======= Date Modified 05 Sep 2008 23:17:15 =======
Don't panic - this happens much more often than you might think. Very few people ever check the details of the maths in a paper. (I found 2 math errors in a paper of my sups during my MPhil and he was not thrilled.) Was this paper published and reviewed already?



I take it you have gone over this work carefully and calmly and checked you are correct. I have gone over my math models I don't know how many times after suddenly deciding they were wrong - and sometimes they were! Sometimes I really thought I was done for - but there is usually a way forward, just not always in the direction you thought you were going.



You must talk to your supervisor. He clearly didn't spot this either so you are in this together. Don't think about being an expensive student - that is not your problem at all and just due to the general policy of milking international students for every penny possible and more.



Your university should have a student counselling service - I really think you should make an appointment asap to talk about the stress you are under.



But whatever happens - it just isn't as dire as it looks to you right now, in the thick of it. You will get through this, one way or another.

I'm interdisciplinary. I meet my supervisor 2-3 times/year but feel it would be sometimes be better every 2-3 months. I'm due to sibmit in Dec but still no examiners appointed. Sup did suggest an external that I was very happy about - I'm clearly not expected to make the choice although you can be sure I will voice my opinion if I disagree.

Agree with Ruby it depends on whether you are PT or FT and whether you are soley responsible for your motgage. My daughter was the 'unforseen event' that cause a financial headache for us, as I then took 2 years out and when i did return my grant was used up paying for childcare. Fortunately my husband covered the payments but the 2 years out were very tight. The length of time of a PhD vs a masters makes planning quite difficult. Otherwise it's just like any payment e.g. rent surely. How old are your children?

Well, I published from my MPhil, but the MPhil wouldn't have passed as a PhD. So I can see how it might be possible.

Do you seriously think it would be a good idea to have a relationship with your supervisor??????

I'm also over 40 and hopefully in my last few months. The organisation and scheduling has been very woolly. I also have a small child and early also sick husband and parents. Times and dates for courses and whatnot were often sent at the last minute (or even later...) and it was very difficult to organise family committments. Scheduling is done as if none of the students could possibly have anything else they need to do and I suppose that is geared toward the bulk of the younger students. Inevitably some things were missed - but if you really need the info there is usually some way to get it later.

As for socialising - I used to go to the pub regularly after seminars - until my daughter was born. The problem now is that I can't be spontaneous enough. I need at least a couple of days notice and for my husband to be around, and pub outings tend to be spur of the moment things that may or may not happen. I also work mainly from home (even though my dept is onjly 7 miles away) so I am not as involved with the day-to-day social stuff as I used to be. If you want to socialise a bit then try to have some regular time in the dept - even if it's only for research seminars. I am starting to feel a bit lost in space - but that's mainly because I'm writing up now and it just doesn't work for me to have my stuff in two places. Are you planning to work from home or will you have a desk in your dept?

I've known 2 people have this happen - one a very good friend. Neither got even a masters after the viva. And I'm afraid there were no consequences for their supervisors either. They were both at my institution too....

It shouldn't be possible but it is. I'm interested to hear that annual reviews are a legal requirement. I have never had one and I'm coming to the end of my final year. I'm very nervous about the lack of supervision I've had - I can easily see how this situation could happen. I'm trying to get some feedback from elsewhere as a safety net. Haven't seen my sup since Feb - don't even know where he is right now. I'm sure though, that there would be no significant consequences for him if I failed. He just assumes I won't but it feels like Russian Roulette - if a sup keeps taking that attitude eventually a student will get shot!

Oh - I've been outed

Why not dye it and use it as a party dress? That's one good thing about my dress - I can recycle it for eveing wear (yeah - all those countless parties I go to that require full evening dress..

Since I was dh's third wife, white did seem somewhat inappropriate. Not to mention expensive.

Well that's very nice too Olivia.

I got married in a dark blue, sequinned, full-length dress from Monsoon. Not sure if I can still get into it though...

I don't think I've worn a dress since my daughter was born. It's a mum's uniform of jeans and jumper/T-shirt/top every day.

I got rather drunk at my wedding!

Very nice sneaks! But alas, I think I would look like a pantomime dame in a dress like that.

Yup the empire-smocks are not popular with me either - I have entirely the wrong kind of knockers. Makes me look like a seaside postcard.

I also recommend His Dark Materials - excellent read.

No they weren't - they were both funded. But I think the masters were self-funded.

I know a couple of people with (funded) PhDs in primatology who had several years experience in primate conservation overseas but no relevant degree in biology/zoology. I think they did a masters first though.

There are a lot of us sitting on some very disappointing data at the end of our PhDs. It's always a bit of a gamble when you do empirical stuff - a bit of a lottery. We just have to make the best of what we have and discuss the shortcomings and what could/might be done about it.