You should start whenever you feel ready, eddi. If you're feeling reluctant now, don't worry, as you've only just began and are probably trying to negotiate your identity as a PhD student. A little note: one of my friends finished his PhD last year, and hasn't published or presented anything. He's kicking himself, because he's finding it impossible to get work. Getting yourself known amongst those in your field is such a vital aspect of PhD life, even if you only manage to publish one article or present at one conference.

Hey mokey--this is such a headache, managing the resources you've collated. Everyone seems to have their own system. I write out my notes, and put them all in a folder titled 'to be typed'. Once I've typed up a set of notes, I put the typed notes in a folder under strict headings. I've got about thirteen massive folders with material that is yet to be read. The stuff I've read gets divided into two separate folders: read--to be consulted at a later date, and read--of no use. Have I just managed to further confuse you?

I pay around £40 for an immaculate cut that I don't have to style, grows out brilliantly and doesn't have to be cut for another 3 months or so. I would strongly suggest, if your haircut is really important to you, to try somewhere like 'Toni and Guy' where you can't go wrong really, and ask for a senior stylist. In most salons, the prices will vary depending on which level of stylist you ask for.

eddi, I just had a thought. I too have been suffering from this (as I mentioned), but I just realised that my inability to concentrate could partly be attributed to the fact that I've been frustrated by the monotony. I started a new plan this week to shake up my research routine, so I'm going to get some variety by studying in a different place every day. I think that will provide varying stimulus and prevent stagnation.

Hi olivia, from my experience most letting agents don't allow pets at all :( However, you may be able to find a private landlord who you can sweet talk into allowing you to keep them, especially if you can argue that they're clean, potty trained, and are well behaved. After much searching, I found a landlord who was okay with it (probably because she was a dog lover herself).

I have to agree xeno, that is the greatest challenge above all else, and certainly one that I have been struggling with. Eddi, I was talking about this with my supervisor yesterday, and he told me that it's quite normal in the first year of your PhD to waste buckets of time because you're just trying to get your head around the fact that you're actually doing a PhD. I don't know if that helps, but it's coming from a senior academic, so it provided me with some relief.

You know what, you've hit on something there. I think that's exactly what it is! When my supervisor criticises my writing, I feel worthless, and feel like it's a direct reflection of me. I've never had problems writing in the past. In fact, I've enjoyed it immensely...until I started doing the PhD! I remember really enjoying writing my MA dissertation, and all of the coursework on the MA. The gears shift dramatically at this level, where you have to be very precise with your language. All of a sudden, I find myself panicking when I'm faced with the prospect of writing and I just freeze!

I'm a mature student as well. I haven't managed to make any friends on my course because all the other students are in their early 20s and want to go out drinking every night! I just don't have the energy or desire for that anymore. It's definitely a whole different experience doing the PhD as a mature student.

Wow, thank you all so much for your great feedback. I think the hardest thing to get my head around at the moment is the long road ahead. I keep forgetting that the PhD is 3-4 years. I'm treating it as though it was a project with an imminent deadline. Olivia, the lack of structure is definitely getting to me. Without it, I can drift and become lazy. I feel so out of my depth. When I read a great text in my field, I feel excited and terrified at the same time, because I can't imagine ever being able to produce anything like that!

Hi everyone! I really need to get some feedback from other PhD students on this. I just started my PhD in October, and I'm already feeling demotivated. I can't seem to get a routine going, and am doing everything to avoid work. I'm really worried about this, so much that I'm not sleeping at all. It seems strange to me that I'm already experiencing despondency. Has anyone else felt like this so early on in their PhD? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences.