LSE...That's why you've struggled for funding.Few PhD students are fully funded by the school itself. LSE only wants to take in money, it rarely gives out money to its students generously.

Yep, same question, shani. In my department, everybody seems to have an undergrad in anthropology, sociology, economics, international relations, etc. Mine is business/finance which is a shame to mention to others coz I feel I am like a dwarf, seems everybody can do business without a degree, so.....

Thank you both, Vince and shani. I feel a lot better now. I'll keep my fingers crossed......

How likely is it to get fully funded with a first in a different subject and a merit in masters? My undergrad is business/finance-related and then the PhD lies in sociology, although I have a transferring master's in social science with a decent merit. I am too obsessed with this coz I know other applicants have 2:1s and even firsts in a social science subject. Business/Finance is best described as vocation-oriented rather than academic-oriented. Sigh...... Any inputs?

sorry, i didn't answer your question, should have created a new thread...

leigh1, you are really really lucky!
One digressive question: how likely is it to get fully funded with a first in a different subject and a merit in masters? My undergrad is business/finance-related and then the PhD lies in sociology, although I have a transferring master's in social science. I am too obsessed with this coz I know other applicants have 2:1s and even firsts in a social science subject. Business/Finance is best described as vocation-oriented rather than academic-oriented. Sigh...... Any input?

It takes minimum six years to go part-time, so I don't think I have enough perseverance to juggle between work and study. It is always easier said than done, but once you've started working, you get exhausted and don't have enough time for the PhD. Having said that, if your job tallies well with your PhD topic, then part-time study shouldn't be too daunting. I'm simply too tired of working in a field which is completely irrelevant to my study and simply for the purpose of making a living....

Have you tried some external funding bodies,i.e. trusts? They offer studentships as well. Also try internal university/departmental funding.Market your proposal in a way which tallies with the central themems of ESRC,etc. Also references are important in obtaining funding, so a good proposal is just half way through.....

See also
http://lite.researchresearch.com/getPage.cfm
Registration Required

also try Imperial College internal funding. They advertise that periodically.

www.internationalscholarships.com--a US-based scholarship database

Shani, so you think life hasn't been easier proceeding the first year? My departmental manager said if you register and pass the first year, a lot more funding opportunities would come up and you would be eligible for more fundings. Isn't this true? Or you can teach part-time as a class teacher in your uni in your second yr and beyond.But so far I feel the first year is very hard to get by indeed. sigh again....

Sigh...That falls again to the study-work dilemma. I wish I could escape the daily office treadmill and get a job in academia, so I need a PhD badly;on the other hand, a PhD is costly and I have to get a job to get by unless fully funded. So again I found myself undertaking the treadmill. There aren't many choices really. I have to do things which I don't enjoy at all.

Dariusz, I just think that working part-time distracts my concentration on research and the pt treadmill does not gear me towards an academic career.However, if it is a class tutor/seminar teacher job, then I'd love doing it. But so far as I'm aware, only senior PhDs qualify for class teaching, so the first year is very hard to get by.......

If not, do you mean a fully-funded PhD or a fees-only one? I don't want to do it even with a fees-only studentship, it simply does not stand me in good stead by working to meet up the living expenses!