I'm sorry I am unable to offer advice on your study plan. I think you shouldn't focus too much on why your application was rejected!

I have a friend with three masters degrees; another with two masters degrees. The former did her 3rd masters because the amount of scholarship pay out was large (she wanted to save a huge portion of it to renovate her house). The latter did the 2nd master because he couldn't get a job. He really enjoyed going on both masters. Two happy friends.

If you really want to do a phd and you think another master will help you towards it AND you have the energy for it, yes go for it! At 28 the world is your oyster! You are still young plenty of opportunity out there for you. As for marriage, get married when you feel it is right for you not because someone is telling you about your eggs and basket etc.

good luck!!! post back n let us know how you get on

I think you should choose after you have received your post-doc offers. When you receive your offers, things will be clearer -- big name, small name, researchers reputation etc.

Then you can choose where to go.

hi, hope you are ok. Things will change between bestfriends because of different life paths. But you will always have that special bond because you were already bestfriends before anything else changed!

I can share with you, that things will get better in time. In my own experience, I don't have much to say to my before-phd-day bestfriends but when we do get together, we do have a lot to talk about. Another thing is if you don't meet that frequently, you will have more to say to each other when you meet up.

Don't worry about growing distant from your bestfriends.

Also you will find new friends, new bestfriends. I have found one or two very special people from this forum! they are my bestfriends now even though we have not met face to face. They are the ones, my current bestfriends, I write to when I need help, or when I have good news etc. And my before-phd-day bestfriends will always be my bestfriends whenever we can meet again.

:-)

hi Smilinghippo sorry to hear about your experience and it is brave of you to choose to walk away. Out of curiosity, can I ask - would you be looking to do a phd somewhere else?

hi shoulder
I can understand your position. Where I am now -- I have not only asked lots of stupid questions but also been "told off" for having strange publications which don't relate to the area I'm in.

I have also been struggling on papers from my phd (getting over psychological writing blocks etc.etc.)

One positive thing for me is the communication with my former supervisor who still thinks the work should be published, so that is encouraging for me. I think we are not looking at open access.

Three things you could do --

1. ask your line manager anyway - but make sure you have a solid case (solid paper, that is!) before asking. Perhaps the work could contribute in other ways for the research institute? The most he or she can say is no. And if you don't ask, you won't know.

2. talk to your former supervisor about publishing from your phd?

3. perhaps rethink your choice of journals and submit to those no-fee ones?

:-)

Just seen this --
For anyone who's interested --

https://www.researchgate.net/institution/La_Caixa_Foundation/post/594a9573615e27ee2f3813f0_la_Caixa_Foundation_is_launching_a_postdoctoral_fellowships_programme

55 fellowships here too :

https://obrasociallacaixa.org/en/educacion-becas/becas-de-posgrado/estudios-de-posgrado-en-america-del-norte-y-asia-pacifico/descripcion-del-programa

hi, it is very hard to do a phd without funding, especially for non EU-students. First of all, living expenses, there's also internet, utilities to pay for. Plus accommodation here does not usually come with furniture and white goods. Although I had a studentship during the phd, the amount was really not enough. Non-Eu students also cannot live in student accommodation because it would close during the holidays, where would we go then? I also could not afford to fly home for holidays.

Foreign students can only work up to a certain number of hours per week. The pay at that time was £6-something per hour, even that would not cover my house rent. By the time you finish working, you'd be too tired to look at your phd.

I had a friend from Bangladesh, he had borrowed money to be able to stay on and complete his thesis in the UK. I really wondered how he was going to pay back all that money. He actually started his phd in 1994 and then he took a long break and then in 2010 he was back in the UK trying to finish, living a very frugal life. I also had another friend from China but he was young he definitely worked more than 20 hours per week and yes he was not caught of course, he was doing his BA when I met him and he didn't care about grades, all he wanted was to pass the degree, at the same time make some money, go and see Europe before going back to China. Another friend of mine from Uganda had to borrow money from his brother just to pay for his visa fees (I think he was doing an extension to stay). On top of that he had brought his wife to the UK, and he was also on the same stipend as me, I really don't know how they survived.

Please consider carefully before coming to the UK to do your phd if you haven't secured funding.

I think it is very thoughtful of you to proof read your gf's work.

Why is she unable to work another job? (as per your quote)

If you love her and you want to spend the rest of your life with her, I think you need to let her get on with it (struggle and drop out OR struggle and pass). And you'll probably have to support her full-time (now and forever) but that's what life is and she comes like that (Thai, older than you, poor English etc.). That is the package.

Stay with her or walk away.

Once you don't think about the phd, stop asking her about the phd, the sex is more likely to come back.

All the best.

thank you Tree

Hi, does anyone have access to this journal? thanks satchi

Authors: Keller, Daniela; Brodbeck, Sabine; Holderegger, Rolf
Title: Characterization of microsatellite loci in Leucorrhinia caudalis, a rare dragonfly endangered throughout Europe
Source :Conservation Genetics Resources, 2009, 1, 1, 179-181, Springer

hi, I remember you posted about your supervisor sometime ago. I remember you did describe him to the forum. I have not heard of authors' conflict of interest because of disagreement in title; if you really don't want to change your title, I suppose you have the right to stand your ground with reasons as to why the title should be the same. OR -- you could change the title if doing this will help improve your paper and get published?
Hope you get sorted.

will do, thank you shoulder

Really sorry to hear about your father. I can understand how you feel. Yours may give you a few minutes of his time, but mine will have nothing to do with me!

Congratulations on finishing! Wishing you all the best!!!

wow congratulations!!!!

Hi, can anyone help me with this paper? The journal is Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. Thanks very much

Genetic differentiation in the boreal dragonfly Leucorrhinia dubia in the Palearctic region
F. Johansson
P. Halvarsson
D.J. Mikolajewski
J. Höglund
Biol J Linn Soc (2017) 121 (2): 294-304.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blw033