Hi :)

What's your subject? I reckon it can vary quite a bit according to that as French unis do not offer as many courses as the ones in the UK.

I expect fees vary according to the Universities and courses but it usually is cheap. I used to pay around 400 euros per year, including Sécurité Sociale costs (NHS). As an EU citizen, you should pay home fees. But you'll have to pay them twice (once each year) as all Masters should run over two years now.

Entry may be quite difficult in some Universities, depending also on your course and on your qualifications in French. Do you have a specific University in mind?

Hi Smilodon.

Well, this is yet another very different insight.

I have sympathy for those who feel homesick too, sorry if it didn't sound like I do! I am just very curious and this post has actually challenged some assumptions I had about homesickness (which I like very much).

Yep, I guess you're right also about that temperaments thing... Tbh I don't think I have ever missed my family (-even when I was 12 and sent abroad on my own). I am not sure they ever "miss" me much either! I mean, I think they believe I "belong" abroad and would be kind of sorry if I went back, actually, as if I'd be missing on something I was made for. Hard to explain, but from what you say Smilodon, I'm sure you see what Imean :)

Yet, after thinking about it more, I believe the main reason why I do enjoy it here because I am but too aware that I have no future (especially in terms of employment) in France, and this probably does not apply for people from the US (- unemployment is not as bad for postgrads in the US I think, is it?).

Anyway... one thing I was told at a foreign students meeting during my forst week here is to get lots of things sent over from home - like pictures, teddy bears (!), letters rather then e-mails, and so on. I think that would make me even more depressed if I was homesick, but apparently it has proved to help most people, so maybe it's something to consider?

"France is so close and cheap to travel to!" - thing is, in my case, it doesn't apply. Getting back to where I'm from in France takes about ... a day (bad roads, few trains, got to travel about 120 miles extra to catch connections, and so on... I'm from the proper countryside, lol). For comparison, my boyfriend is from the US and it takes just as long all included to go to my parents' in France or to his nan's in NY.

Yet I agree it is true that, in the end, France and England are culturally (yeah yeah, I mean it) and geographically very close, so maybe it makes a difference - never really thought about that before. Yet I would have imagined the same goes for England and the US too.

Now you're talking about it, I'm probably not homesick because I do enjoy life in the UK a lot.

That's interesting. I have never been homesick. I've been in the UK for four years now, and go back to France only about 4 weeks a year (2 around Christmas, 2 in the summer). How often do you guys go back?

Thanks Golfpro

Thanks Leone.

I have explained my situation and asked for a little extra time before giving a definitive answer, and got a very kind reply.

I have made appointments with a couple of banks too - I'll see what they say. Also my parents are abroad until the end of the month and I want to wait until they come back. I don't have much hope they could help me out (as in "sponsor me", lol), but at the very least I want to send them over to my French bank and ask whether I'd get a better deal on a loan there (- where I have been a good customer for twenty odd years ).

I'll let you know what happens :)

Thanks Shani :)

The way I see it is, with a PhD in the UK, even without working in academia, you can still get a decent job, I reckon.

I could not get a job at all in France with a PhD only - because unemployment rates are quite high, it would make me overqualified for pretty much everything. However, if I did get a PhD wherever in the world, I could take one exam (the hardest there is in France actually, but nevermind!) to become a lecturer in France indeed (where my CV would look extremely good after studying in the UK).

But then my boyfriend would have to learn French... Though time for me to do a PhD leaves him plenty of time to work on it...

Many thanks to all of you for your answers :)

It is good to know in particular that some people survive the PhD full-time/part-time job thing, in spite of the cost of this...

Now I am going to have quite a choice to make. Thing is, I want to do that PhD for pleasure/love of my topic. I am not dreaming to land a job in academia, as I am unsure that could really happen. (I mean, I think I'd give it a go still, but I'm French with a background in English Lit, and even if my topic is interdisciplinary, I can picture how interviewers could respond to that...).

Seems that the question I have to ask myself is whether I want to do the PhD enough to finish it with some sort of a debt , and whether I can borrow money from somewhere, or someone. Tough

Hi! Many thanks for your (honest) answers.

The university is not in London, fortunately.

Miss Spacey, I think the 200.000£ you read about may make sense for those not coming from the UK/EU, as they pay about 8000£ per year for tuition fee here... I tried to figure out how much I needed, and thought about 40.000£ too - good to have someone confirm something along those lines.

BHC - hadn't thought self-funding could have such consequences... Do you reckon it makes a difference that my project is in Humanities though?

About the debt thing, I also thought that I could borrow less AND work part-time, if allowed.

Thanks Smilodon. I will check that indeed - I was not aware of this. I cannot do the course part-time it seems, so if I am not allowed to work on the side, it simply is not going to work

Do you happen to know a bit about bank loans as well? I have looked on websites today (took me hours) and got little useful information.

Grrr, I watched "Goodfellas" yesterday and statred to dream I could be sponsored by some mob guy...

I read in an article about work-related injuries somewhere that it may actually be better to sit in a SLIGHTLY relaxed position. (Sorry for the caps, would have used italics or bold if I could have). It apparently puts less strain on your back than sitting totally upright.

Yet I know but to well that sitting upright feels really good after you have hurt your back bending over the table for too long...

Hello people :)

I have been offered a place at my chosen institution but am on the waiting list for funding. I cannot accept the offer, unless I manage to secure funding, obviously.

I'd welcome any info/advice on the following:

- Loans: I assume they have to come from a bank... How much should I expect to borrow? Can I actually borrow? I am an EU national, but have had an account with HSBC for three years now, and have no credit history of any kind.

- Working part-time: is that enough? How much should I work? Or is it a really bad idea to do that anyway?

I do not have anyone who could back me up for "real", although if it's a matter of the odd bill I cannot afford to pay I could expect some help from my parents/grand-parents (-small amounts and only for emergencies but hey...)

Thanks in advance for your comments :)

I work from home a lot (not PhD). I only have to be "in" for 10 hours per week. The rest of the time, when home, I put my phone on silent until 5-6pm (I even let my mother and my boyfriend leave a messsage - I only call back if important), and do not answer if someone rings the doorbell after 10 am. My housemates are cool: they always ask "are you working?" and if the answer is yes they go "ok, talk later". Works well

Now, many of my relatives/close friends are perfectly aware I do this on purpose, so they do pay attention and watch what they say next. And for those who actually dare go at it again, I just pretend I am going to do the whole speech all over again. Like "listen, I must have worded my feelings in a way that is not clear enough, and I apologize. Let me start over. You see....". Then I watch them leave me alone after two minutes or so

I know it's a horrible method but hey, it has worked fine for me to this day. Thought I'd share it, just in case...