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I finished my Masters quite a while ago - it wasn't practice-based, just pure theory. I also worked whilst doing the masters to earn a living, so I know how hard that must be for you trying to switch from one mind frame to the next. I have my high and lows too - like everyone. Some days are easier than others. I'm no longer the sociable type (I supposed there is a sociable person still hidden somewhere inside me) since my work and studies take up all of my time. I do try to see family & friends once in a while, go for a walk, do some meditation (which really helps me) and anything that takes my mind off studying/working. Try to make room for things that take your mind off the diss. I totally understand what you mean - the guilt of the dissertation, unlike a 9-5 job, is something that's always hanging over one's shoulders, 24/7 and night and day. I supposed that's why it can be such an emotional roller coaster. But hang in, you'll get there. Practice makes perfect, and coping with these emotional highs and lows does get better with time - you're probably learning things about yourself that you never knew before, and learning that you can do things that you never knew you could before; all this is really positive. Remember to congratulate yourself and give yourself a pat on the shoulder every now and then.

======= Date Modified 27 Jul 2010 15:05:40 =======

LOL - Sneaks, that really cracked me up. I was trying to imagine you sitting at your desk with your back to your hubby, typing frantically as smoke came out of the keyboard and cynically laughing whilst repeating REDRUM... REDRUM...... :p Funny enough, my hubby says the same thing. He thinks writing for long hours make me go wacky and mad.

Slowmo - I follow the same system as Sneaks. I find that I need to do enough but not too much otherwise I just start ranting and not writing anything comprehensible. I also make sure I take breaks to give my brain some rest (e.g. morning break 30 mins, lunch break 1 hour, and afternoon break 30 mins) where I leave my desk, PC, etc. and not read anything to relax my eyes and my mind.

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Stress and anxiety makes me tiered and unproductive - no matter how many hours I sleep, my sleep is restless and I feel tiered the next day. I generally get exactly what you've got when I have a deadline but haven't started the writing process. A day or two after I start, I begin to see improvement in both my mental health and my writing. The later I leave it before I start writing, the longer I have to suffer the anxiety and stress related symptoms you've mentioned. I'm so used to it by now that I've finally cracked it: starting is the hardest part BUT the earlier I start writing the thing the quicker these nasty feelings will go away ;-)

I spend ages and ages doing plans - thesis/dissertation outlines, detailed chapter outlines/plans, plans for each section and sub-section. Every late afternoon/early evening (before I stop my work for the day) I do dedicate an hour to preparing these plans (from about 4-5pm or 5-6, but no more otherwise you'll spend more time planning to escape the writing). That way, I go to bed feeling that I know what I've got to do the following; consequently I'm less anxious before I sleep. Also, doing a plan of what I'm going to write has stopped me getting 'writer's block' or mental blocks - it keeps me motivated because it makes me feel at the end of the day that I achieved something; it also helps me feel that I know what's ahead of me the following day. Of course, I often don't stick to the plan and don't always manage to finish what I'd planned to do either. The point is that planning things the day before has helped me cope with anxiety, stress, lack of motivation, etc. I try to get my plans as detailed as possible: what am I going to write about the following day, how many sub-sections, what's the aim of each section, what are the main things that section needs to cover/deal with, which authors will I be referring to in each section and -sometimes - right down to the page numbers and exact quotes that I'll be putting in these sections. Once you've done this, you've done half of the writing already! The following day is just a matter of fleshing things out :-) With each day passing by, you'll see how far you've come and you'll feel better and better. For example, I first do a general outline (of diss. or individual chapter) as follows:

1......
1.1....
1.2...
1.3
2.....
2.1
2.2
2.3 ...... and so on.

If my aim is to do 1.2 and 1.3, then the day before I'll do a detailed plan of these sections - writing them out would then become my task for the day. If by the end of the day I've managed to do them, then - hurrray! - my work for the day was done; it makes me feel good. I also decide - roughly - the word limit for each section/chapter so I can stop my self going off on a rant. Also, it stops me faffing about the next day struggling to remember what exactly I'm supposed to do/write.

