I was not only distinctly average at MSc but bordering on not very good. But, it turns out, I am good at research. My dissertation is about it be published (well part of it) and I had worked on publications for charitable organisations as well.

I was told I got the studentship because they could see my enthusiasm for the topic. So, if you really want it, go in there and show them you want it. Am coping just fine. Normally do about 3 drafts of things before my supervisors are happy, don't feel under any great amount of stress most of the time and generally love my PhD.

And trust me, I was not averaging anywhere near Bs at ANY time in my MSc...

A

Gillian McKeith...hmm...I have issues with her research. Ben Goldacre wrote this article about her in Bad Science:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2007/feb/12/advertising.food

The thing that bothers me the most is the John Garrow aspect...best not to say too much though...

A

I'm reading that book! I figure, if I read the book, I must get a PhD or there is some kind of fraud going on.

It's very good on the topic of originality (which is something I was worried about to begin with as well).

A

Hell no! Go for it.

A

sre292 - I'm very confused. Mature students (that I have known) regularly discuss how difficult it can be and how age should not be an issue in hiring (which I completely agree with) but you seem to think it's appropriate to make derogatory comments about "non-matured 20 something" students and graduates. It's not appropriate and it's highly offensive. Traditional age students and mature students both have something to bring to the table and it should be completely irrelevant. Jobs should be offered based on merit.

Incidentally, years in industry does not prove anything unless you can demonstrate the skills acquired which are transferable to the new job.

A

I started when I was 22. I'll be 25 when I finish (hopefully). It drives me crazy hearing that I'm too young. Both of my parents were mature Bachelor and Masters students (in their 30s and 40s with two children) and it looked uber hard (I was old enough to notice but not old enough to look after myself) and I was advised by both of them to do the formal education when I was young. So I did.

Therefore, I am a traditional age student. Why do I get slated for going through formal education at the age at which it was intended! I would never in my life have a go at somebody who was taking on the challange of education later in life! Education is for all!!!

Grr...

p.s - I look about 15. I'm not looking forward to defending myself when I teach...

I finished my Masters on the Friday and started my PhD on the Monday. It was absolutely fine. If it was a normal job the same thing would've happened and I see my PhD as a job (sometimes with occassional very long hours but I have friends doing professional exams who work just as hard).

I also spent the last days of writing my Masters dissertation writing a funding proposal for PhD and working at my rubbish part time job as an office minion...

Good luck

well, if he really does think it's rubbish and you think it's great (or mediocre!!!) then go to him with the solutions. why does he think it's rubbish? if it's technical, show him how you will solve the technical problem. show him the gap in the literature etc. only once you try and work out these issues will you know if it's actually rubbish...

a

hey,

i just wanted to say, if you're feeling depressed and/or suicidal at any point in your phd there is help available. please make sure you access it! talk to your GP, the university counselling service or the samiritans (08457 90 90 90 or email them at [email protected]) as soon as you recognize you are feeling this way. there is no need to go through things like this on your own. especially in what can be a very isolating experience as a phd student.

A

Hi!

I've done this for my MSc and PhD and it works really nicely if you have access to an online population.

For MSc a lovely guy in my department organised it all for me. For PhD I've used FormBuilder which is how the webpages at my university are run. I will be using QMPerception later on in the year. The lovely lovely people in IT Services at my Uni taught me how to do it and it's so nice and easy. And you can get all your data sent directly to excel (which you can then manipulate into other programmes, SPSS etc).

Have fun!

If you feel like this is completely unfair you could go and talk to the students union at the university you are registered at. They are completely independent of the university. If they're no help then go to the national union of students. they can both give you advise about whether or not you have grounds to appeal this kind of decision and how to go about it.

I also know of plenty of people who have suspended their studies but then it comes down to cash flow issues.

It sounds like a really horrible situation and I hope you manage to get it resolved. Ultimately, it's in no ones interest if you don't get that PhD. It doesn't look too great on your department in the RAE.

Hi Walminskipeasucker and tsipat

I am now using audacity and it seems like it'll be the best solution. Hoorah! (a friend of mine was using it for jeffersonian coding, at least I don't have that to contend with!)

Thanks!!!

Thanks tsipat.

I have already done the recordings on 2.4 (it has the option of 2.4 or 4.8 and the 4.8 is even faster!). Can playing around with those settings now really help as the recording is already on there and I have to use a different machine with none of those options on it...and the speed option is as slow as it can be.

Hello!

I have stupidly recorded hours and hours of interviews and focus groups onto cassettes. When I play them back on anything except the original cassette recorder (Sanyo compact cassette recorder TRC-860C) the speech is really really really fast and high pitched. The transcription machine I have (Sanyo Memo-Scriber TRC-8080) slows down the recording a little but no where near enough. Does anyone know of a transcription machine which can slow down cassettes dramatically? And where I could get hold of one? I've searched all over the place but no solution as yet!

Secondly, I advise people to use digital recorders!!!

Thirdly, check your cassettes after your first recording. Don't get caught out like me!

A

I'm sorry, I can't help. I'm a Harvard girl still! But I am very excited! Would love to read Binky boggs (2006)!!!!!!!!!!