Have you heard of PhD by publication? Once you've worked in a uni for at least three years regardless of the position, you qualify for a PhD by publication, which would also get you there? I'm just writing further to badhaircut's reply.

Shani, you'll get there, sooner or later, Dr Shani! Forge ahead! We are all here for you.

Jane, if I were you, I would get absolute reassurance before embarking on the PhD that at least my fees would be covered by some source during the three or four years. I can't afford to invest time and money only to end up with an Mphil. I've been rejected several times for my funding applications, and I'm still looking for potential sources. I'll never go for it just with an offer letter. In the UK, some unis are quite willing to offer international students a place of study--it would be a promising source of income for them. So if you find yourself stuggling just to keep yourself going, it might be wise to look for a full-time job now whilst doing it pt. But the thing is, once you've started ft work, it is just so hard to settle yourself down to read and study.....Sigh.....sorry, I've been lecturing,no better advice really. But do wish you good luck, don't press yourself too hard. The PhD is not the whole of our life--that's the motto I use to console myself.

awesome, imppressed that dutchman studied Hindi literature. I can speak hindi as well, but very limited..

It is time to start plan B now. We'll all get over it anyway. This is an unfair world to live in...God seems to dislike me..... I'm just a child......Don't harm me......

forgot to mention, sometimes it shouldn't be your own deficiency, the references carry very much weight. This has caused me a lot of paranoia after being rejected. I couldn't help blaming my referees for not providing a 'good enough' reference......

in your case, the external examiner is your super's good friend, so maybe not worth trying. Otherwise it'll be a problem hoisted by your own petard, which will make the super give you even worse comments. You're not a friend of the external examiner, are you?

My funding application has been rejected three times by different funding bodies and universities. I didn't even get a letter from them--they just sent me emails, which made me even more distraught--I didn't even deserve a formal rejection! Shani, you'll get over it and grow from it, soon.

leigh1, mind telling us what your degree background was? just out of curiosity, it might be a hard one which we don't even hear of.

Yes, Evaki, I agree to some extent. But the Oxford chap's topic was on media consumption and stardom in Hong Kong, do you think it is an 'attractive' topic to the ESRC, as much as the ones on poverty, social democracy and justice? I think might be his degrees from Oxford...Anyway, good luck to you all. It is sometimes a matter of luck.

ESRC selectors are snobbish. They favour students with degrees from Oxbridge. I know someone with a 2:1 in an irrelevant subject to her PhD area, but got full ESRC funding easily. For us, things are so difficult even if we've got firsts/distinctions from less famed unis... References are very important as well.

Well, do you like the idea of registering with a recruitment agency? It is a bit shame that PhDs compete with BAs, BScs, and the jobless for a post. But it might be quicker.

Yes, conditions vary from bank to bank and even from person to person. Try other banks if possible.