes "Uhhhhh.... and then I.... ummmmm.... Uhhhhhh....... did some....... Uhhhhhhhh.... research."

I am delighted Michael is gone, I thought he should've gone ages ago! I think Helene is a bit useless too though, maybe he should've fired both? I also think Lucinda was useless last night... So I reckon it is between Alex, Lee and Claire to win it. The guy that was the project leader was better in my opinion, Lee I think his name is? So I reckon either him or Claire...

I didn't watch it... I still can't believe we sent a turkey to the Eurovision... that was a dark day for Ireland

An exotic location? That sounds like just the place to get lots of work done

The stopwatch is a good idea Lara!

Huh... that sounds a lot like our jouri!?!?!?

That was nice to read! He is so right about some of the points - freedom is a big thing... I know a girl who left academia to get a 'real-world job' and she thought she would like the structure of having a 9-5 - but she couldn't get used to it and has now come back!

When I think about some of the jobs I've had... people CONSTANTLY looking over your shoulder, being told off if you are one minute late back from your break... I think I would crack up if I had to go back to that!!!

I spend most of my time these days working in my PJs - does that count?

I got a bank loan and I am funded too... I do remember the person I spoke to asked me what I did and I said research student or postgrad student or something to that effect... and she said "STUDENT??? You can't get this type of loan if you're a student bla bla bla..." and I had to spend about ten minutes convincing her that I get PAID for being a student and also teach so it's kinda the same as having a "real" job!!! Oh what fun... but I did get it in the end!

I'm not in the UK though so that probably wasn't much help

I agree that it is not necessarily laziness that causes the procrastination - I certainly don't see myself as a lazy person! I think what stops me writing is fear - that I don't know where to start, don't know what to do, don't think it will be good enough etc...

This happened to me AGAIN last week and up until yesterday didn't know where to start - then I just wrote an outline in bullet points and I realised that maybe I do already know what I want to say! Now I just have the fun job of 'filling out' all my bullet points... But anyway it did help!

I know a couple of people in their sixth year - and with your bad first year and another year working full-time you could say this is really only your sixth year too! I can't offer much advice as I'm not very familiar with uni regulations etc. but surely if you are close to finishing you might be able to work something out with them?

Yay - well done!!! Oh I love that feeling - too bad it is so rare for me!!! Long may it last

Yes definitely! I remember the first time I was at an exam board with other lecturers (my old lecturers from when I was an undergrad) and they were all slagging off students - not in the meeting, but outside beforehand - saying things like 'oh my bunch were TERRIBLE this year'... I was totally shocked!!! And have heard plenty more like that since...

They should rename this 'The Luuuvvv Forum'

Why did Raef get fired??? Boooo.... I liked Raef... Plus didn't 'Sir' Alan say last week that if Michael was in the boardroom again that he'd be fired???