I hadn't been dating since an eventful break-up about a year and a half ago. I was scared that I'd lose focus and start constantly looking at the phone and all that incredible irrational behaviour(!) Which unfortunately happened exactly, met someone quite randomly one night out at a pub who came to talk to me and seemed genuinely nice and interested. After the date I noticed how I enjoyed dating someone with completely different interests in life - nothing to do with academia! And I just would not shut up, got a bit too comfortable. Well, I had to submit a paper this week but he stopped calling and I completely lost focus for a week. Going back to the terrified of dating state!
Well - after that depressing rant, I shall say I enjoy random encounters when someone just comes and starts a conversation at a pub, street, supermarket, bus stop anywhere - can be a bit silly or random - but it just puts a smile on my face for a while if nothing else and you might even make friends if not dates. Maybe that sounds like a weird and unusual advice, but I find it much more simple and sympathetic than dating websites.

Hi Button,

Thanks for asking this question which has been bothering me as well! I just started my PhD and almost immediately I started worrying about not doing enough. Similar to Artista, I try to get to know the people and my supervisor first, attend a few training sessions and try to figure out how research processes work. I am reading about the theory that I will use and writing a summary on each chapter that I read and although it requires commitment, I find this extremely useful. Try to write at least a paragraph on each article or chapter you read, this will accelerate the lit. review process and for me the comprehension process too! I am also preparing for presenting at a conference next semester and will probably attend a few other conferences. My project is in an interdisciplinary area so I try to attend two different departments' research seminars and try to get to know some key people in both departments.
Well, most important of all I try to remind myself not to worry too much at this stage as I'll need the nerve for forthcoming stages.

Best of luck!
leaf

Hi Helena,

First of all, all the best with your dissertation and applications, I hope they'll all be sorted out very soon.
I started the stressful PhD application process around mid-October and just got the good news a week ago. As an international student in an area where funding is rare (modern languages), I got an overseas bursary which pays the difference between home and overseas fees. It's an odd feeling as I didn't know how to react, as I know it is still not going to be easy to partially self-fund but the only chance for me to do the PhD was this "normalization" of fees. I am like "YAY!" one minute, and "oh, well..." the next.

I had applied to two other places from where I heard I was shortlisted for the awards and then got the bad news. It was very frustrating to hear that you're shortlisted and have 1/10 chance of getting it and in a week I hear that I'm not even in the reserve list. Then I heard from my top choice that I had a 30% fee bursary around mid-May, which was the amount of the bursary I applied for. Earlier this month I heard (without any further application!) that my bursary was increased! So, I just believe now that there is no "impossible" in funding applications and I am so excited to start my PhD this September!

So don't get too much frustrated over bad news and I hope you'll get there soon!

Best of luck,

leaf

Hi all!
After a long phase of applications I finally got a partial bursary for my phd from my "second choice" university. I am an international student in an area where funding is extremely rare and I am thrilled - or semi-thrilled - to have got 1/3 bursary. Yet, as I said the uni was my second choice and I still don't know what to do.
I did a pro's and con's list which boiled down to a draw between the two uni's. Both supervisors are awesome and both universities are very good, very similar (reputationwise) red brick uni's yet after visiting the two, I was much more impressed by the other uni. I very unfortunately missed the chance to get a full funding and I was planning to self fund my first year and try again the second year (as it seems they offer more scholarships) but then I got a bursary from my second choice and now I am thinking if I should take this chance to pay less, or start the other one and hope to get full funding for the next year. The non-funded first choice university offers teaching hours and seems very actively dedicated to the student's development as an academic, whereas the second one does not offer teaching (or seems so). I am absolutely confused and I desperately need ideas. Thank you for bearing with me anyway.

Best of luck to all,

leaf

Hello all,

I'll start my PhD this October and got accepted at two places but haven't secured funding yet. I'll be applying for a teaching assistantship but on the application form they are asking for a short paragraph to explain if there's any previous experience of teaching etc. I hope to pursue an academic career and just finished my masters with distinction and have got a conference paper and a publication coming up, yet no experience in teaching. I really really really want to get this job as it will be a wonderful asset to my career prospects and of course it will help financially. I was wondering what chance do I stand without previous experience but I guess one does start somewhere! Do they ignore applicants with no experience or well, what really counts to be a good candidate? Thanks in advance for any ideas!

Good luck to all with everything,

leaf.

Hello again,

I finally got the distinction last friday! The dissertation weighed twice as much as other modules in calculating the average. Thanks everyone for your answers. :)

Best of luck with your studies,

leaf.

Hi all!

After months of hard work and stress, I finally got an offer for a place!! (the one that I wanted most) (Btw, thanks to everyone answering my delirium questions at that period, esp. Keenbean once again!) BUT, I am an international student and in an area (humanities- modern languages) where funding is rare and competitive and all that... I had interviews at two universities and both of them went great, although I haven't applied formally to the other two yet, I think my acceptance is guaranteed.
I thought acceptance would give me some confidence in the funding issues but it's weighing me down even more now. I really want to do this phd and seems like I should as I got incredibly positive responses from all the potential supervisors I have contacted so far! I have full faith in my project and I want to stay in academia. Cynic that I am, I know what I want to do with myself for the first time in my life but I just don't know how clever it would be to self fund in the worst case? I'm hoping to get at least a fee-waiver, so I guess I can self-fund my first year but how are the chances to find funding the second year? I know it's a nobody-knows situation but are the chances slightly higher with publications and conference papers and a good record of first year?


Thanks for your comments!! Good luck to everyone,

leaf.

