Sounds exactly like where I am at. I keep thinking about actually starting writing this literature review but have no idea where to start. My supervisor doesn't want me to worry about this too much and I'm not expected to produce much of a literature review during my first year because it doesn't really work with the qualitative method I'm using. But it means that I have very little direction and sometimes I wonder what I am actually supposed to be doing with my time.

This sounds very similar to what we do in my research group. We have 2 weekly sessions- one with members of staff, etc, and one with the first year PhD students. People bring it in turns to bring data and then we just discuss it. This is probably something that needs to be arranged between people working together in research groups rather than at a departmental level though I guess. Hm.

Otherwise, all I can think of at my uni are the skills based workshops which the professional development team run. I have found most of them to be a bit of a let down.

I'm not being very helpful, sorry!

I work from home a couple of days a week (3 days a week I have to be on campus for teaching/meetings, etc).

I am sat down to work at 8.45-9.15ish and work until 5-5.30. I do end up doing little bits of housework (mainly the laundry) sometimes so because of this I don't take much of a lunch break to make up for the time. I also decided to catch up on an episode of Eastneders one lunch time and found it really hard to get back into work so I don't bother now!
I usually go for a run when I finish work, which means the official end of my working day, which is good I think because it can be har to switch off when you work from home. I think it's rally important to have designated times where you absolutely don't do any work (the weekends are sacred for me).

I do sometimes end up Facebooking/forumming during the day when I shouldn't though but probably not any more than most people who go to work in an office every day! But be prepared for the constant feeling that you are not doing enough work.

Hey everyone, I am currently procrastinating a bit and have just finished cup of tea number 3.

I am only 5 months in, and today have to write a thousand words or so in preperation for a meeting next week. Finding the idea of having 'real' deadlines a bit scary after being able to chill out and work at my own pace for the last 6 months!

1. Half and half. Nobody in my department really knows if I'm in the office or not, because I share with 2 people in different research groups (and one girl is never there anyway so mostly there's just 2 of us in the office!). But a few days a week I have to be for some appointment or other, so I'll work at uni. It totally depends on your department ans supervisor though- I know some students who are expected in every day, and others who don't have their own office and so work exclusively from home.

2. I try usually do a 7 hour day. Occasionally it is less and (rarely!) I will do a bit more. I do tend to beat myself up about it if I'm unproductive though, but I think the main thing is to have a good routine and treat it like a full time job.

3. I do some extra teaching hours which has been fine. I'd say that while you need to make sure you are prepared, don't spend too much tme overpreparing and letting this interfere with your research.

4. At my first supevision meeting my supervisor told me that I am going to end up doing a PhD which will be very different to how I originally imagined it. I think all PhDs are like this, but it is particulary true for my area (conversation analysis) and my supevisor doesn't even want me to do too much of a literature review during my first year, as I could end up focussing on a completely different topic to what I think I may do now.

5. I moved and rent a place with my boyfriend. I know lots of people in halls or hared houses with other postgrads so I feel really fortunate in this respect! I think sites like Gumtree are good for finding houseshares with other postgrads.

I'm funded by the ESRC and the guidelines state 8 weeks, although I believe that nobody takes that much. I'm 5 months in and have had just over 2 weeks so far, a week and a half for christmas and 4-5 odd days (a couple for illness and the rest for haircuts, shopping etc, hehe).

My department are very relaxed and we are left to manage our own time. I plan to take a week to ten days to go abroad over the summer and was even told that it may be possible to have my end of year panel a little earlier if I want to get it out of the way before I go away.

I know I won't end up taking the full 8 weeks though, I reckon it'll be more like 5-6.

I probably do about 6 and a half productive hours a day. I have been trying to do a bit more since new year but it is tough going! I do have quite a few things other than reading to do and couldn't imagine just reading for an entire day.

I think conistency is the main thing, and if you're in a good routine don't worry about it. As others have said, there will be times when we'll need to put in more hours so it'll even out in the end anyway.

I do find it hard to shake off the feeling that I'm not working enough though. It's not like your undergrad when you were given regular set assignments to work on, and then you were given feedback from these assignments and thus reassurance that you had been working hard enough. I think it's natural to worry about it a bit.

Well I have been very lucky and was able to collect a lot of data pretty much as soon as I started, although I do need to collect some data from other sources.

