Signup date: 30 Jan 2009 at 10:33pm
Last login: 15 Jul 2013 at 9:45pm
Post count: 2603
Thanks guys, I just needed someone to vent at! She isn't actually on holiday, she's at a conference, but she goes away on so many and normally if she doesn't want to be emailed or doesn't have access to email she lets us know beforehand. And yes, I have already emailed her back politely letting her know that I hadn't realised she was away and of course if I had known I wouldn't have bothered her with the query, which I genuinely wouldn't have done. But honestly, there is just no need for her attitude! She could have just ignored it until she got back or emailed and asked me if I could wait until she was back before emailing her with queries. She really can be vile at times and the rest of the team have all been subjected to this too at some point, so I know it's not personal, but it's hard not to take it personally- I'm a sensitive soul! Thanks for letting me rant :-) Best, KB
What is it with supervisors? Mine is generally fab, but she can be so horrible when she's stressed and she takes it out on eveyone around her. I sent her an email last night to receive rather a discourteous reply this morning basically telling me off for daring to email her when she's away, and she has enough to do and why couldn't I wait until she got back blah blah blah. She answered the question I had asked in the email but in a way which obviously reflected her vile mood at the time of writing the email. I've been out testing participants all week, she is away so often- how am I supposed to know she's away if she doesn't tell us and ask us not to bother her?! If I had known she was away I wouldn't have bothered her with the email but I'm not psychic and she didn't have to be so rude! It was such a nasty email that I actually almost cried when I read it! She is well known for this sort of thing and has made a number of enemies in the department- now I see why. Anyone else take the brunt of their supervisor's bad moods? Hope everyone's having a good week! KB
Hey 404! I have a nephew at that age and see quite a lot of him. I have to say, at that age they're full of energy, they've just started to walk around on their own with confidence and they are into everything they can get their hands on. They also have a very short attention span so it's not really like you can just sit them down doing something for an hour at a time. I don't think you're being unreasonable pointing out your situation and asking them to try to bear it in mind, but equally the mother may well be doing her best and is probably already exhausted trying to keep up with him. I do sympathise because I can't work well in libraries- I have to be in the office where I have all my things around me- so I guess the best thing might just be to use earplugs or some sort of background noise to block it out. Easier said than done I know :( Best of luck with it! KB
Hey Jun480! I understand some of what you are going through I think. I am also a second year PhD student but I am lucky enough to be fully funded and have also had financial help from my parents when I have needed so I can only imagine how difficult it must be to manage without that sort of help. However I will graduate at age 30 and I do compare myself to my friends. I had a bit of a late start and have had to have breaks due to ill-health, so I have lost a few years along the way- and yes I do look at my friends and compare myself to them. Some are married, some have kids, most have good jobs, a house etc, and money- all things that I would like eventually but don't have yet. But out of all of my friends, I think I am at least as happy/content as they are, if not more so. There are a lot of things I don't have yet that I would like but I love what I do with the PhD and if I can make a career out of research I will be one of the happiest people alive, whereas lots of my friends hate what they do, but desperately need the money for the mortgage and the kids etc. I suppose what I am saying is that the grass is always greener on the other side- we have our own worries and wish we have what some of our friends have, but I suspect that they also look at us and envy some of what we have too! Whether that's passion for what we do, freedom, whatever! So try to enjoy your PhD- the other things will come in time and when they are meant to happen! Chin up! KB
Hey Raf! I would simply go where you think the best course is! I did my BSc and MSc (and now my PhD) at the same uni, and yes it was a bit different, but I certainly didn't have any regrets about staying. Some of my friends had left but it was easy enough to get to know new people on the course or get to know people who had been on the same undergrad that I had never got to know properly before. And with it only being a short course, it was nice not to have to get to grips with a new city, new uni, new department etc. I really wouldn't worry to much about moving vs staying- just stick with the best course that you think will offer you the best opportunities! Best, KB
