Hi Leaf! This all sounds really normal! You have to remember that a PhD project is often so much more complex than an MSc project, and requires an awful lot of planning. I worked independently on my MSc project but had fairly strict guidelines provided, so I couldn't go too far wrong, but also had a lot of support with my PhD proposal and application. It can be hard to get to know all of the literature well enough to develop a sound proposal- it is very time consuming- so let your supervisors guide you and keep in mind that they will probably have a good idea of what has already been done and where the gaps in the literature are. Also remember that your potential supervisors will need to find funding for the PhD (or have they already got it?), and when you're asking anyone for money they like to see that you know exactly what you will be doing, how it will work, how it will be analysed, what use it will be and so on, so most likely your supervisors are making sure you get it just right! Don't worry about having problems highlighted- it can be a bit difficult to take, but the fact that they are taking time to help you with the proposal means that they have confidence in you and in the project. Most of us end up having all our flaws exposed during the PhD process- it is good to develop a tough outer shell, take it on board, and remember that most of the time, the people above you know what they are on about (note that I said 'most' of the time)! Best of luck with it all, let us know how you get on! KB

Hey Jinio! Glad to hear I am not the only person in transcribing hell! I am just about up to date with transcribing the interviews I have done so far and have started my analysis over the last few weeks. I have to say, it is extremely helpful when you come to the analysis if you have transcribed them yourself- it is good to hear things back a few times and become very familiar with what was said, how it was said, and it what context etc. It is a killer though- break it up with something else, just a few hours of transcription can be hellish! If you do decide to use a transcribing service I would try to get a recommendation from someone- a couple of people on the same team as me used one last year and said that the quality was so awful that they had to send it back and eventually demand a refund, so beware! I'm sure there are some good ones out there though. Good luck with it! KB

Hi! It depends what it is really...if it's an article from a review I'm doing then I tend to read it pretty thoroughly and make notes, but if I just need a couple of papers to back up something I'm saying then I just tend to just skim them to check that they say what I need them to say and leave it at that. I have referenced things in a published paper that I haven't read from cover to cover, such as papers which discuss the theoretical concepts/models I am referring to but describe them in more detail than I can fit into my paper (or more detail than anyone would really care for anyway!). I do feel a bit bad about that sort of thing, but we're only human, and we have to prioritise how we spend our time! Says me...sitting tapping away on PGF!! But it is my first day back after my car accident nearly 5 weeks ago so I'm allowed a slack day! Best wishes all, KB

Hi Mark! I think if you want a career in academia, then yes, you do need to attend conferences. Even if you were to avoid this for the length of your PhD, then if you continue into a research career, you will most likely be expected to go quite far afield to attend and present at conferences. Of course, there will probably be some relevant ones in the UK you can start with which will be a bit easier for you to access. A PhD friend of mine had an awful phobia of flying too, and we recently flew to a conference in Ireland, despite her fears. To be honest, the whole thought of having to fly back home after a few days ruined the conference for her, and she ended up booking a different flight home because she didn't like the plane we had flown there on as it was so small. She was terrified. I would try getting help for your phobia. For a while you will probably be okay attending UK conferences if there are some relevant ones in your field, but later on you might want to travel further to get to the best conferences...if you were to try and get help now then you will be able to take your time over it and have less pressure on you. I don't know what sort of treatment is available, but if you go to see your doctor, they should be able to put you in touch with someone I would think. Certainly don't let it ruin your PhD for you- you will be able to overcome this (even though it probably doesn't feel like it now). Best wishes, KB.