I feel like my broad knowledge has developed a lot, and I have been doing some writing (nothing close to 14000 words though!) in the form of practising my analysis.
I have been keeping detailed notes of my reading and since the Christmas break have decided to write mini essays when I've read a few papers around the same topic. My supervisor is very laid back and doesn't want me to produce an actual literature review for my end of year report, because it wouldn't really work because of the area I'm in. So sometimes I wonder what the bloody hell I am actually suppose to be doing, but apparently my progress has been good so I try not to worry.

To do a little bit more work every day. I have a fairly good routine, but if I'm honest usually end up doing 6 hours a day, so another hour of productivity would be good.
Also to start writing more.
...and to stop drinking so much. :p

Ok. I think I have done quite well in the 2 and a half months since I started.

I have read around quite a lot, understand my field a bit better and am no longer terrified by the weekly data sessions our research group has where we all have to share insights. I've also taken a few tutorials, which is a big deal for me because I have always had a problem with speaking in front of groups of people.

However I haven't written as much as I should have done so need to make more of an effort there.

I have just started too, and usually work 9.30-5.30, although I do tend to procrastinate a bit and if I'm working from home I'll end up spending a bit of time doing pieces of housework. I'd say I end up doing about 6 solid, productive hours a day.

During my masters (when I used to stop work at 4) I used to do some work on the weekends, but don't want to get into the habit of doing this for my PhD, because it is such a huge, long, already slghtly stressful process, so I think I really need a break over the weekend.

I totally identify with the feelings of guilt and worrying that I'm not working enough, but i my opinion you have to try and avoid that mentality and have regular time set aside which is 'none-work' time. I know it can be difficult to seperate work from home time though, especially if you work from home.

I am liking most of it and feel like I have been getting things done and am on the right track.

I basically study conversation and interaction and there happened to be a publicly available source of stuff which I am able to use, so I have ended up with a whole lot of data very early on which is really good.

BUT I am finding settling in with my research group slightly more difficult. There are two other first year PhD students who have done their masters there, and they seem to know so much more than me. Once a week the research group meet to look at some data, and everyone has to make some analytic observations about it. All the staff are there, loads of experts in the field, so it is pretty intimidating and I am finding it hard getting used to it. I have started meeting up with the two other PhD students once a week, but don't feel like I contriute much to the discussions at the moment. But I know that it will just take time.

I am pretty worried about all the public speaking which seems to be involved though. One of the reasons I hate the weekly meetings with the research group is that there are about 20 people there and I get nervous speaking in front of everyone. I am absolutrly dreading the thought of having to do a conference presentation or anything more formal.

Hi,

I started my PhD a couple of weeks ago. One of the lecturers in my research group sent round an email informing us of a journal (which I think has its editorial base here) which is looking for staff (postgraduates welcome) to write book summaries, and he has attached a 4 page document of books to choose from.

My initial reaction was "YES! I must do this" but being a new student and already feeling out of my depth I'm not so sure if I would be up to it.

What are other people's experiences of writing things like this?

I started last Wednesday. It is the best place to be for my area which is good but I also find it slightly intimidating. We have weekly sessions with the staff in the research group and everyone has to say their piece and make a contribution and last week I was so nervous and couldn't say what I meant to! Sometimes I feel like a bit of a fraud and like maybe I don't know as much as I should do.

I have my first formal meeting with my supervisor tomorrow and should hopefully also have my office sorted out by then. I have been doing a fair bit of reading but keep worrying that I'm not taking enough in, or that I am sending too long reading each article...

I am looking forward to being settled in and being able to relax a bit.

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I just finishing my MRes and work almost exclusively from home. I feel more comfortable from home, save time travelling in, and work more productively in the afternoon if I have a long lunch break and go for a run (wouldn't be keen on the idea of doing this if I wasn't working from home). I also HATE working in the public computer clusters, and this is more or less impossible for me during term time anyway because it is too busy and noisy. But it does get a bit much just getting up, coming to the same room in the house and working without seeing anyone all day.

When I start my PhD I will have an office that will be shared with one or two other PhD students, so I'm assuming I'll be expected to show my face. Also, I am moving to a new area with my boyfriend who works from home, so I don't want us getting under each others feet and it would do my head in mainly seeing him all day every day and not getting out much.

I'll probably work from home once or twice a week I think.