Hi James!

You seem quite frustrated from your PhD experience and I am sorry to hear.

It is not very clear to me, why would someone want to start a PhD, while not enjoying doing research.

I didn't understand why you consider writing papers (even not directly related to your research) and teaching as "bullying".

And finally, if the thing you said about the viva is true (that he brought his friends to guarantee a pass), then maybe we should all reconsider about the viva process. It's been a while since I've started wondering if we, as PhD students, should ask for university legislation imposing publications to high impact journals in order to complete. After all, if a PhD is a contribution to knowledge, then it should be peer-reviewed and should be available to other researchers. I am aware that a PhD by publication is already an option to some unis.

Hi Aotema,

what you describe is sooo common! I had exactly the same problem during my Masters. I am not a native speaker neither and additionally I was not trained to read scientific papers in any language :) There are no magic tricks out of it. Just read as much as possible. Read whatever falls into your hands. Newspapers, articles, literature books. You don't have to understand everything, just skim through papers. You will notice a steady and slow progress. Try to keep good organisde notes by category.
And then, the worst part comes after that... writing. But don't get desperate and stressed. It is just a very stip learning curve :)
(As my supervisor gently describes my incompetence...)

Keep going!

Hi K_seth!

I have very much regretted taking advice from other people, even the ones who love me and care for me...
"Be an engineer, that's the best profession! You are gonna make so much money blah blah"
and 10 years later our country bankrupted and all the engineers I know are starving, they work as waiters or whatever everyone could find (but no one could predict it back then right?). During that time, I had this really strong urge to do research ( I don't know why, still). I wanted to become a theoretical physists, and everyone told me off, that my only choise with that degree would be private lessons in primary school children.

I studied engineering, it was really fun, I really really enjoyed my studies, I worked for a while, but the desire to do research was still there. So, after a long journey, I am here, below books in the library. Sometimes I think that if I only had followed my gut instict I would have been there a few years earlier... And even if I never find a job better than Tesco cashier, I will still be smiling about my little insignificant publication in a little book on a little dusty shelf, in a library...

Remember an old ad? Follow your heart...

Hi Algaequeen!

I had aquariums for the biggest part of my adult life and spent a fair amount of time studying and caring for them. I can totally relate with the sense of loss, I suffer too when I lose one of them. If you are more interested in fish and how to care for them here is a very nice forum http://forum.practicalfishkeeping.co.uk/
My all time favourite fish is betta splendens (siamese fighting fish), which is an easy fish to keep and they are amazing characters, a bit socio-path too :)
I hope you won't get disappointed and you will keep desiring their company.. After all a few things are more relaxing than maintaining an aquarium!

Hi Lucas!

I had been working as an engineer for 5 years prior to starting my EngD. In industry I got much more money than I get now or I will ever get from research and academia. However, money was never my main motivation but personal fulfillment and improvement. Maybe you want to gain some work experience first before chasing a PhD? Think what would give you a better quality of life.

Good luck with whatever you decide!

I wouldn't worry too much about age difference as there are a lot of students returning for a masters at a later stage of their lives.

I would mostly worry about the residence! Insist they don't mix you with some 18-year old undergraduates in the same flat, as they party hard all night long making so much noise you can only catch a few hours of interrupted sleep, they also explode eggs in the microwave and never clean the evidence, and they set wet newspaper fights or shaving foam fights i the corridor....(cleaning ladies stare at you in despare in the morning)

Good luck and enjoy the experience!

Hello Eska!

I am a proud God parent myself, and I absolutely adore her! She is 3 years old now, says all these funny things, paints so well, knows all the little poems and songs, and I have to chase her around the house making awful sounds "Aaaaagrrrr!!!!" (because I become the big bad wolf or a nasty cat on demand). Now that she grew up a bit I can take her to the beach, or to the zoo, and we have amazing time! Before I go back home to meet her, I search online and learn by heart new fairy tails. I prepare for the end of long exhausting evenings, when she finally curls into my arms.