Happy new year everyone! I have been on this forum for about a year or so now and am so glad I chanced upon it! As OldWoman says, it is such a supportive and friendly forum to be a part of, so thanks to everyone and let's all have an awesome year! KB

It's so funny seeing how everyone got here...I have been reminded of other 'career choices' I went through when I was young that I had completely forgotten about. I wonder how many career changes the average person goes through before they find 'their thing'. I spent years going through the clinical psychologist or research psychologist dilemma- it sounds like there are a few others on the forum who have had the same tough decision. Personally I think that I had built it up in my mind to be something that it isn't, and then I began to realise what the reality is through speaking to clinical psychologists who have been in the job for a while. I have a few friends who work for the NHS, and that has seriously put me off the whole thing too- even having to apply for NHS ethical approval and honorary research contracts is a nightmare, I don't want to have any more to do with the NHS than I do already! Anyways, cheers for sharing guys! KB

Hi Helen! I really feel for you, sounds like you're having a really hard time right now. I have had long term problems with bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety etc, and it can be so hard to get on top of things when you feel like that. Something I have had to come to terms with is that I will have to take medication for life, and I am as reluctant as you sound to pop pills every day just to keep my head straight. But I really think these problems do have a biological basis, and medication sometimes has its place and can help...it might be worth trying? I think the other thing would be to see a counsellor, as the others have said. I see one every week at the university counselling service and the support has been fantastic- I truly wouldn't have got through my BSc, MSc, and now my PhD without their ongoing help and support. Again, I don't like seeing myself as someone who 'needs counselling', but it has helped so much that I have had to shed my pre-conceptions about it. I think all universities have a counselling service and/or mental health advisors, so perhaps you could go talk to someone there? You need to get yourself feeling better before you can concentrate properly on your work, so make that the priority for a while and try not to give yourself a hard time about the work- easier said than done, I know. There's a lot of help out there though, and a lot of understanding people- I really hope you feel able to go and get some support with this, no-one deserves to feel so crappy. Best wishes, KB.

Hi Romana, I would say the same as Satchi. You could set yourself a daily target, but I would just go with the flow personally. Some days you might breeze through it, other days you just might not be taking it in so well and would be better off doing something else, so I would be flexible about it. Do some reading each day and see how it's going for that day. Might also be worth making notes at the end of each chapter- this is always handy so you don't have to keep re-reading everything when you come to need the information again. Have fun with it! KB

Hi Cobweb!

I think a plan is always a useful guide as to what you need to do each day to get whatever it is finished on time, but I also think it's important to allow a little flexibility. Personally, I find with writing that some days (like today!) I can sit and write all day and get a few 1000 words done, which actually sound reasonable and make sense, yet other days I'm just not in writing mode and it suits me to work on an analysis or something instead. Same with reading really heavy stuff- some days I can whizz through it, and other days I need to be doing something more active to keep my mind from wandering, so I concentrate on other stuff that is a bit more engaging. And then other times I get going on something and don't want to stop until I'm finished!

I think it's good to build in a little variety, and to plan breaks and extra time to allow for anything unexpected (temporary brain failure etc!). It is always nice though to know that you have stuck to your plan and that you are on target to finish on time, there is something reassuring about that. So I would go with the plan...as you said, it's a bit trial and error, but you'll soon find out if your plan is realistic, and you have time to re-do your plan if it isn't working out!

Good luck with it all! KB

Hmm, I see your point Pjlu. I guess it's the usual case of what suits one person isn't always going to suit another. It will be interesting to see what happens with it and how successful the scheme is. KB

Hi Margot!

This sounds like both a blessing and a curse! On the plus side, your supervisor must like you if he/she is trusting you to write something that he/her is willing to put his/her signature on! I can understand why you are finding this difficult, but I would take full advantage! What would you really love to see on your reference? What would make you feel really proud if you saw a reference that someone else had written about you? What do you really need to be on your reference to secure PhD funding? Put it all down! You need to make sure you cover all the main points- academic ability, research skills, relevant practical experience, interest/enthusiasm for subject, potential to succeed in research, and it never hurts to have a few more personal comments on there such as 'hard-working', 'motivated', 'reliable' etc. I know it's a bit of an awkward situation, and obviously you have to stick somewhere close to reality with what you write, but you need to stand out, so make it your ideal reference and don't be too modest! You can always have a bit of a laugh about it with your supervisor if you feel a bit awkward about it. I had to write a progress report following a review meeting a few months ago, and when I sent it to my supervisors to check they all said I had been too modest and they added extra bits in to make up for it! Good luck with your application! KB

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Hey folks! Hope you all had a fab Christmas!

