Hi guys,

I guess I just want to vent a bit and to hear from anyone else who is writing up their dissertation at the moment.

I'm finding the actual work quite stressful at the moment (it is getting better and I'm making slow progress, though). It doesn't help that I had to move back in with my parents to do my course in the first place. My career development loan has almost gone, so when I take a day off I don't have much money to go out and do stuff which is hard. To top it all off I usually run regularly but I'm injured so my main source of stress relief has been taken away from me.

This is something I have to learn to cope with, as I'm starting a PhD in October, but at least then I won't be living with my parents and I'll have my grant money coming in!

I just have to keep reminding myself that there are only 9 weeks until the hand in date...

P.S sorry that this post is all doom and gloom and that I'm feeling sorry for myself but I needed to get it off my chest!

Hey guys,

I am going to be starting my PhD in October and have been asked b my supervisor whether I want to teach some undergraduate tutorials. I had planned to do this anyway at some point, more for the career development rather than the money, but didn't think I'd get the opportunity until my second year.

I have said that I would be interested, but I'm absolutely terrified of the thought! My degree was joint honours, and half of it was totally unrelated to what I'm doing now, so I haven't covered as much a I would if my degree was single honours. Besides, I was taught the sort of stuff I'll be taking tutorials on about 4 years ago.

I know I will have time to prepare, but I'm just worried that people will ask me a load of stuff that I don't know about! Public speaking isn't one of my strong points either, but I know I need to force myself to do it so that I get used to it.

Is it normal to feel like this? How have other people's experiences of teaching been?

Thanks for the replies.

I think you're right... I should just chill out!

I am working hard on my dissertation though because I want to be able to submit it for publication. I imagine that would be better for my career, rather than worrying about whether I get a distinction overall or not...

Hi,

I'm currently doing an MRes psychology, and have recently found out I have been nominated for an ESRC quota award for my PhD.

My MRes grade is going to be very borderline between a merit and a distinction. But once I have a PhD will it even make any difference at all?

I think maybe I'm just a bit of a perfectionist. I have a first class degree, but it would really irritate me if I ended up with 69% in my MRes.

But I know that once you have a PhD you're considered as academically able as anyone else with a PhD, so I'm thinking maybe it doesn't matter?

I had a supervisor agree to work with me back in January, and I applied for an ESRC +3 quota award, as well as internal funding from the university.

I found out yesterday that I have been given the quota award. I have to submit an electronic application to the ESRC by 1st May (though that is just a formality). I know that if you are being put forward for the ESRC open award that is decided later in the year, but it is still best to check with your supervisor. If anything it shows that you're keen, which is a good thing.

I think that treating it like a full time job and doing 35-40 hours a week is enough, and leaves plenty of time for socialising.

You might get a bit of a shock if you're coming directly from your undergraduate degree and haven't had the experience of putting in full time hours though!

I came out with a merit for my first semester, but didn't put in as much time as I could. Maybe 25 hours a week? I think I could have done a little better on one unit if I'd have put more time in but with the others I don't think it would have made a difference.

It depends on your course though because some are more demanding than others.