If you're anything like me, then all the symptoms you've mentioned above are related to anxiety about not writing/doing enough on your diss. The quicker you begin to tackle it the better you'll feel. If I could do it, then I'm sure you can too. All the best of luck. (up)

======= Date Modified 27 Jul 2010 14:27:46 =======
I had that for my undergraduate dissertation! It's frustrating and exhausting but I really appreciated it since the finished product looked much more polished than if my tutor hadn't spotted so many mistakes which required corrections; I got a very good mark in the end, so I was very grateful for her painstaking attention to detail. I'm referring here to editorial corrections - my tutor didn't write the thing for me, she just pointed out sections where the expressions weren't so clear, or where I needed to say more, etc. My MA tutor wasn't as diligent and I got marked down for some of the errors. It just depends on how you like things to be done.

Hi Leontin, University libraries will often issue a one-day-pass to allow visitors to browse their collections (but without being able to borrow any books). That said, you can find photocopy machines at all these libraries. You'll also find a 'Print Journal' section where they will probably hold the latest issues of some Law journals - librarians can help guide you to the relevant section where these are kept and how to use the photocopying facilities. This will allow you to do some research and decide on a proposal topic. Here's a few website that will help you put together a research proposal:

http://www.education.leeds.ac.uk/prospective/researchproposal.php?programme=27

http://essaywritingblog.com/handbook-for-essay-writers/how-to-write-a-research-proposal-2

There are also some good proposal-writing guides sold on Amazon. Might be worth investing in a good/suitable one?

But before you start thinking of writing your proposal, it might be worth visting the the LSE's Law Department website:

http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/index.htm

At their departmental website, under 'Research' it states the faculty's area of reseach interests, their current research projects and staff research strengths - this should help you with your research proposal. The closer your proposal topic to the research expertise of the department, the higher your chances of getting admitted (lots of prospective students' applications get turned down because the dept. doesn't have anyone suitable to supervise their subject or anyone interested in it. If your research topic is really interesting then you have better chances of getting in. But given that we don't all agree on what we consider to be 'interesting' it might be worth seeing what the Law faculty at LSE considers to be areas of interest. You'll also see that they are offering PhD scholarships. Also check out the 'Staff' section to see who's who and what each member of the faculty has done/is involved in.

Once you've decided on a topic and have a draft of your proposal ready you can email it to a member of faculty whose research interest and background fits with your chosen topic and ask them if they'd be interested in supervising you (include your CV as your experience as a barrister might put you well ahead of other applicants). If all goes well he/she will either email you and say 'yes' - after which you can go ahead and submit an application for a PhD - or he/she will suggest some changes to your proposal, and once an agreement has been reached, will ask you to put your application through. It's better to contact a member of faculty who you're interested in first, get them to say 'yes' to supervising you and then apply - once a faculty member has said 'yes' to supervising you then you're half-way towards being accepted already.

Finally, on their website there is a contact person for the PhD programme in the section 'MPhil/PhD Research Programmes'. She'll probably be the best person to let you know if your past qualifications are sufficient for their programme. Word of advice: apply as early as possible. The proposal-writing part, form-filling and application process - especially somewhere like LSE - will take some time.

Good luck. Let us kow how it goes (up)

======= Date Modified 25 Jul 2010 16:13:58 =======
Hi Sue2604. When we first met I made it clear to my partner that I was intending to work in academia but that the chances of this were slim due to the competitive nature of the academic market and the scarcity of jobs. I explained that should I get offered a job in Tumbuktu then Tumbuktu it was - i.e. until I got some experience on my CV and was able to apply for a better post nearer to civilisation :p We don't have kids (that's something I've had to put on hold too) so it's easier to move at the moment.
Originally my hubby was going to move with me but he found his dream job in London. I think if I had insisted that he doesn't go for this new job then he might have been bitter about my calling the shots as to where we're constantly moving to, so I tried to be fair. If I knew he wasn't happy about this arrangement (or vice versa) then, of course, we wouldn't have gone ahead. It's only because we've both agreed to it that we're (temporarily) going to be living apart.

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Posted by mistake :p

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Sneaks - sounds like a good idea and shows you in a positive light - i.e. that you're the sort of person who takes initiatives, creates opportunities for her/himself and is proactive about her/his career.
My only advise would be - if you haven't thought of this already - is where you're sending these 'cold-call' emails, ensure that you include about 2-4 sentences emphasising the following:

- Why this particular institution/consultancy?
- What have they to offer you that would constitue a natural/perfect next step in your career? and,
- What do you have to offer them (why your skills and qualifications are just perfect for them)?

