It was half & half over one year so it was quite intense. I guess if you're doing it for pleasure you might not feel the same pressure that many of us do - but then again - I think the pressure is actually a necessary evil.

It's not that I think you shouldn't do it - I just think you might need a more motivating framework than you have had so far. But that's probably because I would. The pressure this year is pretty intense and I need more of a goal than the pleasurable moments to keep me going.

He sounds very unreasonable and you may have to be very firm about limits and boundaries. Can't advise much more as I have the opposite problem - but I have had friends in your position and sometimes they have not been firm, tried to agree to everything and things have spiralled downward out of control. Start as you mean to go on in a way that you can sustain.

I think the slumps are bigger with PhD - a masters, even over 2 years, is more intense and has more momentum. I am doing this mainly for pleasure in that I'm also a mature student from another profession and not at all certain to get a job after this. But it has been hard going and I think, frankly, if I weren't funded I would not have continued. Perhpas you should do it for pleasure but also entertain the idea of doing something more with it afterwards. After all - what will you do for pleasure then...?

Yes - the only problem there is how to keep going when it isn't pleasurable. And that will probably happen. If I didn't want to work in this field I don't think the pleasure would see me through the tedium/worry/panic/pressure/hard work.

I am like Sj - I have A4 lined notebooks (one for notes and one for analysis) with entries dated and pages numbered when finished. My notes are almost illegible and all over the place but at least I know where they are.

Papers are in carboard magazind racks coded by subject and subdivided into plastic wallets (theoretically the codes are entered into endnote but I always seem to have a backlog of papers needing to be put into endnote and I'm not 'allowed' to file them until they are or they will just disappear and I won't even know they are there). I found this quicker, easier more flexible than 'proper' filing - but I do keep ring binders for data printouts and writing drafts.

You are wise to get a system going - it's a major part of the work, keeping all this stuff organised.

That is outrageous about the extension. I must say my supervisor etc have been very accommodating wrt my having a baby and my dept is generally very child-friendly - that is one way in which I have been lucky.

Well done managing all this with two young children - I fnd it hard enough with one.

Very frustrating indeed. Some depts require a merit or distinction at masters - perhaps that was part of the screening process in the posts you've applied for so far. Can you contact some potential supervisors who may have funded places in future and see if you can basically pre-interview and make an impression?

Could you do your PhD as a research assistantship where you are or elsewhere? Or could you get some publications from your current work that would influence a future supervisor?

I'm in my 40s myself so I'm not sure if age is the problem - but I imagine it might be in some cases, especially with younger supervisors.

You can put notes of whatever kind into the refs for storage, for example I note the date collected (long story why) in one section and where I have filed it in another. You could easily put other notes or quotes in a section (for example, the heading 'alternate journal' is never used so I store stuff in there).

People do change models - but it will be easier to get a post working on the same model. You might also think about your enthusiasm for said model. Some years ago I swapped working on human cell cultures for working with fungi. That was a big mistake - although the project, processes and techniques were similar to the work I had been doing my enthusiasm just totally crashed (I'm now in a completely different filed).

Hi abee. I'm in my final year and had a baby in my second year. I took 2 years out in though as my husband has a heavy job and also travels a lot (my daughter is now in nusrery 3 days/week).

I think it's worth saying something about how you will handle your situation and that you have been through this before (perhaps framed as Olivia suggests). It's not all that uncommon for people to struggle or drop out when doing a PhD with a baby (or two) so although unvoiced, there may be concerns.

I'm finding this year quite challenging due to insufficient childcare and time to work. Will you have full time childcare at some point or will you husband be able to help out long-term?

The real problem is funding. Supply and demand for funding tend to mean you need a 2i for a funded place (or higher in some subjects with especially scarce funding). Some depts have a blanket entrance requirement of 2i but some are flexible.

If you need funding and get a 2ii you could either do a masters or if you are in the right sort of field get a research assistantship with a view to doing as part of your job (2 friends of mine did that).

Jouri - I think it is tough towards the end because anxiety over submitting and passing overshadow the pleasurable parts! I also find I just have to accept that this last year is going to be tough and just get on with it.

I'm sure there is someone at your uinversity you could chat to - but otherwise there are tons of SPSS manuals around which have chapters on choosing the most appropriate tests.

A research degree is preferable if you are going to do research in either your future job or PhD.

It is indeed normal. I did an MPhil then changed topics radically when staying on for a PhD - so I was automatically registered as 'MPhil in the first instance'. My supervisor then forgot to upgrade me until last term - then I got the letter out of the blue - no report or panel or anything. Usually there is some kind of first year review to upgrade to PhD.