Hi everyone. I'm in a very fortunate situation to have full funding for my phd ( about 18 months in) and things are progressing fairly well. I have got through with vicarious support from these threads, so I'm posting now because I'm not sure who to approach at my university about this matter. I have accepted a full time job elsewhere, and recently told my supervisor about it. I was nervous, but luckily I was supported. (While I am glad I have the funding, I really can't manage to support my family on the stipend, so it was inevitable that I take work. I wasn't applying for ft jobs but the offer was too good to refuse). My query is the following: as part of my funding, i am expected to teach or engage in RA duties as discussed by the supervisory team. Ther is no contract at all, and certainly no stipulation of how much time that is meant to take. I have asked repeatedly. I was doing the teaching for the last 18 months, but realised almost NO OTHER AWARDEES WERE DOING SO! I lived about 100 miles from the uni and had to pay my own way ther to teach. Now, I was told by my supervisor that I was being expected to teach in the coming year, despite the fact that I had made it clear that I could not afford to, and that no-one else was doing so. How do I navigate this? How can I navigate this without exposing myself to bullying?

Hello - me again: there is very little chance you would be reimbursed for airtickets and visa expenses! The university would presume that you have the willingness and ability to take these on (or locate funds to do so) by yourself, since you applied here after all, which indicates you have the desire to be here anyway. Also, bear in mind that unless you stay in uni accommodation, you will need to plan for a lump sum for rent as most landlords expect international students to pay in advance (up to 6 months' rent). Sorry it's not good news but many int'l students have faced these issues too late.

I did an interview at QM for drama - so perhaps could be more specific. It's definitely going to be a panel (of three or four) who will have read your proposal and have specific questions. Read up on their guidelines for a good proposal. Almost every question I had was about specifying the methodology and the proposed contribution - quite standard. There's lots of competition so try and be as prepared as possible - confident about your approach but also listen carefully to their advice/ questions which will hold clues to developing the proposal into a viable project. good luck!

hey - don't freak out! If they made you the offer and made no mention of additional fees that means you are covered, presuming you applied with all the information about your nationality and visa status. That means (like me) you are in receipt of a fully funded PhD (unless it's a research council funding stream it's their own business whether you are UK/EU or international), and a stipend!! So that's all good news. good luck.