Seems like the role of 2nd supervisor varies uni to uni, department to department, maybe even between individuals within a dept.

At Masters my second supervisor was just meant to be a secondary marker to ensure fairness, but ended up filling the role of my first sup when they went sick. They were really helpful and involved.

At PhD (so far) my second supervisor is second in name only really as both supervisors are active, interested and hands on, giving their different viewpoints. This is in the social sciences.

Thread: Concerns About Sharing Research

posted
02-Mar-20, 16:35

edited about 10 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 3 months ago

Have you communicated this frustration to the people who have used your work without crediting?

I imagine if you politely explain your surprise at seeing your work and discoveries replicated in their own work/exhibitions without any credit, they would rectify this, or at least you'd've set your boundaries if they try it on again in the future. I hope you can get this resolved!

Thread: Applying a PhD in the same university I got my degree and masters?

posted
29-Feb-20, 23:54

by cucaracha

posted about 4 months ago

Imo it's more fun and interesting to experience different universities (but I'm someone who has gone to different unis for undergrad, Masters and PhD).

Pros of same uni:
---You're already familiar with the university facilities, culture (the way things work there), environment, admin team, local area, familiar faces. So you don't have to waste time relearning these things in a new place. And the comfort of familiarity means all your energies can focus on the PhD.
---You can make a very informed decision of whether you get on well with the academics/supervisors to help you thrive on your project.
---There may be financial benefits, like alumni discounts, preference for alumni for scholarships (maybe you know the academics well and they work hard to help you get it), and you have the local knowledge of the area to choose cheaper options in day-to-day life.

Cons of same uni:
---Potentially boring and missing out to stay in the same uni for 7+ years, never able to experience life at a different institution and city - variety is the spice of life. You miss out on the expertise, experience, methodologies, and strengths of different academics and resources at different unis.
---Being able to adapt to new places is an important skill.
---It can bring whole new perspectives to your work and your life in general to attend different universities, which is inspiring and motivating.

Thread: MEDIA/ENTERTAINMENT LAW HELP!

posted
26-Feb-20, 23:07

edited about 25 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 4 months ago

I wouldn't rule out doing an IP Masters more broadly and focusing on copyright law in a music and media context in your dissertation.

Remember the dissertation takes up at least a third of the Masters degree, in both grading and time spent. I spent a good half of my Masters year (of general law) researching my specialised area of law, which was complemented by the other modules in different, maybe unexpected, ways. Plus, a bit of variety keeps things interesting!

Maybe you could have a look for which unis have academics with research interests in the music/media law area who could potentially supervise your diss?

But hopefully someone in the know can give you a more helpful answer :)

Thread: Self-Funded PhD, but not sure on what funding options are available to me?

posted
14-Feb-20, 16:22

edited about 22 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 4 months ago

The project welcomes self-funded students which is unfortunate as it sounds to me like they'd quite like a self-funder really, and the research council deadlines have passed - so I think charities are your best funding option (ask your partner for tips!) as well as the student finance loans.

But you should definitely email Cardiff at the bottom of the page asking for more info about the 'available scholarships for outstanding applicants', always worth applying to, and you can ask them for clarification if it's three or four years.

This is a really interesting and helpful article about applying to charities for funding:

https://www.findaphd.com/funding/guides/phd-without-scholarship.aspx

Thread: Viva anxiety (from the other side)

posted
18-Jan-20, 00:10

by cucaracha

posted about 5 months ago

This is a really thoughtful post, and glad to hear it went well for you in the end!

Thread: Are there days where you don't do any work at all?

posted
18-Jan-20, 00:04

by cucaracha

posted about 5 months ago

Agreed... measuring productivity by time is pretty unhelpful (though totally normalised in society). I wonder if you'd benefit from making a bullet list every morning (or night before) with maybe 5 tasks you'd like to get done that day to move your project forward, and try and get through as much of them as possible! :)

Also it's important to have days where you don't do any work at all so that you don't burn out, doesn't matter if it's not weekend if that suits you better

Thread: first time meeting supervisors

posted
05-Jan-20, 23:32

edited about 2 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 5 months ago

These are very kindly-put responses, thank you :)

Quote From pm133:
It absolutely IS an interview and you should treat it as such.

