Haha Phdbug, I think I can have the crown for checking in the least, mainly because I have done almost NOTHING for my PhD in the two weeks after my car accident! Aside from the hugely draining pile of accident-associated paperwork that falls through the letterbox each day, I have just been completely incapable of doing anything constructive...I am away from my office, my routine, my pals, and my concentration is shot at. I have been giving myself a hard time and feeling really guilty (normally I pride myself on my motivation and effort), but I need to ease off on myself really and quit making myself feel bad about it. On the plus side, I am now able to self-propel a wheelchair for a couple of miles around the nearby park, have got a nice new car lined up for when my plaster comes off, and have achieved a record too-much-chocolate:not enough exerise ratio! Oh well....shit happens ;-) Well done to everyone else who is still working away in the run up to Xmas! KB

Hey Karl! I think you have to look on this as one of the most valuable experiences you could have had. Instead of measuring your success as completing or not completing your PhD, look at what you have learnt throughout the process. Quitting or changing your mind about doing something is never easy, and there is always the horrible doubt of 'what if I've made the wrong decision?', but as time has gone by I think you've already realised this was a good decision for you. You didn't quit because you couldn't do it or weren't capable, you realised that it wasn't what you wanted to do. Over the last 10 years I went from applying to university to be a vet, to changing my mind, withdrawing my applications and putting a last minute application in for biology, to dropping out of that after 18 months because it just wasn't for me, to doing a BSc, MSc and now PhD in Psychology. I'm so glad that I learnt what WASN'T for me, instead of doggedly pursuing the biology course just because I didn't want to be seen as a 'dropout'. You have made a positive decision about what you don't want to do, and therefore are nearer to finding what you do want to do! I agree, it is harder to quit than to carry on sometimes, so look upon it as a brave and wise decision, and one which will hopefully save you years of misery of being in the wrong job and the wrong career. You only have to look around you to see so many people who hate their job and wish they had done something else instead- hopefully you will now find something that you enjoy and find fulfilling, and will never have to be one of those people! Well done on taking such a big step, and good luck with the next move! Best wishes, KB

Then perhaps you could discuss your thoughts about factor E in the discussion (in the context of 'there may be other factors which influence blah blah') refer to other research which has supported this hunch, state that your research to date hasn't specifically addressed this question although there is some evidence that your hunch might be the case, and highlight the need for future research (maybe of your own) to examine this factor in more detail, and perhaps suggest how one could go about doing this research. Then you get to write about your hunch in a positive, moving forward sort of way...maybe? KB

Hey there. I have bipolar disorder, although the depression has always been more severe than the mania for me. Depression is horrible, and no-one can ever know how it feels unless they get ill with it so it can be hard for people to understand. One thing I have learnt about myself though is that I cannot do my best work if I'm ill with depression, so for me it's all about staying well and doing my best to get help if I'm not well....so you need to put yourself first, and the work will follow. Sounds like maybe you need to go back to the docs- did you feel as though the meds were helping? Do you have any other support, uni counsellors, mental health advisors etc? The other thing that has been important to me is to be honest with my supervisor and if I am unwell I let her know straight away so that she can take it into account- it isn't about making excuses or skiving off, it's just about letting her know and keeping her in the picture so she knows what to expect or not expect of me. Is your supervisor aware of your problems? I am always scared of telling people about the bipolar in case they think I'm a bit of a nutter or something, but I have been amazed at how understanding and accommodating most people have been. Perhaps you could try to get a bit of help and support, and concentrate on the easier/less mentally taxing tasks until Xmas- the boring stuff like entering data or doing reference sections etc, then have a good break and see how things are after Xmas? It can be hard to make the decision to go back on meds when you've been trying to come off them...I have my foot in plaster at the moment and have been unable to exercise as usual (I normally do 60-90mins serious exercise per day in the gym!) and my mood has just gone through the floor because exercise for me is an anti-depressant. I take meds for my bipolar anyway, but I have just had to admit defeat and go back on the anti-d's as well, at least until I get back to my normal self. Maybe it's worth going back on them for a while longer before things get worse? Anyway, certainly go see your doc I would say...all my recommendations are based on my own experiences so won't suit everyone! Hope you're feeling better soon, you will get through this, KB

