Hi Fairycakes,

I'm an ecologist so fieldwork is a pretty integral part of my research. Recently, I have been to Africa on my own to work in the Namib desert, and to the US this summer to work in New England. Travelling by yourself anywhere is pretty scary, particularly if you don't have a lot of experience in it, and I wouldn't worry by the feeling that you want to go on a broad level, but when it comes down to it you are slightly dreading it. I think it is perfectly normal.

For starters, I would make sure you plan it to within an inch, because it is very easy to panic yourself if you encounter something small that you weren't expecting. I had folders and folders of every conceivable document I could need for all trips waaay in advance, and had booked everything I needed from cars to accommodation to transfers, because the last thing you need is to be stuck somewhere. Also, I tended to use a travel agent to sort things out, (I have links with a nice young man at Trailfinders now!) because they tend to let you know if there may be problems, and are always on hand if something goes wrong to call and whimper at. It can work out cheaper or just as cheap as finding things yourself on the internet, and you have a lot more peace of mind.

You say you are going to do interviews, but don't speak the language. Are you going to have someone else out there with you, or interviewing people who do speak the language? Learning even a little bit would really help things along; I would do a crash course in it, because it is much more isolating to be left out of conversations. Use it as an opportunity to pick up the basics, languages always come in handy in the end.

Also, the best thing I can suggest is to find someone else out there to meet. I stayed in a backpackers place in Africa and it was the best decision, because people kept on coming through that I could chat to, and hear about their experiences etc. A hotel may be nicer, but you may find yourself very alone and you can get down very quickly. Alternatively, stay in the university or with someone you know etc. There is no need to be completely alone all the time, even if you need to do the work alone. Better yet, find a research assistant!

Good luck, you will have a lot of fun in the end, I promise...

I have actually written a Biology PhD proposal to discuss with a potential supervisor, and have been given a green light. However, the application procedure now asks for a "letter of application and a 1 page description of the project". Any suggestions on what to include in (what I presume?) is essentially a cover letter and the one page description would be hugely appreciated, my current proposal is in a classic format and currently four pages long, so would take quite a bit of whittling down!

Thanks in advance