Just looking for some sympathy - i know it's pathetic, but i am also very lonely :-(

I have the mumps! :$ Got sooooo much work to do: Report that's overdue, lab work, snails (yes, snails) to feed, other snails (yes, SNAILS!) coming out of hibernation. IT'S ALL COMPLETELY HOPELESS!

(up):-(

Nice1 DanB. This reminds me of that song 'Everybody's Free to Wear Suncreen' by Baz Luhrmann (if you haven't heard this before - you NEED to hear it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfq_A8nXMsQ) (up)

Datum = singlular Data = plural no?

skimping out on council tax & income tax :-)

The university working environment has a way of making very clever people feel very inadequate.  It's not right, things shouldn't be this way. You're not thick, you are (obviously) a highly intelligent and talented person who's been made to feel like sh*t...don't forget that.

Peer review can be an absolute joke! It's one of those things that looks like a good idea on paper, but in practice it is utterly useless.

Sorry this isn't actually helpful apple, i just fancied a rant :p

Congrats Aloha, that is so awsome, well done!

Hi Chloe,

yes, i leave the water bath running over night very often, as do many others in my lab. It is very common practice.  i usually leave mine at 65ºC (70ºC should be absolutely fine). You should use a lid to prevent evaporation.  If you don't have a lid, use tin foil to cover the top. it's also a good idea to leave a note saying "Water bath left on overnight (04/02/2009), Chloe" or something to that effect.

YOU WILL BE FINE!
Sim   

Hi Luigi, No, I've never published anything before in my life.  i guess someone saw me talk at a conference or something and decided to recommend me as a referee.

Thanks Smilodon, i spoke to another PhD student today, apparently getting students to referee is more common than i realised.

Hi all,

I received an interesting email today. I've been asked to review a paper for a very good journal, and i am not sure if i should accept or not. I work in ecology/zoology/evolutionary biology/genetics.

Is it normal to send papers for review to 3rd year PhD students? I thought the whole idea of 'peer review' is that the paper gets sent to an EXPERT in the field, not a student. It actually worries me slightly that the fate of someone's publication ends up in the hands of a student who may not know what they are actually doing.

Has anyone had any experience with reviewing papers as a student?
Thank you muchly.

Sounds like a dream. I envy you.

I'm the same as scienceishard (started at 21, now 23 in my third year).  I get the same sort of reaction from people because of my age. There have been times where i felt my inexperience and naivety have shown through. I found it easy to blame my age for this, but i eventually realised that EVERY PhD student has these moments, regardless of age. 

My conclusion? It's just as tough for me as it is for everyone else, my age has nothing to do with it. No one finds a PhD easy, and nothing can prepare you for it, no matter how old you are. You might be 21, but you're not the only one who feels like their not ready or out of their depth.

Practice is the key. It can be frustrating trying to figure out exactly what you want to say, but it's best to get that frustration out of the way BEFORE the presentation.

Hi Bluesky81, i am a PhD student at Reading, just going into my 3rd year, so i've been living in Reading for just over 2 years now.  Reading is a bit more expensive than other parts of the UK. If you want a bigger room (double bed, desk, shelves, cupboard etc) the normal price is roughly £350 - £400 a month, depending on what other features the house has.  Check out reading.gumtree.com and click on houseshares to get an idea. Personally, i find that my overal monthly spending is under £1000 per month, but this does vary.  For example, if i don't have much of a social life for a month (as often happens with a bloody PhD!) i can get away with spending about £600 on rent and food. The remaining £400 carries over to the next month, thus giving me a bit more financial security for the next month.

If i'm honest, to do everything you want to do (travel to oxford regularly, go back to Austria etc) you might struggle a bit on 12.5k (sorry if that's not what you want to hear!) But it is still possible to acheive everything if you save and use EVERY last penny.  It's possible, but just bare in mind it will not be too easy.

I'm happy to answer any more questions you have about Reading/accommodation/money.