That's really harsh - I'm afraid I don't know much about the 1+3 Mres and PhD system so can only be of limited help. Have you discussed this with the postgrad tutor or someone similar in your department and got their views? I find the 180 degree turn by your supervisor to be a bit odd unless he didn't read the stuff you gave him properly - it's good you have a written record of this so you can argue your case. I think you need to find out what yout rights are - have you tried asking at the students' union - they should have a welfare office who handles such cases or checking where you stand with the university (e.g. asking at your research office).

Is the stats expert from your discipline? I find that stats is done differently depending on who use speak to and statisticans are very set in their ways so if your field uses them differently it's best to go to someone who knows what you are trying to achieve in your subject to get a handle on the stats. I suppose the number of samples depends on what you are trying to achieve and the level of detail you are aiming for. This seems like an ok number for social sciences but not for science which requires a higher level of repeatability.

Hope this helps and good luck (up)

That's a great idea Ubu - clearly you're an Entrepreneur!!! I'm surprised it hasn't been suggested before!! We'd all do well from the £112 milliom jackpot and it's going to a good cause! :p

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I'm not sure how you would find out short of asking around or asking the journals themselves but I have occasionally seen positions advertised on a part-time basis though there was a recent one which was an editor of Nature which would have been great to get into if you want to publish in it! ;-)

Congrats on almost being there - that's great news! I think the 3 months notice you are supposed to give to arrange your viva is just a guideline so they can check you are eligible and all that so don't worry about it too much. At least that was what I was told by our research office when I enquired about it - the person said it was just a guideline which is obviously better for you if you hand in your form then but you can hand it in later e.g. a month before submission and some people even hand it in with their thesis although this isn't recommended as it slows everything down!

I think what you have said in point 2 is a valid point and your supervisor should understand.

That's tough about the jobs - especially to get so close and then not get it is heart breaking! I'm told that it's a tough job market at the moment even tougher than usual and to just hang in there and have patience. I know this is meant to be well meaning advice but I worry about not getting a job especially given the current economic climate and the number of applicants for jobs. How long does one have to wait as I can't wait forever as I'd like to get a career going.

The thing I have found out is that you are often up against people who have already postdocs so you don't have enough experience as them. But how are you supposed to get the experience and compete if you have only just finished and looking for your 1st postdoc? This remains also a mystery to me so can't help you there I'm afraid. I'd love some tips on that area too.

Yeah I have cited unpublished work especially if the authors are already published academics. If not it's still ok but just don't use it as your main article to support your work. It shows that you have been thorough in your research.

I knew I should have bought a ticket ...

You can tell we're all academics as we are all impressed by that party trick ;-):p

funny thing I thought there'd be something about your supervisor's no in there as well!! No harm done - it'll give somebody a good chuckle!! 8-)

I'm back so I'm the winner!!! (as if!!) 8-)

I'd travel and go to all the places I've always wanted to and will probably find some more that aren't on my list! I'd buy property - I like the portfolio idea especially in different international cities and I'd love a personal chef too!!! I'd would also give money to my friends and family of course and charitable causes, and best of all I wouldn't have worry about funding for a postdoc!! I could even set up a fund to fund them as there seems to be so few around compared to PhDs. I would also set up a fund to grant travel expenses for conferences and fieldwork for PhDers and postdocs so they can do their research.

That's it for now - I'd better go back to it as I unfortunately forgot to buy a ticket so it's just a dream!! ;-)

Hi Sarah, sorry to hear about your situation.  I'm not sure how your uni operates but some unis register you for an MPhil initially and then upgrade you to a PhD after you pass your 1st/2nd year review despite offering you a PhD studentship. It benefits the student and uni as if you decide that you don't like it you can stop and still get an MPhil providing that you have done enough to pass the viva for it and the uni doesn't lose out by "losing" a PhD student.  Just wondering if this is an option at your place?

Another suggestion is that if you are absolutely sure that you don't want to carry on, ask if you can turn your project into an MPhil so you still get recognition for what you've done and don't need to do more research. I'm sure your supervisor will understand that is best for you. 

Just another thought - have you tried taking a break or a change of scenery as the 2nd year blues are quite common as you get bogged down in your project which often seems hopeless and never ending esp doing all the labwork which can be quite tedious if you are not in the right frame of mind.  Maybe a break will help refocus and regain your enthusiasm. I know during my labwork stage I often felt out of my depth and didn't know where the project was going so I just ploughed on with the lab work hoping for the best.  It all began to come together as I got all the data and started analysing it which I was very relieved about as that was a major worry!

I have a friend who was determined to leave academia as soon as she finished as she didn't enjoy her time in the lab /dept esp as she was contracted to teach part time so she left and got a job in industry. After a while she decided that it wasn't for her and has got a job in academia again so you never know. 

Hope this helps and good luck with your decision.

Just thought of something else to do if you wanted to start of small first - do people go for coffee break or lunch together in your dept? If not you could suggest just doing that as everybody needs to eat and it's a good chance to get to know people informally in neutral condtions before you invited them back to yours for dinner.

Hello Pepipox, hang in there. PhDs are by their nature lonely affairs made worse if you feel you don't fit into that dept and more unnerving if you've moved to a new country as well. Congrats on taking such a big step which will be great for your career. I would suggest that the langauge barrier is probably the biggest thing at the moment so I would suggest going to evening classes. I would also suggest getting familiar with the country's culture and be proactive with getting to know people especially if the people are more reserved. Food and drink is a great social occasion in Northern Continental Europe so it would be a good excuse to invite people back to your place - you could try to make some local dishes of your country and that way it'll be a great starting point to talk about and compare cultures . I think people would appreciate the effort. Find a hobby you like and that way at least you'll know you have something in common with the people there. Or what about an international students group as you'll all be in the same boat. I think that you'll have to make the extra effort to "fit in" and be an extrovert in getting to know people and eventually people will be receptive. Good luck and let us know how you get on. (up)

Whoa it sounds like you just need to chill out!  As your supervisor thought your report was good the review should just be a formality - they just want to check to see what you are doing. You can make a list of things you've done this year to take with you to show them and take a time plan for next year if that's not already included in your report.  I think you just need to take stock of what you've done which is a lot by the sound of it and reflect on this and say how you will continue and they will get a thesis from you in no time!

Good luck (up)

That seems normal to me as well - you submit an abstract and then you give a talk on the day and you can then turn your talk into a paper for the proceedings from the conference, usually a special issue of an established journal or stand alone proceedings from the conference which people subscribe to or access somehow. The first option is usually the better one depending on the journal as more people will have access to it. I have been to both large conferences and smaller scale workshops and no one has ever submitted a paper for them before they arrived. But if you are unsure it's a good idea to check with the organisers. If you recognise the organisers they are probably quite big in the field!