That way, it doesn't look like you've just randomly picked a few institutions but that you've really done some research and cherry-picked the ones that are a good match for you and for them. Employers often want to know 'why you' - i.e. what they will benefit from hiring you and not someone else. A few well-structured and strong sentences highlighting this and answering it will make the email sound less like a 'cold-call' email and will give the impression that it is purposeful.

Also, they'll probably read your email quickly so you want it to be short but to the point. Perhaps start by stating (in one sentence) why you're writing to them (where you've heard about them, why you think they're grea - just don't over do it! - and why/how you'd like to be involved in what they do); then who you are (your specific skills that match their requirements or the nature of work they do); and finally why they can provide an ideal work environment for you (be specific and sound like you've done your home work and know a little about their company/institution). By this stage the reader will be probably be interested to hear more about you so mention that you've attached a CV for their consideration, that you very much look forward to hearing from them and that if they have any questions they shouldn't hesitate to contact you, etc.

I've seen some excellent templates online, though it was a long time ago and I can't remember where exactly. It took some time to Google and find good ones and I end up doing a 'collage' of a few templates so as to personalise it.

Let us know how it goes if/when you get a response. Good luck! (up)

======= Date Modified 24 Jul 2010 12:37:55 =======
I'm in the same situation but decided to go for it after discussing it with my partner. It all depends on how far away you'll be from each other, how often it is possible for you to get together and on your relationship with each other. My partner's really understanding and knows that this is an opportunity that I can't let slip away. We have discussed, at length, the nature of the academic job market and were both very realistic about the prospects of having to constantly move wherever work takes me. We also considered the possibility of having to live separately at some stage so this didn't come as a surprise to either one of us. It will, of course, be very hard for both of us but we are very much in love and know that we want to spend the rest of our lives together. That said, neither one of us wants to ever feel that we stopped each other from growing and from progressing towards our goals. We have shared goals, and we each have our own personal goals - we try to accomodate both where possible and not let them clash. If I ever find out that work is getting in the way of our relationship then I'll, of course, dump the job. But until then, we're both willing to try and give it a go. That's the understanding we've come to - hope it works for us, and fingers crossed for you too.

======= Date Modified 24 Jul 2010 12:22:46 =======
Algaequeen, I totally understand your frustration. You got me worried - I was one of those kids who hated school and hardly tried to study. My aim was to get a pass and not have to repeat the year simply because I didn't want to be left behind with my friends in the year above me. It's not until my A Levels - where I could choose the subjects I was interested in as opposed to those forced upon me - that I started taking things seriously and working hard.
What I might do, now that you've mentioned that employers ask for this, is prepare a little 'talk-off' about why I did so badly at school. That way, if I ever get pulled up about in an interview, then I have an answer ready. ;-)

p.s. I once applied for a three-month temping job - in the private sector - that any monkey could have done and got asked to fill out a twelve-page application form accompanied by 6 years worth of bank statements! That's 72 bank statements in total, and they stated that they needed ALL of them or else I don't even qualify to be called in for an interview! What's the world coming to?

Thanks Bilbobaggins and DoWhatNow. I agree - my university's regulations are cryptic in some (crucial) parts. I've gathered an email thread where I have queried these ambiguous parts with certain members of the university's management. Should I one day find out that I have been misinformed, then I have proof to say it wasn't me doing the guess-work but rather a member of their staff. There have been times when it has taken me months to get an answer to one question, but it's been worth the wait since at least I now know where I stand with regards to that particular thing.
The regulations, sadly, only become relevant to the research student when a problem pops up - that, or when the student is near completion and needs to follow the thesis submission guidelines. Hence it is sometimes left too late in the day for the student to make changes. This is why I think it's really worth raising awareness about this and getting our fellow research students to read these documents and be in the best position possible to pre-empt anything nasty from happening.
If you've ever had such experience of having found out something too late, and which was in your university's regulations; or, been able to save the day due to finding out something that was in your regulations, then I'd be interested in hearing your stories.

Thanks for your feed-back. I have edited my original post accordingly.

======= Date Modified 23 52 2010 12:52:35 =======
I have been very surprised recently when I read some posts on this forum that demonstrated some PhD student’s lack of awareness regarding crucial aspects of the PhD process. I’m not speaking here about what a thesis entails, etc. but rather about the PhD student’s code of practice and the university’s regulations. I will not mention any exmaples as this might be misinterpreted; also, it's besides the point. The only thing I wish to highlight is that some questions are being asked which are usually specified in the university's regulations booklet, and which differes from one uni to another. Consequently, and since this is a crucial matter, I think students should familiarise themselves with their university’s Code of Practice and Regulations for MPhil/Phd Students if they haven't done so already.

