Hi everyone,

Hope you are all well.

Just a quick question. My university has asked if any PhD students would like to help out at exam time as invigilators, scribes or readers. I would really like to help out but I'm not really sure what's involved with the scribing or exam reading. Can anyone help?

Many congratulations on passing your viva :-)

Hi Magictime,

It's great to hear that things are going well for you. I'm in my first month of my PhD and like you things seem to be going well. I met with my supervisor last week and came out feeling as if I had made the wrong decision doing a PhD but a week later and another meeting down and I'm feeling on top of the world. Doing lots of reading just now along with some compulsary classes which I guess is allowing me to find my feet before I get stuck into the nitty gritty side of the project :-)

Hope the future brings more smiley faces :-)

I started reading around 3 weeks ago and felt like I was getting nowhere. My subject was completely alien to me and I was taking hours to read one journal (I kept having to look online for the definitions of terms and for the backgrounds to the theories etc before I completely understood what I was reading). I am now beginning to pick up the concepts and although there are a huge number of things for me still to learn, I feel a lot more comfortable when reading the papers.

I'm reading every chance I get at the minute and although I am tired I am also excited which keeps me going.

Keep at it though, you'll get there :-)

My boyfriend started a full time HNC course at college and although he was at college for less than 16 hours (over 2 days) he wasn't entitled to any job seekers allowance because he was in full time education. My friend, on the other hand, managed to get job seekers allowance for the days she wasn't at college because she was studying part time. She bascially got a pro rata payment for the days she was able to work.

You would be best to speak to someone from the job centre as they know more about this than anyone.

Hi Pennyfarthing,

I just started my PhD 3 weeks ago and like you I have lots of reading to do. My Lit Review is due at the end of December so I'm working hard to complete that. I left a full time job to do my PhD and I worked 7am till 3pm (I prefer to start early and finish early) and thought I could do this during my PhD. I set my alarm every morning but ended up switching it off and going back to sleep. I now realise that I am more productive when I get out of bed when my body tells me to (usually 9am) and work once i've had breakfast. I tend to work a good 6 or 7 hours a day now but I also have to incorporate some compulsary classes into my week and also the 1.5 hour bus trip (one way) into uni. I'm doing a science based PhD and have decided that once I get started in the lab I will do an 8am to 4pm (in uni). The early start means that I can stay later if something goes wrong without having to get a night bus home. lol.

Hope all goes well with your reading.

My uni is fairly relaxed about it.


Like Emmaki and BilboBaggins, I've also had swine flu. I was off work for 2 weeks and although it did floor me, it wasn't as bad as the media are making it out to be. A friend from school is stuck in a medically induced coma in Ibiza after contracting it so I suppose it will affect different people in different ways.

Great news Eska - i knew you could do it:-)

I have to agree with Bonzo - you sound exhausted. I know I have no concept of what you are going through right now (I may well be in the same boat soon enough) but try and keep your chin up. Your supervisor obviously has an enormous amount of faith in you so I doubt he'll think you're rubbish. Stay positive and enjoy that chocolate - it does wonders for the brain.

You are most certainly not being pathetic - I lived over 500 miles from my boyfriend for over a year and we could only afford to see each other once a month. I for one know how difficult it is to be away from your loved ones. Stay strong and good luck with everything.

Congratulations :-)

How far away are you from your family/partner Stresshead? Can you visit at weekends?

Hi Fryda and welcome to the site. I'm just new on here too.

University of Strathclyde for me (up)

I agree with Magictime. I'd sell yourself and just make sure they know how great you really are (up). I always hate "bigging" myself up but in this day and age you really need to stand out from the crowd.

Good luck :-)

Michelle