Hi KB, Ogriv and Satchi, thank you for the replies.

KB - I hope I'm doing a good enough job of it, I still need to tell my main tutor but I'm reassured from hearing your story, I also think that my tutors know me well enough to realise that I wouldn't disclose anything unless it was serious, my guidance tutor told me they would sympathise though. I think for me its partly a pride thing, but I'm learning to get over it.

Ogriv - good luck with your PhD application and your dissertation...I've barely started mine so you're doing better than me! I hope my potential supervisor does like me, but its very difficult to judge sometimes!

Satchi - I gave myself the day off yesterday and recharged my batteries a bit, went horse riding with friends in the morning then went shopping and walked the dogs...got loads of fresh air and thinking time which was lovely.

Natassia x

I totally agree, places should be given entirely on academic ability, however ultimately universities like to make money so they may be swayed towards taking more international students.

I've seen that on my MSc course as well, there are a few that are clearly struggling, and from what I've heard the tutor is finding it difficult to help them as well, I don't think its particularly fair on anyone.

Hi KB, thanks for replying. I don't have any grades yet, but should be getting some in 3 weeks which is a scary thought, I'm preparing myself for disappointment really. Like you said, it would be nice to match my first with a distinction but a tutor told me that grades can be considered as a snapshot of that moment in my life, things weren't going well then so it would have been reflected in my work, it was outside of my control. I am coming around to the idea that I shouldn't always blame myself for things, in the end I didn't go for any extensions as I wanted to enjoy the start of my second semester without having old work hanging over me, the guidance tutor said that I was doing the right thing for me and admired my professionalism which was quite nice, she said it would be a quality that PhD supervisors would appreciate.

Anyway, I'm not so worried about my MSc grade now, I don't even know what it is yet and hopefully if I have a better semester two and dissertation I can pull it up a bit, my tutors are all supporting my PhD aspirations which is reassuring, I'm sure they'd find a way to tell me if I wasn't good enough.

Hi Jinkim - this is a really interesting thread, and well done for making so much progress with your PhD so quickly - sounds like you're nearly there, good luck with the next two months!

I haven't started a PhD yet but can imagine going through all of these emotions myself at some stage, I really hope I do. I am doing my MSc and applying for PhD supervision, at the moment I am a bit disappointed that I am 1/3 way through my Masters already, its going way too quickly and I'm getting stressed about not having a PhD to start at the end of it, it will really upset me if I have to take a year out after my MSc. I am really excited about the project I want to do, would start it tomorrow if I could, but I'm having to suppress that excitement for now until I have an interview, if I get to that stage! I do know I want to stay in academia though, I think I have found my niche, its just keeping it thats the problem.

Hi, I'm doing my MSc now and in the process of applying for a PhD position, either a full time studentship or part time self funded. Obviously I would definitely prefer to do it full time, however my choices are limited due to the field I am in (psychosocial studies) and the current economic climate.

I have a first class BA however I think my Masters is going to let me down, before Christmas I had a lot of family-related stress and am now on antidepressants, I definitely haven't done as well as I could have so probably won't get the distinction I hoped for, I'd be very pleased with a merit at this stage. I'm just worried about whether that will be enough to do a PhD with, and getting questioned about my grades slipping during an interview. If I don't get funding it won't be the end of the world, but it would be disappointing. I have an interesting research idea that I have received very good feedback about from my current tutors, but I am still developing a strong enough proposal. Any advice appreciated, Natassia x

Poor you KB, sounds like you're under a lot of pressure, but I really don't think she'd ask you to do it if she thought you weren't capable - from what you've said before it sounds like she can be difficult with others but thinks a lot of you, I'm sure she has every confidence in your abilities. Good luck with it though, at least you're driving again now so you can get on with all this testing! Nx

I don't think so, I'd be very irritated if that was the case.

I think I am a bit thick - I only got 8.5 which makes me a "poser"! I am in the social sciences though.

Congratulations Bilbo - hope you enjoyed your champagne and well-deserved night off! Nx

Well done Sue thats a brilliant tomato high...I think the most I've done in a day is 15, I find it really helpful as well. But I'm not writing all the time; at the moment I'm mainly reading - does anyone use it for reading as well?

I'm probably a little bit of a geek, definitely more geek than nerd according to the classification! However I'm in the social sciences and I think the definition is a bit different to the natural sciences - basically those outside of academia are probably less likely to see me as a geek, if that makes sense. I used to hate the summer holidays and I'm glad I won't have one now I'm doing a MSc, and sometimes I get a bit hooked on particular writers/theories...but I don't really think I'm clever enough to be a proper geek.

Hi Maria - I totally see what you mean, I work part time as a receptionist in a hairdressers and its all computerised, so when I have a client on the phone I'm typing away at the same time to book them in, I was a bit slow at first but soon picked it up and I'm sure you'll be the same. I have found my common sense has started to disappear as I've been doing my MSc, I find my head is in the clouds quite a lot of the time, worrying about all the theories I have to synthesise and apply!

I'm only at MSc level but I like to keep a diary of what I am doing for my dissertation which includes references that I want to follow up and details from supervisor meetings etc. It just helps me to remember things, also I need to write a big reflective piece in a few months so will be keeping a diary for that. It sounds like our subjects are very different, but I think the principle is the same: its really helpful to write things down as you think of them, because you will probably never think of them in the same way again, if that makes sense.

I would definitely follow it up, just email the postgraduate coordinator. Well done for applying so early though, and good luck!