Hmmm...could you not sort of say that 'it is possible that A, B, C & D are also influenced by/interact with other factors, such as E and F'? Iis there anything in the literature that might offer some indirect support for your hunch, or any other researchers who have mentioned this possibility but not researched it yet? Then you could ponder this possibility in your discussion with some reasons why you might think this might be so? KB

I guess it depends on how well you know them and how often you see them. I gave my primary supervisor one but not my secondary supervisor....mainly because he is on a different site and I don't see him much. If he had been in our set of offices I would've given him one. But then I am in a team of about 10 of us who work quite closely together so I gave them all one, some of the team give everyone a card back and some don't bother. If it seems a bit odd I wouldn't bother...maybe just wish them a happy xmas in your next email! KB

Hey Sneaks! I am only at the beginning of looking at my interview data so this is a very amateur reply! Clearly you can't put it in as a theme, but is there any way you could mention this factor in the discussion somehow? Is your hunch based on something specific or is it a complete hunch, if you get my drift? If it is based on something then perhaps you could explain in the discussion why you think this factor is influential, and maybe suggest that future studies could look at it? Or you could highlight it as a 'limitation' of your study and suggest a way forward for looking at this factor in more detail? I think you should mention it, and do it in a positive way whilst acknowledging that at the moment you don't have the data to back it up. I'm sure other people more experienced than me might be able offer you more help! KB

Well I hate it just on appearance and general lack of appeal. I have to confess, I have never tasted it. I used to hate branston pickle just because it looks rank but once I had tasted it there was no going back...I can cram a whole jar of it between two slices of bread and find it most enjoyable :) KB

Haha, sorry Sneaks, I always thought you were a lady but then I couldn't remember where I'd got that from so thought I had better remain diplomatic in case I had it wrong!! KB

Hi there! I'm with the others really...it sounds like a good bet to me! You have to be with someone who will be a good supervisor- of course it is good if they are at the top of their field with two zillion publications etc, but that's only good if they still have time to supervise you well and you get on with them. I am lucky because despite everything she does (a hell of a lot!), my primary sup is still great, has a lot of time for us mere PhD students, and returns work within a few days of us giving it to her. Without exception. However, although he's a great guy and we get on well, my second supervisor just doesn't have the time to commit properly to PhD students, and I know that I would be struggling for support if he was my primary supervisor. And don't worry too much about the uni...I moved from a top uni in the UK with a not-wonderful-department in psychology, to a middle-of-the-range sort of uni with an outstanding department and with supervisors who are world leaders in their field. Anyone who knows their stuff will know if you are in a good department for your subject and with a good supervisor. A few of my pals raised their eyebrows when I changed to a less prestigious university, but it was the best move I ever made! Best of luck with the applications etc! KB

Hey, I'm completely in the same boat as Walminski...my progress is directly related to success with recruiting participants. And progress with that can be extremely slow! Although I am only in second year at the moment, I am not really expecting to finish in three years- I don't know of many people doing a project in clinical psychology who have finished on time for this reason and it is very common to need a fourth year. I am of course aiming to finish in three years but it would take a miracle (especially with my broken foot!). Oh well, we can all live in hope and delude ourselves for a while longer! Is that negative enough for you Sneaks?!! KB

I would email and explain- your situation isn't that unusual, I didn't get my final MSc results until the following January, when I was already 4 months into my PhD, so it shouldn't be an issue. Just explain and perhaps offer to send a transcript of the marks you have to date, or a supporting letter from your MSc supervisor, who should be able to state that you are expected to be awarded your MSc whenever. My supervisor also put my expected MSc grade on a PhD application, as she knew a couple of months before me what I was going to be awarded- it just had to be moderated before it was official. Your sup might be able to do that for you too. Good luck! KB

Hey Teek...I never thought about that, although it's my right foot, which would be the pedal controlling one I think in an automatic? Or can you get them either way round? I will have to google it! Well I have finally hit rock bottom today and have decided to be pro-active and hire myself a wheelchair for the next few weeks so at least I can wheel myself around and go for 'walks' etc to get some fresh air and exercise. I borrowed one in Tesco yesterday and had the most fun in it that I've had all week, throwing some cool manoeuvers round the ends of the aisles...it was also an interesting social experiment too, people were so helpful and polite to me...except for a very small child who gave me a withering glance down from her trolley seat and said, 'what ARE you doing?' in a particularly disapproving tone! It made my day :)