I know I'm not the only one who is thinking what I'm thinking.

Not to butt into Keenbean's thread but I'm just interested in why you guys are saying you didn't or wouldn't want a mock viva.

I understand that you can get an idea of the types of questions you might be asked by simply chatting with your sup or with other lecturers, but I would have thought that a mock viva would prepare you for the environment of the viva in terms of procedure and your expected performance. I get what people are saying about thinking on your feet but surely the big questions (the big 5 that Bilbo always refers to) can be expected, can be prepared and therefore should be performed to get a bit of feedback. Of course the actual questions are not going to be the same and there will be many unexpected ones, but I just can't see the great problems that having a mock viva might cause.

The forum will be a lot quieter without Keenbean...oh I just read the last part of the last sentence.

Seems like a no brainer to me if the outside academic can be trusted to keep quiet. Essentially a Phd is the student's work, not the sup's, so it's up to you to do it. In my mind completing it with minimal contact with your official supervisor (whilst meeting under the cover of darkness with the other guy) is entirely plausible and shouldn't raise too much suspicion. With funding you have at least a thousand reasons a month to go for it.

Expect pain. Lots of it.

Yep. It's the subjective vs. objective argument. (I guess you are working in a social science discipline maybe?) It's saying that as much as we try to interpret interview texts objectively, we cannot help but impose our own subjective interpretations onto the person, the information, or the situation.

======= Date Modified 15 Jun 2011 18:18:01 =======
The 3rd part is the key point. It's saying that even if we are trying to be objective when reading interview texts, we ultimately impose our own meaning onto them.

Dont overthink and just do it.

IMO fellowship beats "quality of thesis" hands down. Plus they wouldn't suggest you submit early if they didn't think you should.

Again don't overthink and self-obsess about it like a lot of people on here. Make a decision and go for it. What's the worst that will happen? You might not get fellowship but you will have thesis finished earlier, or, if you find out you havent even made the cut for interviews, then you can fully focus on the thesis.

No more procrastinating. Do it.

======= Date Modified 07 Jun 2011 22:39:45 =======
I have had 3 kids since starting my phd journey (with no.4 coming in the winter) so I can certainly empathise with your concerns. I went through the undergrad and MA without kids and having other (real life) responsibilities outside of the academic bubble is something to be celebrated rather than worried about. I was very much involved with the research scene in those days and in my experience it was full of self-obsessed, bitchy, insecure people. To be fair I was prob one of them too. Since returning to my phd after getting jiggy with my poor missus I just don't have the inclination, never mind the time, to get involved with the goings on in my department. Their loss in my opinion. IMO the important things in the phd are thesis >> publications >> conference appearances >> training >> department profile.

My advice might be this:
- If you are feeling disconnected, set up a profile on academia.edu. You can follow other people's work, connect with people in your area, email etc.
- This might be a bit contradictory but try and set yourself a weekly plan of work. Make list of things you need to do and do them. HOWEVER, if you cannot get everything done because of vomit, diarrhea, teething, tantrums, etc etc then don't beat yourself up about it. Put it at the top of next week's list and get it done.
- Make time for yourself, and time for yourself and your hubby.
- I agree that you should keep an eye out for conferences and present at a few. Everyone is crap and boring anyway so there's no pressure. How many papers do you remember from conferences? Exactly. So don't worry about it. It's about the CV and contacts IMO. And getting a decent free lunch.
- Job wise I can't really help. Again I'd say keep it the same time every week if you have any control over it.
-Enjoy it. Everyone's journey is different. My situation is pretty unorthodox but it's my situation and that's it. Make your phd a priority at certain times during the week. Plan ahead. Make a list. Do it. Reward yourself after.

You're not really convinced you're going to fail If you were, you wouldn't go through with it.

Now's the time to truly focus. As others have said, keep active, keep perspective, and get ready to be the best you can be.

Make lists, tick off as you go along, focus.

Brainstorm possible questions. Answer them. Pick out 5 key questions. Memorise the answers to them.

Practice in front of a mirror. Check your body language. Are you being naturally defensive. Practice smiling, eye contact etc.

Get into 'fight' mode. No self-loving before the big event! No self-loathing either, mind. Positive things happen to positive people.

Supervisors have their own lives outside of our projects. We can be a nuisance as much as anything else. Give them a break, especially this time of year. It's their time we are taking advantage of. I have one hour with my sup every 2 weeks. I go in, we say hello, and get down to business. I have my work I want read and commented on. He does it. I have my list of questions and queries printed out for him, we discuss them. And then we set up the next meeting. He couldn't give a shit if I had to rush to get the bus cos I forgot to turn on utorrent, and I couldn't care less if they are changing the MA programme he first set up. We have a bit of friendly chat but he never remembers anything I tell him in past meetings and keeps asking me the same bloody questions!! I could get offended, but I realise he has a million other things on his plate. We have a great working relationship and that's the way I like it. If I have a problem he is the last guy I go to. At the end of the day it's my thesis and I'm the one doing it.

What would be the average amount awarded for a travel scholarship from one private donor / private funding body?

I thinking of applying for one for a research trip in the new year. It's a family who have set up the award in memory of their mother who was an influential figure in the local arts scene. Just wondering how much generally these types of awards give out. I guess I'll need to apply from more than one source.

Yes.

======= Date Modified 11 May 2011 12:59:11 =======
Yeah I had mine back in Nov. Had to submit Chapter 1, working Biblio, report of work done.

As your friends are saying, they are not there to catch you out. They're there to show you what you can improve and offer some suggestions on ways to do this. The questions they ask are just to get you to think about your approach thus far and how you might improve your approach for the next chapter or section of work.

The thing to remember is that your place as a phd student is not in question - what's in question is how you go about the work that you are doing. Why choose this text, why that experiment, where do you see this going etc.

I think the big word in Phd land is ownership. It's your work, it's your research, it's your project. You've made these decisions. Stand up for them - but also be open to their suggestions and talk them out with them.

Listen to Larry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URtQAa3Y-ns

I have an interview coming up for a travel scholarship interview. Any tips on prep? I'm thinking have solid budget in mind, prepare how trip fits in with legacy of the award, how I meet the criteria, etc etc.