I belong to two professional bodies, the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the British Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (BSACI). The BPS are giving me student membership because I am doing a PhD but the BSACI have told me I can only have a student membership if I am under 35 years of age. Well, I am not! Can I take them up on this, do you think? I am earning £0 and I am a full-time student, have any of you 'oldies' ever heard of this?

Hi
I am also a sad individual looking at the forum instead of sitting in the lounge with everyone watching 24!!
Where are you in your PhD or are you just starting?

Wow, good luck you guys, I am three years away from what you are going through, today I am having a daunted day so need to read all these 'finishing and finished posts!'

Well done, congratulations

My Prof. just about re-wrote my proposal and at first I was a bit offended but after reading it through a few times and understanding it was focussed on obtaining funding as well, I just swallowed it. I know he is way more experienced and I am his only PhD student so he is very eager, interested and keen so I just say say 'Yes Prof.' at the moment...

Congratulations It really does give me hope that I can do it too, long way off but I am sure I will make it

I got an email today from my Prof. saying he had sent all the docs in for it. I had to rush around finding another good academic ref. to beef it up but managed to do it. So, it is in, I should hear by early July. I will let you all know, if I get it, you will definitely know....
I will throw a forum party If I don't get it, I will still throw a party because I tried

Oh good for you, long may it last

Depends on your subject area. I approached UCL/Birkbeck and they couldn't really provide me a supervisor in my speciality of neural ageing. I approached Goldsmiths who recommended a Professor in yet another Uni who had been with them who specilized in what I am doing. I start my PhD in Sept. So, my advice will be to think beyond MSc to PhD and your keen interest and take the Uni that best supports that area.

Not nice working on a Sunday so I have sent some smiles

I mean lr261, I think

Glad to see this thread back, so funny, sorry at your expense, ir261!! Unbelievable....thanking my lucky stars that so far, it seems I have a fantastic supervisor

Oh, and as for OU cognitive psychology, DD303, I was on the first presentation of the new course in, ummm, I think 2005 and we were one of the first Unis to use E-Prime to programme and design cognitive tests using an online participant pool. Because the OU is so huge, they got a good deal from the owners of E-Prime so could afford it. It is a great course with extremely up to date information, not easy either. I did it as an extra to aid me with my MSc. The tutors gave day schools as well, which were fantastic. I would love to be a tutor on this course but will have to wait as they require a PhD for this one, so go for it

As a past OU student for my MSc, I can say that you stand a good chance of a tutor position with a PhD. All my tutors seemed to have PhD's. I have applied to be a tutor and so far, have not managed to get a position, either because of area or the fact that I don't have a PhD (yet!).
As a side comment, I found the work load and standard of my OU MSc far more demanding than my 'on site' MSc that I did but didn't finish actually (ended with a PG Dip.). I will keep applying as I would actually really like to be a tutor.

As for language choice...well, a bad word for some is a normal word for others, so if we can just tone it down and keep it to 'work place' language, it should remain pretty acceptable to all. And don't ask me what 'work place language' is, I am just thinking 'common sense' language that will probably not offend. I have to say, however, I now double check everything I post in case someone pounces on me for something