well thats encouraging. Well done for getting through! my supervisor is simply on leave (summer vacation) so not even away with anything work related. I have a post doc friend who is helping me out; without them I would be in real trouble. It upsets me how students can be left in the lurch like this.

I have had no supervision at all for two months and am submitting in a matter of days. Anyone else had experience of this? How did you manage?? :-(

brilliant ideas! keep them coming!

sorry for the typos - still early!!

I have been asked to take responsibility for organising seminars etc for our post-graduates and am wondering what is provided at your institution, what do you find the most useful and is there anything you would like more of (no straying from the subject:p)?

At them moment I have included,
Journal club (although I feel this needs a re-vamp as its been a bit dry in the past. What format do your journal clubs follow?)
Seminars from guest speakers
Seminars from PG's
Workshops - skills based

Any ideas/what works/what doesn't would be very welcome!!

thank you!:-)

Do you think attending conferences, subsequent networking and publications are a key part of gaining employment post PhD? or do you believe that the conventional "apply for a job vacancy" is just as effective?
Is it about who you know over what you know??

I am currently writing up with 2 months to go. usually start at between 4am and 8am (depending on severity of middle-of-the-night blind panic), i work 16 hrs a week too so do that in-between writing and then finish for the evening between 6 and 9pm.
Just wondering what hours other people who are writing up are putting in and whether they too are shattered but also strangely panicked too - who would have thought those two emotions would go together so well!!:-)

I have asked outright and I just get a very guarded response, and previous discussion about the final tests have implied that without it the PhD will be weak. I just don't know what to do. 

After more than 5 years doing my PhD with more problems than I care to go into (both personal and work-related) I am in the last few months of writing up and am convinced I am not going to be awarded a PhD. My work undertaken is a fraction of what it was meant to be and I have not had any publications. The final piece of lab work is now unlikely to go ahead due to time and fundsing constraints. Without this i fear that I will definately not be awarded the PhD.
can anyone relate this? perhaps been through it themselves? any advice/support would be welcome
:-(

thank you everyone for your advice!
I've kind of realised that perhaps its more about the quality of your research than actually finding out something groundbreaking, and this is something I do feel confident about. I know that what I have done is correct and thorough but its so easy to get wrapped up in the "must get amazing results" thing. I suppose its about trusting your supervisor and accepting that there are always going to be limitations and problems, its just how you overcome those and deal with it.
x

Thanks guys, your advice is really appreciated. I realise negative results are just as important as the positive ones but I am worried about the amount of work too though. I have spent a lot of time working on protocols and trying to iron out problems but then when I actually come to doing the actual experiments it doesnt feel like it reflects the amount of work I have put in. I just keep worrying I havent got enough to show for a PhD and with a deadline of xmas I can't see how I am going to reel out several more experiments (particularly when I know how things can easily go wrong & cause delays). x

Just over 3 years in and should be finishing my lab work in the next couple of months ready to write up. Thing is i feel like my work is crap and that I havent really found anything out. A friend of mine has just had a real breakthrough with her PhD and has found out something really novel, which makes me feel even more like a failure. My whole PhD has been plagued by several personal problems (lost my dad in the middle of my 3rd year) and several lab equipment problems. Just feel like quitting at the moment as its seems like trying to finish is going to be a waste of time. sorry this is sooo depressive but am on the verge of putting my head in an oven and could do with some moral support and advice.
x

have you thought about buying the ready-gels from Bio-rad? much easier!

Hi,
Tomorrow I have an interview for part time teaching in our department. It would not be totally untrue if i was to say i am currently having a small litter of kittens over this and would be very appreciative to get some advice from anyone who has some pearls of wisdom to hand down to me about this - I'd even just settle for some moral support!!!
Thanks everyone
clammy hands moomin x

are you show-boating??