Congrats on the funding! I was also awarded mine without being totally sure what it meant so I understand what you mean: the ESRC aren't that helpful in telling you! Basically you get a wage, I get mine monthly through my uni, into my bank account. I can spend this as I wish. Unis have different methods, so yours may be quarterly... You probably also get a yearly research training grant of around £750 which you can use to reimburse money you spend on things directly for your research: books, photocopying, travel and accomodation to conferences etc. You can also get a stipend for you fieldwork. Being funded is an amazing priviledge and means you can concentrate on your research more than most people who need to earn at the same time. Have you looked at the funding guide? There is an ESRC studentship funding guide online which tells you what you are entitled to.

Me too - my sup is fantastic as well.

I wish to introduce some sunny thoughts onto this forum, to cheer ourselves up a bit and maybe motivate people who feel their PhD is the pits. Does anyone here have anything positive to share about their PhD? I will start:

I love doing my PhD! Sometimes I get really down (and come here for inspiration!) and wonder what the heck I am pretending to achieve but generally I really enjoy it and take each day *almost* in my stride. I love my topic. I love having a 'brainwave' moment. I love thinking and pondering about ideas... I love that I don't have to sit in an office every day being told what to do - I am my own boss (mostly...) I do have time off and a life AND a PhD routine...

There's more but this will do for now!

Anyone else?

I don't like quant methods being used in my field but that is because it is about people, behaviours, attitudes: more inferring and rich data is needed than quant can necessarily discover. However, I would use quant if it would help me get the outcome I needed (pragmatic soul that I am) but someone else would have to do the analysis: I am completely brain dead when it comes to maths and stats. So I don't think it is fair to go off at quant quite so much... horses for courses... Quant is by no means 'easy' and if you can do both with a dab hand good on you!

Hi there dovetailed

Well, it certainly sounds like you have options and a good academic base to start from so that is good. The only question I can answer is that it is typical to apply to more than one place for a PhD position because you can't be sure you will get it - the same as for any other course/job etc. The other questions though... They are something I feel only you can answer or or unanswerable! How stiff is competition for a funded place at Imperial? Tough! Any funded place is tough to get and we don't know who your competitors are... Should you apply elsewhere too? I don't know: should you? Do you want to go to another uni? It would be typical if you really want to do a PhD to apply to a few places as said before. I think a bit of research is in order so you can help yourself answer these questions... which uni's, which supervisors, which funding...

Hope this helps clear your mind in any way.

Maybe get away from it for a couple of hours? maybe it will help get some perspective... It isn't as bad as you think I am sure. Just know we all feel the same most of the time: stressssssssssed!

come back here to let off steam if needs be.

That is impressive ambition!! I would love to hear how you get on with it, and congrats on your pregnancy! Does it make you super tired or are you a-ok? I may be in a similar state when I get to official write-up status so am very interested...!!

I do wish you had a real dairy... That would be great.

Well, it is always useful to bear in mind that your intial PhD plan is not going to be the same as the one you submit... So you may have a theoretical/philosophical 'change of heart' along the way... !! Do what makes you happy and remember: you are in this to produce something original, if you think you can challenge the mold - do it!! Sounds exciting!

I am very similar: I read too much and take very detailed notes because my memory is very poor and I am easily confused. However, whereas for some reports and the discourse analysis methods I use this is necessary, for lots of 'periphery' books I have had to learn to cut right back on the note taking. I feel nervous about missing something if I don't read the whole book but have come to terms with skim reading and putting my pen and paper far away from me so I will get up and write down only what I have to! Only write what you have to. Start with the intro and conc of a book, then chapters. Often you will find that these will tell you everything: the author's direction/theoretical bias/argument/conclusion. Or, you can always read a chapter quickly then put an abstract of it and your thoughts into endnote, then get the book out another time when you need it for a quote or something...

Hope this helps!

Hey Ogriv

So have you got on a PhD course then or are you thinking about maybe applying? In answer to your query I definitely play to my strengths which are playing around with concepts and theories and philosophies, and have tailored my PhD in the social sciences to utilise this. If I were doing a more quant focused research and methodology then I would be miserable and useless quite frankly. However, there is room to use different methodologies and philosophies in my course - is there such flexibility in Psych, or is it more science-based??

In which case I apologise. I hope you have come to a happy conclusion...

Chrisunique: why are you repeat posting? I thought you had a good amount of advice last time; what is it you want to hear??

Pamplemousse: funny

In my dept I was one of the youngest to start the PhD at 27. Most people are in their thirties. There is a lot to be said for life experience - particularly when it comes to looking for work after the PhD. I would definitely go for it, both of you - if it what you want to do, why not try? We only live once and it's too short for regrets I say.

x J

Happy Birthday! Take some time off?!

Hi Yikes

Do you need a bit of a break? It sounds like you may have hit a wall where you can't see the wood for the trees. Maybe a couple of days away to calm your mind a bit? I am always always uncertain, I find it the hardest thing about my PhD a lot of the time. Keep perspective and confidence and don't give up!