Thanks a lot Superman, Keenbean and Starshine for your replies. Well, it really does seem a bit tricky. My supervisor didn't know how they calculated the weighted average so he couldn't help and I can't ask the assessment unit either as I'm not supposed to know my mark before the awards board.
Unfortunately I couldn't find an adequate explanation in the university website either. My average from my taught modules is only 68,5% but two of them are over 70% and my dissertation is 75%. It sounds quite pathetic to worry over a 0.2 points (which I hope they'll round up) but I am applying for funding and my undergraduate GPA (which is not from a UK uni) is disastrous. Just hoping that the distinction would help. I guess I just have to wait and see.

All the best!

leaf.

Hi Natassia!

This is great news, congratulations!! I had two interviews with potential supervisors last week. The first one was my first interview at a university -ever!- and I just didn't know what to do with myself. It went great though, I'm not a native English speaker and although I'm usually quite confident, my vocabulary was as poor as a 5 yr old all of a sudden! But it wasn't my presentation and confidence they were interested in, they just asked direct to the point questions why I was interested in the particular subject and if I wanted to be an academic and implied that I already got the place. Then it went on like a chat. They even got rid of the titular address as soon as we met.

I am a disaster at job interviews - I just panic and ramble. But they both went so good. I think if they show interest in your first contact it is because they think you have the potential. Just concentrate on what you want to do and don't worry about your nervousness at all. I am sure the calls will go fine and you'll end up feeling much more motivated and confident than before.

Best of luck!!

leaf.

Hello all,

I really feel awkward for having this seemingly daft question but I am just hoping that someone could give me an idea that will save me from the restlessness I've been suffering from! I got my dissertation mark which is 75% and I was expecting an overall distinction. I thought that the credits of the dissertation would be higher than other modules so that the weighted average would secure the distinction for me. Yet now, with all my modules and my dissertation mark, my average is 69,8%! I cannot ask the assessment unit as my grade is not official, my supervisor has told me the result which I'm not supposed to know it until the awards board. However I am applying to PhD's and I say that I am expecting a distinction. Can I really miss distinction because of that 0.2% ? Do you think that 69,8% is counted as a 70%? I can't believe I am spending precious time and nerve on this 0.2 points. Postgraduate life couldn't be more stressful. :(
I really appreciate any ideas. Thanks!

leaf.

Hi Natassia,

I think you're very motivated and clear about what you want to do and this is the most important bit. I had been very shy to write a pre-proposal to approach the supervisors but I thought as the time goes by, the "right time" when I'm content with what I have in mind would never come. As it never does!
So definitely, go for a brief proposal or just explain the area you're interested in, say, in 300 words or so. Write to your 'ideal three' at the first round. Just to approach them. Youi don't have to know much about their work, just look at their research interests and say why you think that particular place could be the place. They do respond, and they will encourage you or lead you to someone else. I remember how vulnerably scared I was to read the first response I got from a potential supervisor, basically she was saying that I should go for it in the nicest way that I could imagine. Whatever feedback they give, it will absolutely fasten the process and motivate you even more. I was so scared at that point (well, I still am), but I was amazed at how nice they all were, they do understand your motivation and give support in the best way that they can.
Good luck with all, I'm sure you'll be very happy once you let it out.
Best,

leaf.

Hi JimmyGee,

I am in such a similar position myself - only my area is different. I just had interviews at two universities and both of them went great, one of them even implied that I already got the place, the only thing is funding.
However, they didn't know that I had an awful GPA of 2.51/4.00 in my BA. The rest in my CV is quite promising with a distinction, publication and a conference paper coming but I just sent in my application and having pains in the stomach already.
BUT, I think it is mostly your MA and research experience that counts more. Basically all competitions are fierce and awfully competitive (we do have to remember that) but someone gets the studentship in the end and I think it is best if you watch for any other alternatives. It won't help to worry about things that you cannot change, but you've done your best and I'm sure your efforts will be acknowledged. Sounds like you have done quite a lot to deserve it.
Best of luck!

leaf.

Thanks a lot KB & Mog for your replies, it is heartening to hear your comments. I guess sometimes too much excitement causes too much stress. I spent so much time and effort on the project so I just wanted it to go as smooth as it did so far. Anyway, thanks for sharing your experiences and I will share mine once I'm done, hopefully with good news! Good luck with all your work. :)

leaf.

Hello all,

I am in the application process and got green light from my ideal two supervisors and I'M feeling a bit too enthusiastic about all this. I got interviews to go yet the proposal stress continues.
In my masters, I usually got great comments about the first drafts that kept me going. I never had to make major changes in the projects and usually worked independently. At the moment I am getting help from potential supervisors and they underline the problematic points of the proposal (which to my surprise they do spend quite some time on it and add lots of thought and help). But this somehow scares me more as I lose confidence in my project when many problematic points are highlighted and editings are made. What's worse, the more I think about this, the more I feel this is mental!
Ok, now the funny question: is this normal? Is this how PhD applications work or am I being too vague and bad about this from the start that I might lose the supervisors confidence?

Good luck to all of you and happy new year!

Leaf.

Thank you Keenbean, Magictime and Someone3 for all very helpfull replies. You know, it is just one of the questions that I was a bit concerned about if I could handle well, for the obvious reasons but I agree with all the comments. It doesn't feel that stressful anymore, anyway. I do think that particular university is indeed the place to be and I've got loads of reasons (now that I can think :)). That should be enough not to worry.
And KB, I'll definitely give a small report about how it went here. :)
Thanks and good luck to y'all!

Leaf.