Overview of PhoenixFortune

I'm officially starting my PhD in January 2020. I don't know whether it's typical to have two supervisors or just the one, but my topic spans two disciplines, so it would make sense to have two. I have only been in discussions with my main supervisor about my project, although other academics have shown interest.

Do I need to request a second supervisor, or should I wait to see if another is automatically provided?

I'm in the humanities (languages-related). Usually my supervisor sees drafts of my posters/presentations and gives feedback, so she has been involved at least indirectly.

I recently presented a poster of my preliminary PhD research at a conference, and placed both my name and supervisor's name in the author position. I thought this was normal academic etiquette, but when I looked at every other PhD student's poster/presentation, they had either only put their own name, or their own name plus the name of their collaborator (if they did a joint project).

Because of this, I kept being asked 1) if I was presenting my supervisor's work in her absence, or 2) if I was my supervisor (because her name was more centrally aligned than mine, and therefore more obvious). Just in case it's relevant, my supervisor could not attend the conference, so I presented my poster alone.

Is it normal to only credit yourself on posters/presentations when you're presenting your PhD work?

Supervision style, feedback methods, and general personality are hard to establish through online profiles or short visits. That's partly why a PhD is such a leap of faith. The supervisor-supervisee relationship can also break down after a while (even if it started off very positively) for a number of external reasons.

You'd need to talk to any supervisors you're interested in working with about that. If you have mitigating circumstances, they will likely be understanding. If you don't have any mitigating circumstances, they'll be concerned that you won't be able to cope with the demands of PhD study. You also won't be a competitive applicant when it comes to funding either.

You may be able to persuade a supervisor if you have relevant research experience and are willing to self-fund.

Most students are funded by research council/university studentships, but it might be too late for you to look at these (and many aren't available to non-EU students). Many self-funded UK students either work alongside their PhD - which usually means they go part-time but not always - or rely on the doctoral loan/savings.

It might be possible for you to get small grants from charities/foundations relevant to the area you're researching. Have you also asked your university for help or advice? It seems slightly irresponsible of them to take on an international student without proof that that student can afford it.

I considered a PhD by distance after failing to get funding, resulting in me not being able to afford to live in my chosen university's city. In the end, my supervisor agreed to let me live at home and study by distance unofficially so that I could keep working with her - I however had the advantage that she was my MA supervisor previously, so knew that I have the motivation/stamina to do it while away from campus. It might be more difficult to persuade an academic who doesn't already know you to make that commitment.

It also depends on whether your subject area lends itself to distance learning - if it's an area that requires lab access/specialist equipment or facilities, then you might struggle.

The feasibility of only attending fortnightly will depend on how far away the institution is. I have heard of people having supervisors from more than one university, but that may depend on whether they have worked together in the past and whether both universities have the same facilities/opportunities in your subject area.

If you're set on leaving your course, ask if there is an exit qualification you could receive for the work you've done so far. I believe if you've completed 3 modules (or 1 term's worth of content) you can get a PGCert - you'd have to check this with your university however, as some institutions might not offer it.

1. Check the conditions of abstract submission - I've seen conferences that specifically state that abstracts won't be accepted if they are based on work already submitted for publication, or proposed in the same form to other conferences (i.e. presentation/poster etc.). Some won't have this caveat however.

2. Peers of mine have submitted abstracts with 'results so far' sections. If you have no results to state in the abstract, they may provisionally accept you until you can update them on your findings. I suppose they may be concerned that you won't get them by the conference date, in which case they may think it safer to decline.

You need to check with your research council's term and conditions/guidelines. I know that many research councils will also expect you to repay any over-payment you've received for the year if you do leave early.