Hello- I dont think it would be fair to say that one is 'better' than the other, but the University of Sheffield does have a more longstanding reputation. Saying that, it really depends on what you want to do and who you want to work with.

Hello- they are both pretty good universities I think. York has a really excellent reputation for political philosophy, so if you were thinking of doing a PhD in political philosophy then York might be better,(though it does have people obviously working in different areas as well) but thats just reputations I suppose. Durham is also good though, but I think it has more people working on things like security and IR (like David Kerr) than York. Its hard to say what impact the reputations of universities have on a PhD application- but I think most universities would maintain that PhD candidates are accepted on the basis of their academic record, proposal and 'fit' with the interests of potential supervisors. Sorry that this has probably not been a great deal of help, but I think its ultimately quite hard to say how important reputation is..

Hi Ju- I absolutely detested being placed in that position, so I know what you mean. It might be worth contacting the dept. to see how long they usually take considering applications, as it really does vary so much between different uni's and between dept.s in the same university. Unfortunately, I think that they may not be able to give you a concrete answer but perhaps just some indication from them, as you say, would be helpful. I applied to over 6 universities for funding and PhD's and spent most of the year losing my mind and definitely frightening postmen, but I really hope thats not the case for you!

Hello- sorry to keep this thread going, but I have a query thats a bit related to it. I have had depression and severe anxiety for a long time, but I've never told anyone in the department I'm in. Does anyone think its a good idea to let people know you have these kind of problems, and how do you think they would react? I'm obviously just a bit embarrassed about it, and feel pretty guilty about it too. But I've never been sure if telling anyone would be the right thing to do. Anyway, any thoughts people may have on it would be great.

Hello everyone- this all sounds quite familiar. I am also quite happy to work independently, but there are definitely certain things which I think (and the university thinks) supervisors should provide; feedback on chapters, organising transfer panels, dates, etc. But in my experience, none of these things have really materialised despite asking and asking about them. Perhaps I should be more insistent, I dont know, but am also unsure if the student will ultimately be held responsible if these things arent sorted, regardless of what it says in the student handbook. Sigh.

Hello again- that sounds pretty nasty. I havent had something the same as that happen, but seeing the internal world of academic politics (which I was not even aware existed) has opened my eyes since beginning a PhD. A lot of people seem to be particularly harsh with some research students/topics- and this is fair enough if the criticism is fair, but sometimes its because of personal reasons and/or internal politics. Like you say, the criticisms the researcher gave you were unfair and part of a personal vendetta or something with your supervisor, not you. I know its easier said than done, but try to ignore it- it sounds like your supervisor understands and is supportive, which is good, so might be worth speaking with them again if it keeps getting you down. Hope it gets better...

Hi somethingborrowed! Welcome to the forum- that sounds like quite a specific problem, is it something you've experienced and are trying to resolve? I think it would be easier for people to offer advice if they knew a little bit more about it....hope its not something that is ruining your PhD experience..

Posted last message before I read the last one!- yes, its mainly discussing our research and there will be no formal submissions of papers, hence my confusion. Thanks for your commments

That sounds like good advice 404, thank you. I think it is fairly informal and just an opportunity for departmental staff to talk with each other and stuff, so that should be okay. Thanks again.

Hello- by small scale I mean that it is only one day, it will probably just be attended by members of our department and not other depts, universities etc. I have tried asking people, sups etc., but am still not sure.

Hello everyone!- I've been looking through some past posts about this, but I cant seem to get it clear in my head. I have to present a 'paper' at a social sciences conference soon; the paper is not for publication as it is a strictly small-scale PhD affair, and papers will not be circulated beforehand. My question is: What exactly am I meant to be doing? Should I just prepare a 20 mins presentation on my subject, or should I actually write the paper and then come up with a presentation as well? It just seems slightly pointless to spend my time writing a paper no-one will read, and I ask because my paper is really an ongoing work in progress which will probably need further fieldwork to make it complete...Any advice very gratefully received, as always..

Oh, and there are also online Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) websites where you can do CBT for free and thats often helpful. One is moodgym, and is Australian, and there is another one that was set up by the Scottish national executive which is also good (and free). I should say that I'm not trying to give you advice on the 'best' way to resolve your problems, but am just saying what I've found helpful, so good luck..

Hello Nore- sorry to hear that you've been feeling down and depressed, it makes everything so much more difficult. You can probably find an extensive list of side-effects for anti-depressants online somewhere (maybe the NHS direct website). I've been taking them a long time and have it found it hard to come off them, but thats prob because I havent managed to address the underlying issues, and they have helped with low mood. Some people, (including me, unfortunately!) suffer from profuse sweating when taking them, but other people dont have any probs at all on them. Obviously they arent meant as a long term solution, but they can often help in the short term while people try and get counselling/therapy or whatever. I hope you manage to feel better soon

Hello again- I found getting a CDL a really worthwhile thing to do (especially as I wouldnt be doing what I am doing now without it); my PhD is looking at issues in East Asian security/IR and my BA was split between area studies and politics. Hope you manage to get the money (I think if one bank turns you down, there are two others which you can still apply to) and best of luck with the MA.

Hello- when I applied and did my MA (IR) in 2005-2006 I used a CDL loan to cover the fees and my rent, though repayments are pretty punishing. I presume its still the same, though it would be worth giving the CDL company a ring to check.