The best present you can get him is spending as much quality time as you can with him. Don't bother buying fancy, expensive stuff, they never appreciate them. When they are really young they might entertain themselves with the scratching noise of a plastic bag. Besides, nowadays everyone buys them plenty of toys, they don't fit in the house anymore, they stack them in piles in the basement. It is not like the old times anymore: toys were so valuable because we didn't have any, and we used to play with crap.

I normally talk with her mother first and ask her what the child needs, like shoes, clothes, and buy her useful stuff like that. Her mother knows that I am a very poor student, and respects that too. Sometimes, I buy some silly presents too, however I always chose presents I believe will help her development, like colours for painting, lego, wooden toys etc. I really dislike all these poor aesthetic's dolls etc.

A bank account is a useful gift as suggested, and topping it up over a long period, shows you really care about the child in the long run, and believe me, nowadays I wish I had some hidden money in the bank!

I am sure you will love the experience!

I had a similar experience with my undergrad dissertation. I had made an extensive field research on a topic not investigated at all. Some
"journalist" called me asking for the abstract. The dissertation itself was in the library of the university, so I suggested he would rather refer there instead. Some weeks later I had a call from the prefecture office of the area. They actually adviced me not to give any information apart from my bibliography. I explained that there was nothing written on the subject, they could only refer to transcripts from the previous century found in the local library upon request. Then a professor from the local university called me at midnight and pretending a nice voice she asked me for a coffee out to discuss about my dissertation. Once more I refused and she told me with a bitter voice "I hope everything turns out well for you". After a month or so, the Dean of my university called me, asking permission to use my dissertation. I told him that if so many people are interested then maybe we could publish it to become available to everyone, and that I was not willing to give away unpublished work. Moreover, as I didn't have any experience in writing by that time, it had a lot of valuable field research information written badly. He said he would call me back but he never did. However, I believe that these are exactly the kind of things that don't happen in the UK and turned me into an immigrant. Actually, in the UK I had the totally opposite experience.

British Library! Poor internet connection prevents my procrastination habits, it can get crowded, so I shall be there on opening times (well my mind wakes up a couple of hours later). I recognise all the regulars and give them names from literature or science "Dr Chekov is late today, probably talking with Bernuli again"
I found out that steady library schedules work for me fine. I have to start and stop studying at specific times, it helps progress steadily each day.

Hello Chelleer!

Well, term dyslexia has a very broad meaning and can affect people in different extent. It can affect different skills as well.
However, when forced in an educational system dyslexic people may adjust using different strategies. One of the strategies may be to take longer time, so the fact that you will get an MPhil can be the first half to the PhD. I guess you can put some more effort and upgrade later. If you know your short-fallings (you probably already do) ask for specific help. A person to proof read, a colleague to discuss your structure with.

If we accept that dyslexia is a disability then making comments like " stupid" for a disabled person is a huge insult. I guess you can even take legal action against them. Would anyone insult a human being with any form of "disability"? Moreover, if you haven't officially submitted a disability form in the university how can your supervisor inform the examiner about your private matters?  I seriously don't understand it! Is he doing research or gossip? He should rather publish in Cosmo-girl.

After all they are academic stuff, ignorance is not an excuse. Even if they are total freaks in their personal lives, they should treat students (especially people with disabilities) with respect!
(robin)

As it normally happens, the results were not out for another two weeks. John was desperate, going around in the living room, biting his nails, sleeping poorly. In an obsessive fashion he was checking his e mail and mobile constantly.
" Sally, I cannot take this anticipation anymore! I need an answer, even if it is a negative one. Then I can get on with my life."

Sally looked at him with pity. She simply could not understand why his obsession with that filthy life style.  Why did he quit his previous job? Why couldn't he just get a normal job and work normal hours and earn decent money? She didn't say a word, although she was seriously concerned about his mental well being. He looked pale and exhausted.

