I love my PhD too! It's up and down. But when you have the ups, you forget about the downs altogether. It's nice when you get things done! I love it I love it!

I realise a maths PhD is completely different from other science PhD, like we don't have any lab work. I still have this confidence issue. I can't stop thinking, can I really solve some unsolved problems? What if I can't prove anything new in 3 years' time? My supervisor seems very supportive, but sometimes I am scared to ask him to explain something, in case it might sound stupid. Don't know what to do really. It would be great to hear how other people are doing.

I am on the same boat as most of you. All the induction, admin, training stuff are done now. I finally get some time to read what I am supposed to read. It's much harder than I thought, but at least I am learning some new things which can only be a good thing. I will start my teaching next week, should be great fun. I am sure things will only get better now that I am used to the new routines.

Cheers! I know I shouldn't be moaning when people actually pay me to do my PhD. I guess I just have to forget about online games for the next 3 (or more, hopefully less than 4) years.

So, you know what it's like. After the exams of your final, got your PhD place. You met up with your supervisor, very enthusiastic. He gave you a reading list for the summer, great, something to do. Once you got home, yeah, I will read them later. After 3 months, you realise you have read absolutely nothing. You are going to start your PhD next week, have to see your supervisor again. Gosh, how am I supposed to read 5 books in a week?

Now, you wonder, why was I so enthusiastic? Do I even want to start? What am I supposed to do?