Sorry for hijacking the thread. I'm writing my MA diss at the moment and we have to use MHRA. Does anyone know which software would be the best? I tried Endnote, but it doesn't list MHRA. I have a mac, so I need something that has MHRA, but is also compatible with my macbook.

Hi, I've been on 15k for 2 years as an MA student, and it was enough, but of course you have to budget. I also had to travel quite a bit for research, and not all of that was reimbursed by the uni (we got around 600 quid a year for expenses). I think you should be fine, just remember to use the money cleverly, and check out what other money there is set aside for you for travel expenses etc.

Hi there, I'm just wondering what happened. I'm kind of in a similar situation as you, except I'm missing a washing machine, not a bed.

Hi, I'm halfway through writing my MA dissertation, my supervisor is not so much involved anymore, he read my detailed outline, said it was good, and just let me get on with it. BUT! I do do loads of rewrites of chapters I have already done, and I suspect there will be another rewrite session when I have a complete first draft ready. I think it's natural to redraft and rewrite sections/chapters. I can't work any other way. Most of my essays went through around 5-6 drafts and rewrites, I suspect my MA dissertation will go through around 4-5 as well.

I.T. in itself is a big subject. What are you interested in?

I'm not sure where LSE keeps its recent PhD theses, but a good bet would be the uni library? If you don't have access to a uni library I would recommend the British Library, they have everything, registration is free and I always found it a great place to do work at.

I'm not sure how other people go about applying for a PhD, but I wrote a draft proposal, showed it to my MA supervisor (who couldn't supervise me for the PhD, as he is leaving my uni at the end of the year) and then he suggested I get in touch with another member of the department who would be suitable. So I emailed him, sent him the draft and he was really interested.

As you are not at uni at the moment, I think you should just check the staff website at LSE and see who would be a suitable sup, email them with your plans, short description of your background and the proposal and ask whether they would be interested, or whether they could recommend someone else.

I think you should be fine, if you have a good proposal and find someone who would supervise you.

Have you contacted anyone at LSE yet?

I'm starting my PhD in September and I have already downloaded my uni's code of practice, and the MPhil/PhD handbook, though they haven't been updated since 2008. I heard that we will get a hard copy when we enroll, hopefully that will be the updated version.

Hi, it sounds like a good opportunity and you should definitely give it a go, there are not many great postdocs around (or so I hear from people who are applying for them)! Couldn't you settle on something in-between? How much time would you have to spend at this other town? Maybe it could be arranged that you spend around half a week there, the other half where you are now with your husband? It's not for forever. How long is this postdoc?

Hi strugglingstu, about your writer's block. Don't take time off because of it. Just sit down for even 15 minutes a day and write, whatever, it doesn't matter if you will have to come back to it because it's no good. Sit for 15 minutes the first day, write, then leave it. If you feel like it later that day go back to it, but don't spend more than 30 minutes on what you previously wrote. The second day sit down for 20 minutes first, third day for 25 etc. etc. It's much better to write something, rather than just taking 2 weeks off, cos then you will feel like that you haven't done anything for 2 weeks and will make you much more nervous.

You're a year ahead of me then! I'm 25 (and 1/2) and starting my PhD in September! Don't worry about age, you will still be under 30 (hopefully) when you finish, and can spend the rest of your life making money. NO big deal. ;-)

I'm with your friends there. I absolutely hate it when I'm in a shop/cafe/you name it, the shop assistant/waitress/etc calls me love or darling, or sweety (as I was called yesterday in a cafe). I usually don't say anything, but it does bother me.

This is more a goal from tomorrow... Start Chapter 2 of the dissertation and try and have a first draft by Sunday. Also, try and finish with the archival sources by Friday.

Shall report back how it went at the end of the week! :-)

I wouldn't worry too much about it. I was in a similar situation to yours, got a 1st for my UG, but then struggled in the first year of my master's for a number of reasons, and picked up in my second year. My MPhil/PhD interview went really well, and the uni gave me an unconditional offer in the end. I don't think they cared too much about my master's grades.