Don't worry, I did less than anyone. The test match day 5 was on and was very exciting, especially with a dodgy live stream of sky sports and the radio commentary. Plus of course various message boards to discuss the action.

Yeah, I did literally nothing. Lets see if I can do some tomatoes today instead then!

I only managed 6 yesterday, but then I did have a physio appointment on the other side of town that ate a lot of time. I also tend to work longer than 25 minutes on occasion. Honest!

How about applying for a PhD and applying for a job at the same time? If you get the PhD offer take it. If you get a job offer then take it. If you get a PhD offer after you've started your job then simply quit the job. Most jobs have a review type system early on where it's easy for them to get rid of you if they want, but it works the other way too in that you can very easily just leave. This way you won't be stuck unemployed but you also have an equal chance of getting the PhD as if you were in the dole.

I'm actually doing it to move industry, I don't intend to be an academic until I'm in my late fifties when I might go back in as a lecturer if I can once kids have moved out and I can take the pay cut. I'm actually an RA at the moment so I could in theory leave well before completing the PhD and achieve this anyway, but I quite fancy finishing a PhD off, it'll make the idea of becoming a lecturer later a lot easier to do.

Wait for the three weeks to be up and then really let rip. Go through the right channels and knock her down a peg or seven. If you don't then she'll still be in a position to make all her current and future students' lives a misery.

Fair enough. I'd be tempted to entrap her with a Dictaphone and lead her to say something of this sort, then when she denies it you have proof. It's easy for someone outside of it to say this however, I appreciate that it's far more difficult and there are far more complications for the person involved. Good luck in moving on from her, she sounds like a complete *%$£^&"^&:"^$*".

KeenBean, Are you not tempted just to say to her "Could you please stop commenting on my personal life as it's none of your business and I find your comments disrespectful, inappropriate and highly unprofessional"? You wouldn't be expected to put up with it in a "normal" job, so why should you put up with it now?

These are very funny, but with many of them, if my supervisor said that I would tell them exactly where to go and that it's not acceptable and I'd do that right away. Just because someone is your sup doesn't mean they own you even if they think they do! I feel sorry for the people who have these @rses as sups, mines ok, just very very busy and impossible to ever find. Nice enough bloke though.

I think the only remotely funny thing he said was on the way to a project meeting "Which of my four presentations should I give this time?". Turns out he has 4 presentations that he's been using for years for every event he goes to and just rotates them as necessary...

I'm happy because my hip op went well and I am working productively today for a change!

That's a very simple but very useful site. Thanks. I only started an hour ago so I've only done 2, but it's a good system if you need to force yourself into working. I think it depends what you're doing, but certainly if you are writing stuff up then it's a superb tool. I'll let you know how many I do tomorrow. I doubt I'll use it exclusively but we'll see.

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I see where you are coming from, in fact, if I wasn't getting married etc I'd probably be doing something with some similarities. I'd probably pack a bag and leave the country and just travel about for as long as I fancied. No route or plan, just work as you go in hostels, bars etc to get the money then off for a bit longer. I've met people who have done this for a few years. At some point you may find that you're happy somewhere and then you stop and settle down somewhere doing whatever you fancy. Make sure you pass your viva, you never know when the PhD may come in useful in say 20 years!

All the best to you, I hope you find something you enjoy.

Hi David,

Unfortunately I think you may have hit the nail on the head there - just get on with it and work harder. The short of it is that that is what you need to do and what you will need to do in the future as well, whether you stay in academia or get a job. Obviously it's easier said than done however. First of all download Google Chrome or SW ware Iron and have that as your only internet browser, then download the extension for it called StayFocused. This allows you to either block or only allow a certain amount of time on internet sites of your choosing (e.g. here, BBC news, Facebook, whatever...). After your allotted time you cannot get to these sites. That should help the internet problem.

Next, set yourself some clear goals and only allow yourself rewards if you attain them. E.g. I need to write my 1st year report to be ready the day before it's due. If I achieve this I am allowed to finish a bit early the next day and go to the pub with mates. If I don't I can't go out this weekend, or whatever bonus or whatever you want to make it. Tell someone else you're doing this and get them to help you enforce it (they need to not be a pushover). Continue these mini-deadlines all year, even if there is no "official" deadline. The one goal thread on here may be useful to you.

As for the others in your office, if you start to get stuff done and do well you will get a nice smug feeling of being better than them (that you are entitled to!) and it'll probably make them pull their socks up. You get out what you put in, so put in more and get more out.

At the end of the day you are getting paid public money (if you are funded) and so, just like the MPs everyone whines about, you need to earn the money everyone else pays out (especially as a student doesn't pay tax!)

Sorry if it sounds harsh and I hope you will take it as constructive advice.

All the best,(up)

Hello everyone, I've just realised how close it is to October, traditionally the starting time for PhDs.  It'll be a year since I started mine and I guess that'll be true for most here. I thought I'd start a thread to ask - what do people know now that they wish they'd known a year ago?

I've got plenty of things, but I think my number one would be: Academia moves SLOWLY, ask for things weeks and months before you need them!

What does everyone else wish they knew this time last year?

I wanted to change field within engineering and when you apply they say "do you have experience in this field" and I used to have to say "no, because you won't give me a job in it", whereas I will be able to say "yes, I have PhD in it..."