Hey Jonny! Sounds like you will certainly have the grades you need for your BSc and MSc in order to apply for PhDs- people get onto funded PhDs in some subjects with a 2.2 and pass at masters! I think you just need to persevere and also bear in mind that for many advertised PhDs there are internal candidates lined up for them anyway. The fact that you've been shortlisted for both suggests that you're not far off the mark, probably the others just had a bit more experience or a masters project that was a bit closer to the PhD project in terms of subject or skills/techniques required. I would keep applying and if you still struggle then consider getting a research assistant post for a year or two to build on your experience. But I know people doing biol PhDs here with a 2.1 and no masters or a masters but no further experience so I don't think you need to worry too much. With respect to personal criticisms- it is really hard to take! My supervisor is the queen of feedback and although it is always really helpful and informative it did used to hurt my feelings a bit! But I've got over it now- over time I've just got used to it and it does make you improve your work in the long run. I actually had my second year PhD review yesterday- me and my sup have a long-running joke about her ratio of positive Vs negative feedback- and I told her how much I appreciated all the time she put into looking at my work. It's definitely better to have someone pore over it with an unforgiving magnifying glass than have a supervisor who just isn't interested! So it's natural to feel insecure, but it does fade a bit with experience! Good luck with the PhD hunt! Best, KB
======= Date Modified 11 21 2010 19:21:54 =======
I'm annoyed! I put in for a small grant to cover some travel costs for my research. I got an email today saying I didn't get it- I'm not too bothered, I know it's competitive and it isn't really going to cause me a major problem in any way, so that's fine. But I was given some 'feedback' on my application which really annoyed me because it was complete rubbish! There was criticism for not including a power calculation which I wasn't asked to include- the reviewer had decided that the power would be too low for the proposed statistics- actually we did the power calcuation and we have more than enough participants! Okay, I suppose I should have put the calculation in in hindsight, but there was no section or question asking for it! More irritating, the application was criticised for not having an outline of my research questions- there were four of them, bullet-pointed, with the heading 'research questions'! I mean???? I not narked because I didn't get the funding (well I suppose I am just a little bit lol) but it would feel better if I at least thought they had read the application properly! Anyway, rant over. Just needed a rant. Have a good weekend all, I'm looking forward to the footie! Best, KB
Hey Fargo! I'm in a different field to you (clinical psychology) but thought I would add my two pence worth anyway! People with 2.2s do get on PhDs! I don't know so much about biomedical sciences and how competitive that is, but in some subjects it is possible. I have a pal in health economics who got a 2.2 and a pass at MSc level and walked straight onto a funded PhD no problem. I don't know anyone in my field with less than a 2.1 and an MSc but that doesn't mean that there isn't anyone! I think it would be really helpful if you got an RA post- a lot of people manage to get onto PhDs directly after an RA post at the same university, there are a couple of people on the same team as me who have done that, so I don't think all is lost, especially if you get a good MSc. The other thing to think about is which uni to go to- to choose a uni for a PhD it's best to look for a good department and a good supervisor over how prestigious the uni is! The important things for an academic career will be who you worked with and what publications you got- the uni isn't so much of an issue as it is at undergrad and masters level. I left a top uni with a good psych department to go to an average uni which excels at psych, and have never regretted my decision to leave the 'prestigious' uni because they just didn't have the same facilities or supervisors that I have where I am now. So best to think carefully about where to go and not just shoot for the unis with the big names! As I said, I don't know so much about your subject but I reckon with a good RA post for some experience you would still have a shot! Good luck, KB
I think it's about getting a balance, whether it's publications, conferences, chit-chat etc. I am using a model in my field which hasn't been used in this field before and is quite a different way of doing things. My first publication was a lit review that kind of led to the idea that we should use this sort of model, but my supervisor advised me not to outline the model or even mention it in case someone else jumped in there and used it first then published results before me. My second publication is a theoretical piece and does mention the model, as by now I have almost enough data to write the study up and publish it anyway, so there's not much chance of people catching up at this stage. So I think you do have to be careful to some extent. I have also had others in the field ask me about my study, particularly what measures I am using (someone even asked me to email them a copy of all the measures I had used!) and whilst I haven't gone to any great lengths to avoid telling people, I tend to keep quiet about some of the lesser-known ones that I am using in the field for the first time and talk about the mainstream ones that most people have probably heard of anyway. I don't know whether I am being under or over-cautious, but I do think it's something to be wary of! Best, KB
I just head to the gym straight after work for an hour to either work out on the cardio machines (cross-trainer, treadmill etc) or do an aerobics class. At first I found it quite tiring to maintain this after 8-10 hours in the office/out testing but now I'm fine with it- it makes me feel so much better than just going home and crashing on the sofa, and I really enjoy it. Then I go home, cook something veggie and then crash out knowing that I've earned it lol! It does take a bit of getting into but once you incorporate exercise into your routine you will feel the benefits. Best, KB