You need to try to sort the nerves. You have those nerves because you have put these PhD supervisors on a pedestal and are desperate to impress them to the exclusion of all other considerations. Remember you are interviewing them too and good candidates are hard to find. Respect your own worth and value to them. Failure to do this gets students into trouble and there's no shortage of evidence for that on this forum.

Very good point about the pedestal!!

Quote From rewt:
If you feel nervous keep the small-talk at the start of the conversation going for as along as possible. I find small talk makes me relate to the person and like them thus I feel more comfortable. At the start ask them side questions to get them talking, again to humanise them. I have dealt with social anxiety before and the easiest way way for me is to build a personal relationship.

It is definitely an interview but not a super stringent one. I think they will accept you if you are anyway competent, so don't worry to much.

I don't love small talk but you've got a point about building that relatability and humanising them !

Thread: first time meeting supervisors

posted
04-Jan-20, 20:36

edited about 3 minutes later

by cucaracha

posted about 5 months ago

It's almost come to the time where I speak to my potential supervisors for the first time, outside of emails. I'm so nervous and unsure of myself! Any tips for how to not come across as terribly shy, awkward and uncomfortable..?

They have already read 2 drafts of my proposal, said I did a really good job of taking on board their feedback, encouraged me to continue with the application process and said that they would be interested in supervising the project. They suggested meeting is the best next step after I said I'm hoping to apply for research council funding. I'm not really sure what to expect questions- or conversation-wise. I guess it's not really an interview as it's not an official uni meeting, but I'm worried I'll disappoint them and my mind will blank.

Thread: PhD interviews pre-funding?

posted
07-Dec-19, 01:51

edited about 12 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 6 months ago

Hi all,

I'm finalising my proposal in the social sciences with help from potential supervisors, and soon to send off my PhD application before sending my ESRC funding application.

Are you only interviewed for funding, or is it common to be interviewed for the PhD place too before you even apply for funding? The uni website doesn't say if the application process involves an interview.

Also, are the funding interviews and subsequent ranking conducted by the potential supervisors or by external ESRC selectors?

Thanks!

Thread: MSc/MSci preference in Physics PhD applications for Oxbridge

posted
18-Nov-19, 21:11

edited about 3 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 7 months ago

You might have better luck asking on thestudentroom forum. Better yet, try emailing Cambridge physics PhD admissions team directly to ask if they have a preference for students to have an MSci or a Bsc and MSc :)

Thread: Am I failing?

posted
08-Nov-19, 22:22

edited about 18 seconds later

by cucaracha

posted about 7 months ago

These supervisors sound awful - surely they're not allowed to get away with such low standards of supervision and dodgy behaviour. It would be logical to have some sort of penalty for supervisors who fail to see their students to completion, to encourage them to actually do a decent job...

I doubt they're conspiring to get you to give up but they are obviously showing very little interest and care. I think you need to speak to someone like the Postgraduate Research Director, or someone who oversees the PhDs, and honestly tell them your experience with these supervisors and how it's affecting your work/ability to do the work to a high standard.

Is this in the UK?

Thread: My chances of getting a fully funded MRC PhD

posted
26-Oct-19, 01:09

by cucaracha

posted about 8 months ago

Quote From chronophobia:
Hello, I made this post in hopes to get some advice or maybe to instil some hope for myself. I got a low 2:1 at undergrad and 65% merit in my MSc. What are my chances of getting a fully funded MRC DTP? I have just about scraped the entry requirements but I feel like this will not help my chances of getting a studentship. Self funding unfortunately is not an option for me (unless I do a PhD in the far far future) and there is nothing more that I want than to pursue research. Has anyone been in my situation that could offer some advice on strengthening my application? I have 1.5 years worth of research experience from 2 projects. I understand that this DTP is highly competitive :( and would be very grateful for anyone’s tips or advice. Thank you!

May sound obvious, but to strengthen your application, make sure your research proposal and personal statement sound as passionate, enthusiastic and confident as possible :) really play up on your past research experience too.

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