I was chatting to some pals in the pub last night, and we were talking about what we aspired to be when we were little. I am intrigued....what did you want to do when you were little? Was anyone sitting there at the age of 5 wanting to do a PhD? Or did we all drift into it amidst a giant wave of uncertainty and cluelessness?!

Here's my path to PhD-ness: First I wanted to be a detective (think Secret Seven, Famous Five and Point Horror books!), then it was a vet for year and years. Then I withdrew my vet applications and decided to do biology. Then I didn't like the course and after 18 months switched to psychology. Then I wanted to be a clinical psychologist. Now I want to be a clinical research psychologist...finally I am there, I know what I want to do for ever!

How did everyone else end up here?

Best wishes for a Happy New Year all! KB

Hi Sparklyking! Welcome to the forum!

I decided I wanted to do a PhD around my third year on my BSc, and at the beginning of my MSc I managed to get onto a project in the right sort of area for what I wanted my PhD to be in (Alzheimer's disease). I approached my MSc supervisor and told her that I was interested in doing a PhD, something to do with Alzheimer's disease, but I wasn't quite sure what. So we met up for a chat, and she told me about a couple of project topics she had ideas for that might be interesting, and which she thought would be suitable for a PhD if we could find the funding. So I decided on one of the topics and we developed the proposal together, then we applied for funding and were successful. So you don't necessarily have to have something specific in mind when you approach someone about supervising a PhD, although most people have more idea than I did about exactly what they want to do! Just make sure that if you approach someone about doing a PhD, you don't sound as though you don't know what to do because you haven't bothered to read the literature- that might just look lazy and show that you are lacking intiative etc. Equally, I think it is fine to not know exactly what you want to do and just have a general idea that you want to develop with the help of your potential supervisor.

I don't know anyone from Ireland doing a PhD in our department, but I reckon at least half of the PhD students in my department are overseas students (from all over the world), so there must be funding somewhere. I'm sure someone else on the forum will have some ideas about this.

Best wishes, KB

I agree with you Joyce. Even though I did a research project as part of my BSc, it was nothing like as rigorous as the one that made up half of my MSc. I honestly could not have done the PhD without the MSc. I guess this is why the MSc is almost always required for Psychology- the different disciplines within the subject and the research methodologies are so diverse. I guess this is the case in other subjects too, but I think Psychology more than most. I only know of one person in our department (of over 70 PhD students) who got in with no masters degree, but had done research assistant work. She was made to sit two MSc modules in her first year PhD to learn research skills and advanced stats etc...she was seriously busy! But from what I can see, people in other subjects get on fine without needing a masters- I have a lot of pals doing biology PhDs and they got their place right after their BScs, so I guess it is these people who will be hit by the new system. KB

Hi Orchids,

It depends really on the university, where you are up to in the application process, and whether you are applying for a PhD which has already been specified and funded, or whether you are looking for funding to undertake a project you have in mind. I am guessing that as you are talking about writing a proposal, you probably have your own project in mind, and are looking for somewhere to do it and someone to supervise it. You should probably ask the university itself about the application procedure, but I would think that you would need to write a letter stating your interest in research, those supervisors, that university etc, and also include some sort of written proposal. This probably wouldn't have to be in lots of detail, just a general idea of what you want to find out, why, and how you would like to go about it. Maybe just a couple of pages to start with. It might be best in the first instance to email the prospective supervisor about it if you have a particular person in mind, just to see if they would potentially be interested in supervising you and whether they are willing to support your application(s) for funding or have any available already.

Have you got a university and supervisor in mind etc, or are you just thinking about the application process at the moment?

Best wishes, KB