it's not really about pleasing your supervisor, it's about publishing your work and writing a thesis of publishable quality at the end of it.

i would send a paper to a conference (admitedly you need you sup's permission), and learn from the reviewers' comments.

if it gets accepted your sup should start believing in you. if you get a bad response from the reviewers you know you need to be more productive or pull out.

i felt useless the whole of year 1 until i had my first paper accepted to an international conference and then i knew where my intellect slotted into the phd plane.

Nearly all people with/studying PhD's are bonkers.

Why would any sane person do one?

I also joined this forum during the writing up phase.

Twas a good way to procrastinate, and is often the time when you're at your lowest eb.

Welcome...

Usually, if you do an MSc and get a distinction, your chances of PhD funding are significantly increased. If you do the MSc at the same Uni as you want to do the PhD, you get yourself known, which also increases chances.

Also I found the knowledge I gained in my MSc really helped during the PhD.

The purpose of the transfer is to ensure that you'll pass two/three years down the line. They have to be harsh for this reason. These safeguards are a good idea so be thankful that they are testing your work and future plans in depth.

After my tranfer I thought the examiner was a complete b'stard, but I now realize he was just doing his job properly.

Would you prefer they just say well done and pat you on the head for you to go on the same way and then fail after three years?

All these experiences help you become tough-skinned, which is an essential trait for a researcher, unfortunately?

Dress smartly - wear a suit.

Sound keen, honest, smile. Answer the questions asked. Relate your academic/work experiences to their requirements. Show them that you are an ideal fit for the work they're expecting you to do.

Arrive early. Get a good night's sleep. Eat properly.

good luck

i used to do 168 per week. However, now ive finished i do 0 - yippeee


Seriously, 60 in yrs 1-2 and 80 in final year(s) should do the trick.

Thanks for all the congratulation messages.

It's beginning to sink in now that I really did do all that work and pass - I'm amazed when I (try to) re-read the thesis!

I will stick around this forum (if welcome) and offer any advice for those still banging their head on the PC screen!

- Good Luck!

After 4 years of intense pressure, it's all over and I have my PhD!

Although I feel overjoyed, my life seems rather empty now.

It would be interesting to hear how others felt after they finished and had to vacate their student desk.

I have 9 friends, who are really close:

chapter 1
chapter 2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9

However I have fallen out with no.5, but dating no.8

If you give me £1000, I will fill it in

What psych students usually do is offer £5 per candidate. ie minimum wage.

Also you can put it on the web and send the link to this forum !!!

What makes you tick? Do you need a PhD for your dream job? Are you motivated by money or the chance of free thinking?

From the PhD you can expect a personality modification. You will almost go mad, and it is bloody hard work, as your work is now being evaluated on the world stage.

However if you pass, it is the best feeling in the world. Even better than sex

unemployed and unemployable

i guess they're after other interests you have that support your application. eg.:

1. like chess tournaments
2. like reading books by Freud
3. like dissecting monkey's brains
4. good at leading teams as shown by my xyz activity

etc.

It's got to be better with a string of publications to your name, however MUST you have publications to pass the viva? I think not.

However, if I were you, I would take 3 years and get 2 conferences accepted before you submit. I would also submit a journal before your viva, and then you can put them in your thesis contributions section as "submitted". Even though it may be rejected !!

This is just my opinion though - how many papers are typical for phd students in your field? Personally i want to enter the viva knowing i should pass, rather than feeling borderline, so taking say 4 years to get some publications makes for an easier life.

good luck

By the way, i had a 50% success rate with submitting conferences, so keep sending them out and some will go through !!!