Cookie Monster was always my favourite - I really identified with him. i think he used his obsession with cookies as a replacement for a lack of affection from his parents. Underneath it all he was extremely sensitive and complex - he didn't need cookies, just love.

For more political theory, Essex has a good rep; for International Politics (not IR theory, Kings and Reading). What exactly do you want to do your PhD on???

I agree with xeno mostly. In my area it is very rare for a PhD student to have submitted by the end of the 3 year registration, so when funding runs out at the end of the three years, if they have not published a prospective employer has little knowledge of the real abilities of the student. In that case it is more appropriate to have publications than a fully completed PhD

Hi toni and guy have a couple of academies in London and they offer really good cuts cheaply (about £15). I often go there and everyone comments on how good my hair looks - when I do it its a dry frizzy mess!

Hi olivia

if you want work-style clothes the best place I've found is Zara. I've got a couple of suits from there and they've lasted me a few years, and everyone tells me how great they look. They do either v. formal or more casual stuff - but they have a wide selection. You might be paying around £70 minimum for a jacket though

I thought Oxford Road looked full of children this morning! Rather you than me. just tell them you've got a hangover, they'll understand

I had a review yesterday - the examiners loved my ideas and said it was really original. But they told me that all the work my supervisor had told me to do was pointless and irrelevant. So I guess, just trust your instincts - do what you think is needed to get you out of this

Yazz and the Plastic Population - the only way is up (I have an exam tomorrow!).

"Since coming back to uni I've had a revelation. Why do stuff sitting up, when you can do it lying down." - my friend Abi

I think most people think about quitting at some point, it just depends on what the reasons are and how easily the can be overcome (if it is a lack of confidence/faith in your own ability to complete, then this maybe is easier to overcome than say wider issues with staff etc).
However, for some people not believing they'll finish is enough to make them quit. Its hard to sustain the workload unless you are fully committed and can at some stage see the end. (I mean this is a non-judgemental way) some people deal with that pressure differently, and universities should recognise that and offer support.

Does gin count as food???

My supervisor's husband is great by the way, and more than accepting of what she does. He understand the rigours of PhD work as they were together when she was a PhD student. Part of academia is opting out of the 9-5 lifestyle - ie I work at night rather than day like pamw - and there are benefits (avoiding the rushour, working from home) as well as disadvantages (weirdio hours).
I repeat, if you are not willing to respond to the needs of PhD students, you shouldn't be involved with them. It is extremely good practice to respond to students as soon as - just take a look at the national student survey Jouri.

If something includes reading a lengthy draft, yes, this does take longer, but you acknowledge the email, and let the person know when you will be able to reply. Most academics I know do work weekends and nights on the grounds that very few people doing research can 'train' their brains only to think between 9-5. If it is boring uni admin then yes, that is office work ergo to ideally be kept within office hours, when it is research related, that's an impossibility.
If a student contacted me to say, for example, I have personal problems can I see you, I would never, ever ignore the email for five days. Or if someone needed any kind of help. It is not as if it happens on a regular basis, but when it does it is best to be as responsive as possible, for everyone's sake.

Jouri, that is a ridiculous comment to make. I am not saying staff are there at our beck and call, but when staff take on PhD students they know the implications, they are paid to take on that work. They expect us to work weekends, so should they. Last week, I emailed my supervisor at 3am in the early hours of saturday morning, by 10:30am I was round at her house with cake and coffee she had bought to talk about a chapter. She is married and very much has her own life, but she knows that I do too - and that if someone is having problems with their work it is better all round to have the situation resolved asap.
Any member of staff that uses the excuse that they do not check their emails regularly should be given neither the responsibility nor credit (academic and financial) of being involved with PhD students. My undergrads email me about everything, from their essays and exams to where the best place to find a dentist is, and I always reply within a day. That's just crap.

Nick if your degree is not equivalent to an English 2:1, then you will have problems finding a place, yes, especially in your field which is very competitive. It would probably be better to speak to someone at the institution that is currently your first choice and ask for advice