Hey! Yeah I would definitely do another PhD if I didn't have to worry about career progression etc. I have enjoyed my PhD so much and have often thought that I could just carry on and do PhDs for the rest of my working life, except for the shit pay! But in terms of career progression it is probably not very helpful, so I'm looking at post-doc projects for when my PhD comes to an end, if I'm lucky enough to get funding! Best, KB
Hey Ethanje- it's best to check with the department you want to apply to about the MSc. For some subjects it isn't necessary (I think for straight sciences it is less important), and you can get straight onto a PhD with a 2.1 or above, but for other subjects that are really competitive, it is essential. I got a first in my degree and had loads of relevant experience but an MSc was an absolute requirement to apply for a PhD at the department I'm in, so I had to do that as well. Having said that, I am really glad that I did have it as I would have struggled to do as well in the PhD without all of the knowledge and experience of research I acquired from my MSc. But of course they are expensive, so if you don't need one, then all the better! Best to check it out with individual universities though! Best, KB
Hey! Loads of people in my department take 4 years- I'm doing Clinical Psychology and because it takes so long to do the paperwork for the NHS to be able to work with vulnerable patients, most people in this field aren't collecting data until second year. In addition to this it is usually very slow-going to recruit a clinical sample of participants- it's a lot tougher than recruiting students as participants for example. So don't worry if you over-run a little, it is really common and very likely in some subjects anyway. Sometimes 3 years simply isn't enough to get it all done! Good luck with it if you decide to carry on! Best, KB
Hey! I'm doing my PhD in psychology too (clinical), just near the end of second year. What kind of psych are you in? A bit more information about your situation would be helpful! Have you just started the RA post or have you been doing it for a while? Is the idea that you carry on doing the full-time post and do your PhD alongside it or will you drop to part-time? Is the funding you have received just to pay tuition fees or does it include a stipend? Sorry for so many questions- I'm in a really big psych department but I don't know anyone who's doing their PhD alongside an RA position (although I know it can be done and I think it's quite common in some fields) so I'm not quite sure how it works! Either way, you need to get a good grip of the literature around the area you are researching so I would suggest a literature review would be a good place to start. Are you using your RA job results to write your thesis on or is your thesis on a different topic? Basically you will need enough results to form about 3 results chapters/papers (although it varies from uni to uni), and on top of that will need your intro, lit review, methodology chapter, discussion chapter. I would have a chat with your supervisor about it to get an idea of how it should be structured and what you should include, because it does vary across subjects and universities. But don't worry if it takes a little time to work out exactly what you're thesis will consist of- most PhD students spend a large part of first year doing this! Good luck with it, KB
======= Date Modified 06 Jun 2010 22:50:57 =======
I suppose it depends on what sort of accommodation is available for the money! Over my uni 'career' I have spent three years in undergrad halls and five years in private accommodation. When I did my MSc I was sharing a house with 6 others, and to be honest it was not that much different to being in halls. They were mates but the place was messy, noisy, dirty, and intolerable at times! When I got my PhD place I decided enough was enough and I was going to live somewhere nice. But whilst I could afford a not-very-nice place to myself, I could afford a really lovely brand new two bedroom flat if I shared with someone else, so I did! I think you need to have a good look around and see what you can get for the money. In the city I'm in, halls are around £100 per week (uncatered) and when I look at what I'm getting for the same money there is absolutely no contest. But of course you get to meet people in halls, and when I've been new it's been good to meet folk and I've always ended up staying mates with the people I've lived with in halls. But even though I only live with one other person (who was a stranger when we moved in together) I've made lots of new friends through my PhD so it hasn't been a barrier to meeting people, although you do have to make a bit more of an effort to get to know people at the start. But personally, I would never go back into halls now! Although admittedly, I haven't experienced post-grad halls. Best, KB
PostgraduateForum Is a trading name of FindAUniversity Ltd
FindAUniversity Ltd, 77 Sidney St, Sheffield, S1 4RG, UK. Tel +44 (0) 114 268 4940 Fax: +44 (0) 114 268 5766
An active and supportive community.
Support and advice from your peers.
Your postgraduate questions answered.
Use your experience to help others.
Enter your email address below to get started with your forum account
Enter your username below to login to your account
An email has been sent to your email account along with instructions on how to reset your password. If you do not recieve your email, or have any futher problems accessing your account, then please contact our customer support.
or continue as guest
To ensure all features on our website work properly, your computer, tablet or mobile needs to accept cookies. Our cookies don’t store your personal information, but provide us with anonymous information about use of the website and help us recognise you so we can offer you services more relevant to you. For more information please read our privacy policy
Agree Agree