Johny had spent this last weeks in a black hole. From the little experience he had in doing research he absolutely loved it. He loved the struggle, the challenge, the long hours in the library but most of all he loved the "analyses of the results" part. He could work for days in absolute silence with very little interaction with other human beings. Suddenly in front of his surprised eyes, numbers were revealing patterns and trends of domestic water use in the exact desirable temperature! He could provide all future designers with the new unexplored knowledge of the effect of behavioural patterns of different socioeconomic groups on mixed water tapes!

He wanted this PhD badly. He didn't care what other people were saying. Some PhD students he met in the school had a very suspicious smile shaped on their faces. "Ooh, you wanna start a PhD! Good luck!" He even ignored the screams heard from the PhD room in the basement of the school and the various rants in the PhDforum. He desperately needed the scholarship, he had very little money in the bank and his family were totally unable to provide for him. He already had the experience if working during his masters and he almost died from exhaustion. He didn't have a spare moment to go for a walk in the park. let alone meet friends. If he had a spare moment he would take it to sleep. How would he support himself during a PhD?

" Oh Johny" said Sally. Johny quickly came back to reality. " I just want you to be happy! Do you really think that spending 4 years of your life to write something no one will ever read would make you happy? Let alone that the world will end at 2012 and you will not even have time to complete?".

Johny and Sally often played these silly games. They were clearly picturing the end of the world, what exactly were they doing at that precise moment, where a giant nuclear mushroom was approaching. Or the following day, when they were the only survivors. They were fascinated by this thought. " You will be in a tiny basement in Streatham with another 5 people you hardly know- you couldn't' afford anything else-. You work on your computer (offline), food is rotting around your desk, you are trying to figure out references or what is wrong with SPSS THIS time, when BANG! you cross eternity!"

They ordered some pop corn and sat down in the middle row. Johny couldn't even focus on that stupid romantic comedy, he only came along to please Sally. He felt guilty, that he was neglecting her somewhat with all the things he had in his mind. She was smiling peacefully, her face was only lit by the changing images of the huge screen.

Next morning he crawled out of bed, turned the computer on, and made some coffee. He walked with the hot mug towards his computer. There he was, checking the emails, facebook, the forum. Suddenly, BANG! he received a rather formal e mail from his prospective supervisor. " Congratulations. You were accepted in the PhD. The scholarship is 13.333,3 annually for three years. Meet me later in my office"

Johny thought it was a dream! He was jumping up and down on his bed. He danced a tango with his laptop. He mopped the floor. He washed the dishes. He had a shower. He called his friends. He jumped some more up and down on hi

Hello Pineapple!

Maybe we have the same supervisors! I always pretend to be a tough cookie and they always knock my confidence down. Feeling depressed and unhappy doesn't help progress. Put these feelings aside and try to focus on the last bit. Ignore everything that is not helpful/irrelevant and focus on the useful tips they give you. If someone says " Ooh, you are gonna get major corrections", it is not helpful so ignore it. If he says " Get rid of this, add this" this is a helpful comment, take it into consideration. They wouldn't let you fail, so keep going. They will probably give you some credit after thesis is completed. (gift)

Wow! I hope I am like you when I turn 55! (up)

Hello Tydra!

All the feelings you have are very normal! I think pretty much everyone goes through these thoughts when graduating! Your life was pretty much fixed until now, andfor the first time now, toy can choose for yourself!
After 6 years studying you probably feel you had enough of studying and it is time to earn your own money. On the other hand, you see your friends going for a PhD and you start wondering if this is what you should do...
I took a 5 year work break from studying before I started my PhD. I felt that I wanted to face the real world, make my own money, get work experience. At the bottom of my heart I always wanted to go back to my natural habitat, the university.
The advantages from the time-off were numerous. First of all, I have some work experience before the whole economical crisis thing broke in (well, it was a matter of luck too). Then, I have some money in the bank and I still get jobs from time to time to top up my income. Finally, I feel that the break helped me make a better choise too, as I had plenty of time to look for possible research areas and make up my mind.

It is never too late to go back to academia ( if you want to), after you take a break. Nothing to be ashamed of.
Good luck, everything will eventually fall in place
(gift)

Thank you guys!
:-)