Walminski, don't forget about rational 'woman' too - don't exclude half the population.

I think we should scrap stars altogther. It makes people competitive in what should be a nice, supportive forum. Heaven help us if we move to votes, then people will start running their own political campaigns...(down)

While I take people's point about being able to vote for someone more than once, this would also create a problem - if people received lots more votes, then they'd quicly escalate through the stars, we'd have a forum where everyone had 4 stars, a campaign would start so that people could collect up to 10 stars, then there'd be the usual begging/wheedling/bribery campaigns for people to get more stars. All sounds a bit tedious really...

Hey Walminski

You're in luck as today is one of my good days, so I can help prop you up and give you a push! Simultaneously! No, then you'd fall over....anyhoo...

You don't come across as a misery guts - quite the opposite and we all know how fun you are. You're allowed to have bad days.

Can you get an extension to your funding? Have you discussed this with your sup? Can they find some more money for you?

I understand about having to solicit more subjects - I've had to do the same. Not as many as you, just a few, and yep, cold calling is the worst. Awful. Break it up over days, reward yourself at the end. Think about how robust your methodology will be!

I know about loneliness and isolation, having posted several depressive threads here myself. Yes, it is absolutely horrible. I also have 7 mths to go, and can't wait till it's done. I remind myself tho, that I am lucky to be able to sit here and think and write about something I love (or used to!). But the isolation certainly does wear us down. Whenever I feel really bad, I make sure I go out with some friends and let my hair down, have a few beers and a few laughs. I know you don't mind a drink - go and get p***d with some friends!

Make sure you get out of bed everyday! Yes, break your work into chunks - 2 hours is way too long for me - lately I've been doing 25 minutes, then a 5 minute break. Use this: http://mytomatoes.com/ - it's a 25 minute timer, and it's easier working when you can count down from 25 minutes. It also lets the user list what they've done, so we can see the list of what we've done growing. Knowing that I'm making progress helps. And every 25 mins I get up, get a drink, pat the dog or stretch. It's made me much more productive.

Finally, I also think it's the time of the year. Me and lots of people I know just get really tired towards the end of the year, all that work, time for a break. Schedule a holiday for yourself.

You'll get there. You will. Have a whinge, some fun, a break, and then get back into it again.

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Hi Emily

In my country postdocs are adbvertised twice a year, just like regular jobs. However these would be for defined projects, not a project that I'd thought up myself - I imagine that would be a lot harder to do. I've also made a list of everyone in my field, and am going to send them my cv when I'm close to done. I've also been told to check the national funding body's website, to see who's successful in which projects, then send them an email offering my services too. I've been told to expect to relocate to anywhere.

I don't think this is going to be easy, and I find this horribly daunting...good luck to you!

Since no-one has replied yet, I'll jump in. You should ask the unis about this, and your potential supervisor, as I might depend on the discipline you're in. I'm not in the UK and am in social sciences, so my knowledge might be completely irrelevant, but here it is, for what it's worth. At my uni, there are different scholarships - ones awarded through a national government funded body and then the faculties also offer scholarships. The faculty ones are awarded on points - you get points for your grades, how many/types of degrees you have, work experience, umm, and I'm not sure what else - possibly references? potential? How hard you beg?;-)

Anyone else help? Obviously I've run out of steam!

Hi Montezuma

There are pros and cons of waiting to publish or publishing during your thesis. Publishing during your thesis can be time consuming and take you away from thesis work, thereby making your candidature a longer process. But publishing is good for your cv as others have said. I went to a seminar just today and the speaker said that increasingly, PhD students are expected to have published before they finish. This can be a little easier if you write with your supervisor and are second author - they then do the most and hardest part of the work! I also know of PhD students who haven't been given job interviews on the basis that they didn't have any publications.

But as Rick has mentioned, it takes a long time - a year is fast, and the writing can be time consuming. My first sole authored article took me literally hundreds of hours to do, as I had to completely rewrite twice for editors. I've done a couple of articles, and wrote these first, then made these into a chapter. It's a tedious, torturous process, but one we need to do.

Hi Robbie

I know lots of people on this forum keep notes of things as they go along, I don't quite do that. I only keep notes on things as I'm writing a particular piece of work or chapter. So, like you in your Masters, I read and incorporate what I'm reading into that chapter - I can't see the point of reading just randomly. I read for a specific purpose. As I'm reading and writing, I write a big 'done' on the front page of the article, and a couple of phrases so that I know what it's about, methodology used etc. Then I file all the relevant articles together, in separate boxes. I also keep the pdf of articles so I can find them again later. Then when I need to go back to material, I can easily flick through a pile of articles, know what they're about and find the relevant one. Then I can also find it on my computer to find the exact bit I need. This is all quite manual and not sophisticated, but it works for me and I know where things are and what they're about. I'm also in third year.

Glad this helped people! Yes, it is good - it's easier to keep going in short blocks. And getting the list of what you've done in those 25 minutes is also really interesting. Yesterday I noticed that it took me 2 hours to think about and work through one particular concept in a chapter, which translated just into 2 pars - no wonder writing up is taking me ages!

And at risk of offending mods by talking about another postgrad website, lately I've also been using the chat room at www.phinished.org. PhD students log in, work for 25 minutes - we all set our tomato timers - and then we all check in with each other. Having to be accountable to others online, as I study, makes me work really hard. People encourage each other at the end of each 25 minute block too - I have written more using this in the last little while than I have for ages.

Tricks we learn to get thru!

Hi Natassia

I agree with Bug, your family is your priority at the moment and don't worry about uni for a bit. Whenever I get really stressed and there are different priorities, I think, 'Will this matter in a year?' If not, then I don't continue with that particular thing. In your case, in a year's time, will it matter if you miss a course, which you might have to do later? Unlikely. But in a year's time, you might regret not spending time with your family now, particularly if this situation gets worse.

Take the pressure off yourself. Take time off, tell your sup, and be with your family. Family and friends are important, spend time with them when they need it. Hopefully this will make both you and your rellie in hospital feel better. Tale care.