Hello, I actually had the same thought today! I suddenly feel a lot more sympathy for my supervisors! I've always been harsh on my supervisors and tutors for not being perfect. My MA supervisor and I did not see eye to eye and I held him entirely responsible for not getting work back to me, not helping enough, for the fact that I'd leave meetings feeling as though I'd achieved nothing, for the fact that his annotations on my work indicated that he cared more about spelling than anything else.. However, while I know it's not quite the same thing as being an undergraduate supervisor, today after a one on one tutorial with a student who I just cannot seem to get through to, whose work is nothing short of shoddy, who makes it as hard for me as he possibly can, I was left feeling disappointed, frustrated and angry. I just thought: this horrible, lazy pupil has been sent here to test me. Now, I have another (hard-working) student who I take for private tutorials, and after I meet with her I feel great! I never realised just how draining/rewarding/frustrating etc, being a tutor/supervisor can be. From now on I'm going to try and remember that supervisors are only human too!

Good luck with it!

======= Date Modified 15 46 2010 16:46:32 =======
I'm not close to my supervisor at all, but have found out that he has just lost a child after a long period of illness. I was unaware that his child was ill. Still, I feel as though I have to say, or send something. Is a letter inappropriate from a student? Or a card? If it was any one else, I'd send a card or something immediately, I just think it's a really sensitive issue. My bf says I'm being absolutely pathetic and should of course send something. Do you agree?

======= Date Modified 15 Mar 2010 14:20:19 =======
Hi Emma, I'm really sorry to hear that. I didn't get funding either and I know how frustrating and worrying it is. I'm wishing you lots of luck with the scholarship award. Try not to feel disheartened because it really is so competitive. x

Hi! Are your wisdoms coming through? If so, they might be putting pressure on your other teeth causing them to move slightly. This could be causing the general ache. I don't know if you had braces when you were younger, but it might feel a bit like that? Toothache is the WORST. Hope you're feeling better.

Well done on making such a brave decision, I hope that everything works out well for you. It sounds like you've taken control of the situation, and I'm sure that everything will get much better! Good luck, mx

Ahhhhh my sister has given birth by C-sect to three TINY (but perfectly healthy) little babies! They are across the atlantic and I cannot wait to see them.

They're called:

Nyah Aniela (my choice+ our grandmother's name)
Violet Sofia (My sister's choice + her husband's mother's name)
Hayden Allessandro (my father's name + husband's father's name)

Thanks so much for all your suggestions! I might steal some of them when/if I have my own! xxx

======= Date Modified 12 Mar 2010 09:30:54 =======
I think that:
Eska looks like Kate Winslet.
Walminkskipeasucker looks like Paul Bettany.
Natassia I actually imagined to be Mediterranean looking.

KeenBean is a brunette too and looks like that girl from LOST (Kate).

:-) That's such good news! I'm glad you're back on track!

Can any one help? I have a blackberry, and use gmail. I just noticed in my outbox (on gmail) a bunch of emails to one person in particular, that say "your item was delivered to the recipient". I seem to automatically send them out, do you know why? Is it because this person has a read-receipt on? I'm embarrassed because I always take about a day to respond to their emails and then tell them that I 'have only just got your email'. How sly of them to have enabled this READ RECEIPT feature! Any one know how to stop sending out these emails? xxx

One of my supervisors is incredibly knowledgeable on his topic, and on surrounding topics. It's actually a bit weird. I think he just has an excellent memory for details. I have yet to see him unable to talk about something with authority. I don't like him, but its hard not to admire this, a bit. My other supervisor isn't so good. There are a lot of gaps in her knowledge, and i've had meetings before which i've been unprepared for and been able to pull the wool over her eyes quite easily. She nods and smiles a lot and says 'yeah that sounds good to me'. I much prefer to work with the latter because I find it less intimidating. She's smart and knows her own subject, but just doesn't know the ins and outs of everything I'm reseaching.

Guys, how much do you get involved with your fellow PhDs? I have come to notice that very close friendships have formed between other people in my department. There is even a couple in my research methods class now. There are about 14 of us, and some people seem to be really close, they arrange all these social nights and extra-curric. activities and things. I don't know how, but I have managed to completely isolate myself from them all. They even went on a weekend away together with some staff members. I feel like the black sheep of the family. ALSO, I sometimes notice them all 'bantering' with the staff, who, half the time, probably just assume that I'm an undergraduate who has stumbled into the wrong room.

I LOVE this thread. Your supervisor sounds a bit like mine, (except it sounds like yours has more of a sense of humour than mine does). I deliberately wind him up all the time. I've seen him physically TWITCH at some of the things I've said, so now I like to throw in as many throwaway comments as I can. Such AS: "I don't really get why it's a masterpiece" (about Ulysses), "she's a very talented woman" (about JK Rowling), "I can't WAIT to see Dorian Gray on film", "I don't know if it was Lacan, or Freud, or Kristeva...but ONE of them said..." .

I'd be inclined to say give it a shot if you are confident that you can do well. Doing a masters degree is potentially a very rewarding an enjoyable experience. I got a 2.1 and a good masters and I got in to do a phd. However, I do think that your undergraduate degree marks DO play a part, especially for funding. That's not to say you won't get it, but just that I don't think that masters necessarily overshadows undergrad in every case. If you ended up with a 2.1, are you sure your undergrad is THAT shoddy!?

I often wonder the same thing. My supervisor is so intelligent, articulate, and intimidating, that I can't imagine him as a PhD student--making mistakes and being criticised, and he's only in his late 30s. However, once he did tell me that he can't bear to even LOOK at his thesis any more, because it's so unsophisticated, and his views have changed so much. I guess the PhD is just the first step on an academic career, and it's all a learning curve. Everyone has to start somewhere..x

======= Date Modified 06 Mar 2010 14:28:22 =======
I would say that the MA is harder, but easier to do well in. Does that make sense? I found it easier to get A grades at MA level than undergrad level. It's more time consuming though, and a lot more work.