My copy of the Code of Practice and Regulations was sent to me when I originally enrolled, and a new revised copy gets sent to me on an annual basis. My university’s Registry department sends out further copies upon request. Is this not standard practice across the board? If so, and despite its being an extremely boring read, I really urge PhD student, who haven’t done so already, to read that booklet and be aware of where they (legally) stand. As one poster said, it’s a ‘contract’ and like any other contract you sign (employment, tenancy agreement, etc.) you need to read it. What’s more, the contract’s terms and details will differ from one university to another, so there are some questions that forum members here can’t answer, but which the Code of Practice and Regulations booklet will specify.


Admittedly, I am older than the average PhD student and have consequently developed an unavoidable degree of cynicism that accompanies the process of getting older. Perhaps I’m just too cautious due to having had my fingers burnt a few times and so do spend some time reading contracts, regulation documents, etc. Am I the only cynical geek around here who does this, or are there other PhD students that refer to their university’s regulations from time to time? I’d be interested to hear if you do/don’t and whether you think it is something that every PhD student should try to do.

======= Date Modified 23 Jul 2010 11:24:37 =======
Hi Citizenthom. I've known a few people who have experienced a similar situation to yours but their supervisor's move was from one UK university to another, hence the geographical distance was more surmountable than in your case. Even then, the student's had the following options:

a) Supervisor continues to supervise student despite his being at a new uni, but in addition the student is assigned a new supervisor at his own department to deal with paperwork, day-to-day advice, etc. This is due to the fact that a supervisor's role involves much more than commenting on your thesis and the student needs someone who's hands-on and there for him/her whenever necessary.

b) student moves with the supervisor to the new university (either self-fund, or supervisor manages to get funding for the student). I take it this is not an option for you.

c) Supervisor continues to supervise student despite his being at a new uni; the student is also assigned a new supervisor at his own department to deal with paperwork, form-filling, day-to-day advice, etc.; and in addition to those two supervisors, a third is assigned(expert in his project area) but who is located at a different UK university. This means you'd have 3 supervisors: one at your department handling bureaucracy, another who is an expert at another UK uni overseeing your work, and your old sup (who's probably very familiar with your work) who can have an input once in a while but who you don't really need to rely on in case he's too busy/far away.

If you go for the third option you need to find a suitable expert in your field at a different UK uni, send him/her a very very brief synopsis of your project and a short explanation of your situation (make it professional and avoid blaming anyone since it is quite common practice for academics to move uni's and leave PhD students behind), then ask him/her if they would be interested in supervising your project (i.e. being second supervisor as your department should also be allocating you an in-house sup). If you find someone who's capable and willing then you can take this to the bargain table with your department.

There should normally be a small amount of tuition fee associated with getting a second (external) supervisor who is at a different university to yours - this means the student is enrolled at two universities (university A being his main PhD awarding institution, and university B where he is partially enrolled with reduced tuition fees and limited access to facilities - e.g. a second supervisor). Should your current department not be able to offer you a suitable supervisor who is an expert in your field and who can ensure the success of your PhD, then they are normally under obligation (depending on what your university regulations state) to pay the partial tuition fee at university B. Again, read your uni regulations for PhD students - mine clearly states that the university have the obligation to ensure you have all the support to complete your degree and be assigned new sup(s) when old ones leave. I know someone at my department whose research evolved and there was no one who could supervise him internally, so alongside his internal supervisor he was assigned an external supervisor at uni B and our department covered his fees at uni B, so it's not impossible should your universities regulations state it.

Sheena, this depends entirely on your universities regulations! You need to obtaina copy of (if you haven't already) your universities regulations for PhD/MPhil degrees where the limit will be stated. At my uni, for instance, PhD is between 80-100k, and MPhil is between 60-80k. At another university (where a friend of mine is doing his PhD) however, the PhD is 60-80k and the Mphil is 40-50k. Also, university regulations usually state different word limits for different disciplines - e.g. arts, engineering and sciences have shorter words limits (for obvious reasons) than humanities and social sciences. So you really need to check your university regulations and if it's too vague (e.g. it says 'approx. 80k') then you need to double check with your supervisor. People on this forum can't help you since we are all doing different disciplines at different uni's.