It really is a depressing situation. I know that prospective PhD candidates failing to reflect on market supply and demand is part of the reason this continues to the case, but at the same time, I feel that current students need the prospect of related employment in order to motivate them to finish.

I think universities do have a real responsibility to limit their graduate programmes, especially if their recently graduated PhDs are unable to find work. Sure they want funding for their department, but at the cost of false hope and disappointment for the PhDs who can't use the skills they spend years acquiring?

I like the idea of people contributing a positive thread like this. I understand the need to vent, but it's important to share the good aspects too.

I feel very fortunate to be given the freedom to study something I am genuinely interested in and to (more or less) be my own boss. While naturally you need enough structure in place to get the work done, it's great being able to have a flexible schedule. (I know this generally doesn't apply in more lab-based PhDs, but for mine, in the humanities, I can rearrange my tasks to fit my social life.)

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A big congratulations on finishing! :-)

Thanks for your wise words. I am going to try internalize them, for whenever the going gets tough.

I am amazed that you accumulated ''almost no notes, photocopies or books''. Do you mean that you just kept all your relevant material on your computer?

You seem very well prepared, nothing glaring is missing. Don't worry about freezing, people are understanding of nerves.

If they are interested enough to bring you in, then they are probably reasonably confident you are a good match for the programme. The interviewees should want you to succeed so go in feeling positive! 8-)

Interesting thread. I am already worried about keeping track of all my photocopies and article print outs, and I am only in year one.

I wish I was content to make notes from books rather than photocopying first, but I find it much easier to highlight photocopies so that I can refer back to them more easily.

To anyone who uses a filing cabinet system, do you organize by subject, author name, or using some other method?

This is my first year (and first post!), too. I have already met my supervisor once, who I knew from my Masters programme. I am currently revising my proposal, with a view to narrowing my focus. I have been reading a lot for the past six or so weeks, but am looking forward to settling on a topic, even though I know it will evolve over time.

Is anyone else starting a humanities Ph.d?