What are we actually? Some of us don't go to classes, learning is done by everyone, not only students, we try to discover or invent something new, which a student doesn't do, some of us actually "teach" our supervisors once we reached a certain year, etc.

So... where do we fall?

I certainly style myself as a postgraduate researcher in certain documents e.g. material for research subjects.

On the basis that the general public doesn't have a high opinion of mere students.

My uni calls us postgrad researchers. Makes the distinction between PhD candidates and taught PG Masters students

I don't like being called a student because it gives people outside completely the wrong impression of what I do. Cue questions like 'When are you done for the summer?', 'How's your course?' etc. Grrr

I kind of regard myself as a poorly paid research assistant. Seems more accurate.

I happily hide behind the identity of 'Assistant Lecturer'. At 29, I often get asked what I do. So I respond with that, and if people probe further, I let them know I lecture whilst completing a PhD.

In our department, staff refer to us as 'colleagues' which is a nice touch; more generally as 'Research Students'.

I too hate the tag of 'student' and people in the non-acadmic work, ie friends and some family, still ask me 'how's school?'. That will usually receive a comment under my breath followed by 'fine, but I hate Maths'.

Same as Hazyjane, "I kind of regard myself as a poorly paid research assistant".

======= Date Modified 01 Nov 2012 14:47:56 =======
My uni calls us postgraduate research students. Within my CV, letters, presentations etc, I usually state 'PhD candidate'.

At the beginning of my PhD, a research officer (without a PhD) rudely commented that 'Well you're only a student' as justification for moving me out of my desk space within my office which she preferred whilst I was away conducting fieldwork (I knew nothing about it until I returned!). Despite the fact that the head of department wanted me to use that office! Same staff member made comments within team meetings that 'I was only a student' therefore X, Y, Z (basically implying that I was of lower status to everyone else in the department). I also overheard her comments to other members of staff that I was only a student therefore did not deserve to have my photo taken and placed on the staff notice board with other staff members. Yes, I am a PhD student, but I was NOT happy and didn't appreciate to be belittled like that!

The bitch in me would relish the chance of jumping to a more senior grade 7 research associate post if awarded PhD (and gently make that known to this member of staff!). ;-) But, I've moved on from that and can't be bothered with such unnecessary office politics.

So, in my experience, amongst some rather unpleasant staff, there were definite overt divisions made between a student (funded by scholarship) and members of paid university staff, so from that experience, I tend not to refer myself as a student (although I know I'm a student!) If that makes sense?!

I always referred to myself as a PhD or postgraduate student, and so did my university. Research assistant wouldn't be appropriate in my case, because I defined my own PhD topic and wasn't assisting anyone. Staff at my university make a visible distinction between undergraduate and postgraduate students and how they are treated, and also to a lesser extent between taught and research students. Research students in particular are treated on a similar par to staff, and are regarded as part of the wider research community.

======= Date Modified 03 Nov 2012 11:52:29 =======
How about simply "PhD Candidate" or better "Doctoral Researcher", avoiding the student label?

You're not really a student anymore in that you're not attending scheduled lectures and the activities you are carrying out are fully in line with those of the employed researchers. You are effectively doing a job.

Any classes attended aren't examined and are effectively on the job training.

Ian (Mackem_Beefy)

It all depends on what student means. For me it means someone who is studying. And for me studying meant learning about something in a formal signed-up way. Not necessarily through taught classes or lectures, but in a formal degree or course that the student (or whatever) has signed up for. Hence my being perfectly happy with the term.

we're juz gamers. phd's a game. :)

======= Date Modified 02 Nov 2012 11:11:09 =======

How about "Minions"? ;-)

No ok in all seriousness I refer to myself as a "Postgraduate Researcher" which probably doesn't actually make that much sense now I come to think of it... I don't like to call myself a student because people do tend to dislike you a lot more if you tell them you are such as alluded to by DocInsanity and think you are a tax dodging scrounger (!)

My husband on the other hand delights in the fact that I am in fact classified as a student and I have a "magic card" that makes money disappear off of cinema tickets, museum entrances, restaurant bills etc.

My university refers to us as postgrad researchers/doctoral researchers. Personally I still tend to find myself referring to my position as a student. I think this is probably because I've gone straight through undergrad to masters then PhD without having a 'proper' job yet.