I understand the situation you're in as I am in a similar one :)

In the end I am not going to be applying to the big university next door, and if I get funding from any other, I am not going to move in with my boyfriend next year. I am going for the few unis from which I can expect good supervision (not easy with my topic).

I asked him how he felt about it and he said I had to go as far as I needed to, and he would hate me if I didn't (- I had to think about that one hard to conclude it was actually the sweetest thing he's ever said). We'll manage, we did it before (me in the North, him in the South of England). It's not easy, it IS frustrating, but then to this day it has benefited my studies and... my couple too - it can be SO nice to miss each other, have you thought about that one? I mean, I know it depends on specific couples and all, but still, it deserves thinking about...

Hey Timea,

How has it been going?

I am French too, and I only partly agree with what somebody said above - it is not so hard to get into French Unis in general, but it's true it is very hard in Paris. Have you considered any other French city? Besides, you'd save a lot of money on the rent by not venturing there!

Now, if you really want to do this there, have you considered getting a placement in France? (Architect, museum, specialized paper, who knows). If you could get one with somebody who makes authority in your field, or better, who knows some potential supervisors, that could obviously help. And your spending some time in France beforehand would also reassure anyone about your linguistic skills...

Thank you for your replies!

I'll e-mail straight after my visit to the BL this Friday ... If I e-mailed before then and got an answer I'd feel too unprepared and I'd die of apprehension, lol.

I'll let you know as soon as I get a reply

Just out of curiosity... that Oxford professor, was he or she your supervisor? Where were you coming from before you met him or her?

I still seriously wonder how that feels, when you come from such a "less prestigious" background... I don't know, there is just that thing that makes you feel like you are not 100% welcome in such an institution if you have never been to Eton before you apply... I know it is a biased view and I totally agree they must be "normal" people, but it's just it's hard to overcome those prejudices/stereotypes you may have in mind, see what I mean?

Oh, I'll stop biting my nails because of this for now anyhow - and say to myself if the man agrees on meeting me it'll all be fine... at least we share a passion for a very specific topic, that can't be bad...

Thanks for your reply!

I will probably give it a week - next Friday I am going to the British Library to check out one of the dead guys' books, which should be particularly useful to have looked at before I have a talk with anyone about my topic. Then I will e-mail I guess (I'm just so sure that I wouldn't find the courage to call straight away...).

Also tonight at the pub I saw a former lecturer of mine (my favourite ever in the UK) who told me to come back to that jazz venue next week so we could talk a bit, so I guess I'll seize the opportunity to see whether I could discuss all of this with him some time - I'm sure HE has plenty of good advice to give and could also write references and all if I asked.

Gosh, I just feel so worried and excited at the same time now, it's really odd.

Anyway, thanks again for your answer :). I'll let you know what happens next!

Cont.

It scares me because I got my MA from a polytechnic, and because I have never really considered going to Cambridge! Just the idea of entering the chapel of King's College makes me feel ill-at-ease. So I was thinking of getting in touch with the man anyway, but I really don't know how to do this! Are you supposed to approach someone on recommendation or can you do it just like, out of the blue? Is it decent to ask a Cam Uni senior lecturer for a... chat? Because, to begin with, this is what I would like!

I don't know, I just feel sooooo uneasy about this - am I being stupid?

I am now working hard on research and building towards a proposal that is, at last, starting to take some sort of a shape. I am not in a rush and can consider a 2009 start, especially as I still want and need funding. On the side I have also started to look for potentiel supervisors and this has turned out to be a problem. First of all, all those who make authority on my very specific topic are dead. Bless them, they were few and old, so I could easily use their work without fearing their competition, lol. The problem is, it turns out there may well be no-one in the UK who would be obviously/particularly qualified for supervising me. Or rather, there is ONE. And he lectures at Cambridge. And that scares me!

Upgrade:

I have decided to take the whole of this year off Uni and research those topics in depth, and apply only for a September 2009 start. I have been in touch with a former lecturer of mine who, although he could not supervise me, is happy to give me advice on the research I am doing on the side at the moment, and on the application process when the time comes. I got a good grade for my MA dissertation too, so he believes I should take all my chances for funding as I could argue I am getting used to the English academic system nice and fast and the progression in my grades shows it well. I'm thrilled... except now I have to do all the research work on top of a full-time job - it's going to be quite a year...

Thanks everyone for your advice, and apologies for answering a bit late.
Shani your bit is particularly useful - I will ask at the finance office about my ERAMUS year, that is definitely something they should know. I am starting to research two potential projects thoroughly now, so I have that in hand when I go and talk to them at University. I'll let you all know how it goes

Thanks for your answer :)
Yes, I am thinking of a September 2008 start. I intend to discuss at least my favorite topic with lecturers at my former University but am waiting for the MA results before I go to them or start working on a proposal. Also I want to ask them if they could think of someone who would supervise me, preferably in the geographical area I want (that should not be too much of a problem though as it includes London). Indeed I would have time to 'polish' it all for the application.
There is a good information service for the financial aspect of things at this University too, and I know they would be more than happy to help, but I can't go before a month or so (I am only back down there at week-ends).

Amaiga, are you only just 'Malienne'? No other nationality?

If not I don't believe you will be eligible for funding in the 'classical' way - or perhaps you could just get money for your fees. You'd better look, indeed, for University-funding. The thing is, they will not 'create' a scholarship for you, so you probably have to wait until a University somewhere in the UK offers a scholarship (open to all applicants) in your specific area. You can check on findaphd.com or jobs.ac.uk. But it could take ages before anything suitable is offered

Well, I really hope what I have just written is all wrong. Is there not a service at the University of Kent which could advise you on that point? I would start there if I were you.

Good luck!

Hum... apologies for that typo and that nonsensical bit somewhere in the middle of my previous post... I took away big chunks of my (long) original message, here's the result...

Hi all,

Before I go talk this over with my MA lecturers, I'd like an idea of what my chances to get FULL-funding for a PhD in English would be, and to make sure I am eligible at all.

I'm French, but have been living in England for three years. I've been in HE in the UK for the last three years, which I read on findaphd was a condition for eligibility - however they talk about full-time education and which may be bad news: I did a year as an ERASUS student, and another for a PGCE-French course I didn't complete.

I have the diplomas the AHRC wants but my degree (obtained abroad) may be considered a 2.1 rather than a first. I'm still waiting for my MA results.

I would get brilliant references (even from the lecturers of the aborted course), and I have two or three possible projects in mind which I believe are all promising.

Now, do you think that I'm eligible for full-funding? What kind of an overall grade do you reckon I need for my MA, to make sure I have chances?

Thanks in advance for your opinions :)