These are brilliant! I would join in, but I'm in an active phase at the moment: going away doing stuff for two days tomorrow, then decorating (hopefully) at the weekend. Not sure if I'd ever top 'Just a Grad' anyhow...

Any more takers before we make an arrangement?

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One of us PhD studes has finally lost it! Maybe it's Bug having a melt-down afer a writing frenzy... Although I think she takes it easier these days; or a professor lost on a bizarre theoretical tangent.

I always thought these things were electronically generated, but someone actually writes them! Amazing...

Hi all, Manchester is good for me too. Please make it the week after next, I have so much on next week!

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Hi Sue, that's wonderful news, congratualtions! Good to hear from you again too.

I recenty had an interview, and although I didn't get the job I did get some pretty extensive and useful feedback, both before and after the event:

1. Make sure you are clear about how your research will contribute to the department and to the university as a whole. Do this when they ask you 'what is your grand plan?' or similar. They said I sounded too much like my research was all about me and my future, and not what I could contribute to the department and to the university's mission, so put some thoguht into how your research will do that, and make sure you get that across.

2. Do lots of research into the University mission statement and future plans. Your awareness of this should be evident throughout the interview.

3. You can also base your questions around this. I looked for faults or unexplained areas or circumstances in the mission statement and future plans, and formulated my questions from that - they said my questions were excellent; I stumped them!

4. Make sure your presentation tells a story about you and who you are - I did this and they really liked it.

5. Chill out and slow down. You are well capable and you just have to let the panel see that.

Good luck and well done for getting so far! XX

Oh Jepson, that's a lovely idea, but I got some books last week. I bought a special hardback collection of Roald Dahl's writings, and Searle illustrated one for now called 'Ten Frogs' - his mum was really pleased! Maybe the coins next time...

thanks folks, that's useful - I think I may have been careful using a non-rule for the last year!

Is that the famous Maggie May of Lime Street?

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Hi all, I have been using 'which' for singular and 'that' for plural, for example: 'houses that have a tree in a garden which is green are vey nice indeed', since I read that's the way to do it in a grammar book last year, however, I just started doing the freerice thing on the grammar option, and they have a different rule. This other rule seems to be that 'which' is for a non-essential clauses, while 'that' is for essential ones, for example: 'A tree that fell on my head lost a few branches, which were quite leafy'.

I have found a few websites, but they seem to say different things - what do you think?

Hi folks, after finishing my chapter half (now 8,500 words) a week ago, I had some time off. But today I am back, or trying to be, but really need to focus and establish definite goals because I keep drifting about and not really getting any one thing sorted. I hope you don't mind if use this space to do that.

So, here's what I need to do:

1. Establish key books I stil need to read and takes notes from.
2. Get hold of the above - perhaps ordering rom the library.
3. Read and take notes from them.

Have good days everyone.

Hi Cheekybint,

I back up onto a pen drive whenever I stop working, and intermitently whenever I remember when I am working too. I also try to remember to email my work to myself at the end of each working day, to two or three diferent email accounts, but I don't always remember, especially since I've been working in my hall where I don't have any internet connection - I tend to just finish up and swtch the laptop off, after saving to pen drive etc.

That's a really good idea Dan, thank you. I'll start looking into that.

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This Sunday, I am going to be a God parent. Do any of you have any ideas for a good, useful, inexpenive present?

I don't want to buy him (the baby) a silver trinket that'll just end up stuck in a box, and he has loads of clothes handed down from his brother, so they're not needed either.

I thought about a posh bottle of champagne or port or something, that they can keep until he is 18. That's my only plan so far, and I'm not tremendously inspired by it.

Thanks in advance folks x

I gree sneaks, there are loads of people I'd like to have thanked more formaly with a star, loads of times but haven't been able to. I guess we know who our big stars are though!

I'll PM you Jojo

I think, given that these matters vary so much between disciplines, the only way to really guage this situation is t look at departments where you would like to work and find out where their staff studied.

For example, in some new subjects, like mine, until recently, most of the places you could study them were ex-polys - or pretty pollys - as I think of them, so many of the top people in the field did their PhDs at 'em. Although this has changed in the last 15 - 20 years because more prestigious unis are now getting in on the act and nabbing the top talent.

I think the most important thing is the quality of your supervisor's reputaton, and then that of the department - your other influences. It just happens that the research unis usually have the money and reputations to employ the top people, so often they can be the best choice, but I don't think the ranking of the uni should matter in itself - although it does usually impress mums and dads etc.