I'll give mine too, although ths is based on when I was in the lab because at the moment I'm just doing the final write up which is different.

So my week would be Mon-Friday
Start in the lab 6:30am
Tea break 9-9:30 with a group of other PhDs
Lunch 12-1pm (ish)
tea break at 3-3:30pm home about 5pm
Head to the pub on Friday and wake up nicely hungover on saturday
Total hours actually worked about 8.5 a day excluding breaks,
and at that I'm not rushed, get home at a reasonable time, can enjoy my evenings and weekends (I almost never worked weekends).

I probably only worked (actual workin hours) a 12 hour day at the most once a month - really unnecessary in my line of work

The other type of supervisor that has been missed out is the highly intelligent, highly dedicated type, with slightly poor social skills type.

I have met some of these in my time and the problem is that they are usually right, they just could have been nicer about it.

Very typically they will ask very harsh questions, be extreemly critical and hammer on about points whether you get it or not.

You have to be careful because you can assume that they are right and end up going off and doing a whole load of unnecessary work based on what they said. so best just to take what they said and evaluated it.

Hey Olivia, thanks - we went out there for a visit in November and it was lovely - such a pretty place.

I would say in regards to deadlines, that I always knew how long it would really take- I predicted June and will end up being pretty much spot on - I have tried for some unrealistic goals - but in the end I've never met one of them and it can be very! demoralising - much better to be realistic but don't give yourself too much time, you still need some pressure to keep you at it

We are off to Virginia - provided I don't get fired first

yes at the moment we are faced with leaving our house here unsold and to top that off, despite 7 years experience (and for a whole load of beurocratic crap) my wife won't be able to work for about 6 months

So I'll be paying for a house here, a flat in the states and for both of us to live on my Psot Doc salary

There I go again - sorry - think I need a cookie

Don't get me wrong I'm looking forward to it a lot - but I've never been more stressed - and a lot of it could have been avoided by me being more realistic about when I'd submit - my Bad!

Oh but on a serious note - your husband is right! it will take as long as it takes

my biggest problem has been agreeing to be finished way before I knew I could be - giving unrealistic goals is not a good thing - and you don't need to add to your stress at this point

Beleive me, I totally understand - as it stands at the moment I'm weeks away from submitting and working up to 15 hours a day writing and don't remember the last day I didn't get up at 6am to write -

to add to the stress my new boss just emailed asking if I was still on target for starting in 4 weeks and I had to tell him probably not -
I've had a headache for about the last 2 weeks, backache, fitful sleeping and the rest - haven't left my house in about 3 weeks

Top all of this off with the new job being in the states - having to sell a house,in this market etc etc etc

went off on a bit of a rant there - sorry

I'm off to watch the simpsons

I wasn't really suggesting the simpsons for everyone - thats a me thing

but I do think that having something like this to distract my thinking process, that is not likely to pique my interest does help me shut off - as opposed to just watching the telly.

It used to be Billy connellys tour on tape

but despite all of this, if I'm stressed I'm stressed - and it keeps me awake so I just deal with it, get up (regardless of the time) and get on with what needs to be done. Then feel like s**t for a few days.

Sometimes all the herbal teas in the world don't work

agreed - I think I've had to do about 6 or so drafts of each chapter - I never take it personally and just accept that they are probably right - If my supervisor can help point out the flaws, hopefully there will be less corrections in the end

And to be honest looking back at some of the early drafts I cringe a little inside that I even handed them in - but then thats all part of it too

dunno about the herbal ones but I tried sleeping pills and they just mad eme dozy all the next day - not worth it really

I know most places prohibit you from workin if you are undertaking a PhD - I assume partly because you don't pay tax on your stippend and also your PhD is supposed to be your Job - but I personally doubt that if you are entirely self funded, they could stop you working part time.

but is that it done now?? - submitted

just out of curiosity what is it that keeps you awake?

for me its that my brain is still trying to figure stuff out, it sits and chitters away to its self and all I want it to do is rest, and this isn't just for getting to sleep I quite often wake up early in the morning and my brains already full flow, worrying, figuring stuff out etc

So what I do is to put 'The simpsons' on DVD on. I have done this for about 15 years now and I think its because I pretty much know them all that I can listen to it without getting interested, which would happen if I put any old film on.

I find it distracts me long enough to stop thinking about stuff so that I can get to sleep or back to sleep.

I think I'd have gone mad if I didn't have this - even at that its not full proof but works for me

If it is specific grants or departmental funding that your supervisor has applied for, they will know the decision dates (give or take a few days)- so best to just ask them when you should expect to know, no point in being bashful

If its departmental (UK), what ususally happens is that 6 people get offered PhDs but there is only funding for 4 (as an example) then the best 4 are chosen, and the others don't get the posts.

If they haven't even applied for funding then i suppose it depends on the timescale of those grants.

To be honest, without the funding the offer is a bit pointless (not so if you get the funding tho), so it probably wouldn't harm you to apply for some more posts - just in case?

Hope this helps, I think the best policy would be to ask for more info from your sup re. when you should hear and how what type of funding etc

Good Luck

S

so, just out of interst tho, what time do the guys who work a lot of evenings start at - because I know loads of guys who work late or weekends but don't start till like 10am and take some weekdays off - so in the end it all evens out.

I've only ever heard of these myhtical supervisors who are tyrants demanding 12+ hour days - even friends who have moved to other labs and claim to work millions of hours - but I know that they are a bit prone to exaggeration and one day of 12 or 15 horus equates to them always working those hours

I only raise the point so that new PhD students realise that although plenty of people claim to work these hours - I've never met anyone who works them in reality -
So, we have a whole forum here- I just wondered If one person would claim honestly to work these hours consistantly for the 3 years of their project - honestly!

me too on the impossible goals! now I've got to face the prospect of telling my new boss I won't be starting when I said I would because I've still not finished- for the second time - Doh!