I've got a meeting with my supervisors on Monday, so I'll tell them I have 12 tomatoes a day (and that that's considered around about okay) and see what they say to that.

I don't watch Coronation Street any more because when I see the characters Roy Cropper and Norris Cole, I'm worried that I'm looking into my future. In fact, I may as well just accept it and join a UFO spotting society, collect stamps, extend my collection of Clark's shoes, wear corduroys and, well, just buy a wax jacket, wellies and Robin Reliant.

I'm not sure about doing well, personally, Sneaks. It would appear that, in my haste to use yet another questionnaire development technique, I never actually thought about exactly how I was going to analyse, present and clearly show how I am going to use said data to inform my decision making. And, I think because I'm being punished for being an evil dictator in a past life, it appears that there are no clear guidelines on how to do this - doh! So it looks like I'll be using dubious data matrix displays recommended by Miles and Hubermann (1994) and just hoping for the best. Never mind...:$

I can see this thread being really helpful. Goal number 1 = establish mode of analysis for my cognitive interviews and begin it.

Goal number 2 = Ask someone in the know whether doing 12 tomatoes a day is good for PhD work? Anyone?

I think you make some really valid points in your excellent post, pjlu. There was a time when I would have agreed very strongly with what you say. I think one is in a very privileged position if they can pursue a career that involves intellectual freedom and recognition for their work. But, maybe because I'm getting old and bitter, I don't think that the life of an academic can be like that any more, not with (sorry to sound simplistic) all the changes that are taking place.
How naive of me now, but I started my PhD because I really believed that with more qualifications, I could earn more money and hopefully a better lifestyle. I come from a very poor background but my uncle did a PhD many years ago, started out in academia and has gone on on to develop a very lucrative career. I thought I could have some of that if I did the same. And now I get told by everyone I meet 'oh, you'll never be wealthy as a researcher' and so on. Truth is, I don't want to be wealthy, but I want to enjoy my career and not always have to worry about money like I do now. I'd eventually like my own car and my own place. I honestly don't think I'll be able to do that with academia. I have this horrible notion of lots of post-docs and short term contracts in many different places, never being able to just settle down. So I feel that, however exciting it may be to be creative, inventive, add to human knowledge in my own little way and be recognised for it (sorry if that sounds a bit self-important), I'm not doing it if I have to live in Glasgow for 2 years, then Slough for a further 3 and so on.
I enjoy teaching and I enjoy (a lot of the time) my research, but I'll be certain to see if I can get anywhere within the private sector when I eventually graduate. As much as I'll feel like I'm selling the skills I have and won't get to publish, at least I'll hopefully have a secure job with a good income. I feel a bit sorry about it all, but I really can't be doing with wondering whether I'll have a job from one year to the next.
:-)

I do miss Garryck, and it's unfortunate that the thread was removed. For instance, Garryck on his view of how family life should be: 'Nappy changing, feeding, this would take the gloss off sex and bring some reality into boy and girlfriend relationships. This would create stability and protect girls from unwarranted sexual attention; boys would respect them more (To the parents relief). I do not approve of untrained teachers teaching children how to put a condom on3, this undignifies the whole subject and relates in no way to parenthood studies.' I'd love to have spoken to him more about his polices.

Take a look here, as Glasgow are involved with TESOL: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/languagecentre/staff/ York is a good bet too, so get in touch with them using the contacts on this page: http://www.york.ac.uk/depts/educ/gsp/matesol.htm And then there's Lancaster as well. Take a look here for the e-mail you need: http://www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/study/masters/contact.htm The numbers for the important staff you need to talk to are on the pages so if they don't respond to your e-mails, ring them directly.

By the sounds of it, you have your funding, so they'll be very interested. I'm not being funny or anything, but you've got a Master's so you must be very bright and determined to succeed. Use your initiative and have more faith in yourself . Good luck (up):-)

Just had to post on this thread before going to bed. Rebel, it's not all that glum; have a look here: http://www.vitae.ac.uk/policy-practice/1390-205101/More-than-70-of-employers-would-welcome-more-applications-from-doctoral-researchers-a-new-study-finds.html

I quite like the Vitae website.

I've been through everything you describe and, yes, it was quite recent. Only I was the one that moved out. I can't really add to the excellent advice that you've already been given. Not to state the obvious, but it really is a life-changing situation. It's going to sting for a while but, based on my own experience, things do get easier. You'll probably get the urge to speak to old friends you haven't heard from in ages - I did. You'll want to speak to lots of your friends about what happened, your hopes and fears - I did at least. And, not to sound odd (but this is what happened to me), you might start to question your own self-worth, self-perceived faults and what you did wrong. Avoid doing this if you possibly can. There is never a right time, but right in the middle of an academic course is particularly bad I think. Because, the way I viewed it, your life carries on in exactly the same way as before the breakup but minus your partner - it's hard to change things in your life when you can be so restricted.
What I did was get in touch with lots of friends, spoke to them about it and got a lot of advice from them. You do, as Teek said, start to realise how much of your self-identity you've lost being dedicated to one person. Even now, I still feel very unsure of myself and am quite shy and reserved - I'm not quite who I was before I became so involved with someone, but things do get easier. Also, do take up some new hobbies, buy yourself some new clothes and change your surrounding as is practical. You have an exciting future, bags of potential. You can go on to be what you want, do what you want and there's nothing holding you back.
Just try and take things one day at a time to begin with, and don't forget all the people you have in your life who can help you. Take care and best wishes.

I think that it's really good that you've done a lot of reading around to show an awareness of the field of research and who the main players are. However, save the feelings of uncertainty you have for your first year - it's the danger of reading too much in such a short space of time. Perhaps you can save the questions of uncertainty you have now for the interview and bring them up their. It'll help show that you've really given the research project a lot of thought and not just crammed your head with facts. Obviously, other questions that come up will probably include things like, 'why do you want to do a PhD?' What interests you about about this project in particular, and so forth. Will you have to give a short presentation? If so, practice your presenting skills with friends. Also, search this forum, because a lot of other people have asked the same question in the past, and a lot of other people have given far better advice than me. Good luck! (up)

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I think we need a new light hearted thread that we can have a laugh on. All this talk of politics and possible coup de tat by the Legal Eagle on one of the other threads whilst listening (by accident!) to Sigur Ros (and imagining baby penguins falling over - I don't know why that band makes me imagine that) almost made me start to blub. Denis Norden is still alive I think, so I can't hope to replace the wizened master of funnies on BBC 1. Harry Hill seems to have conquered ITV's attempt at the funny bloopers people make with his You've Been Framed (repeated daily). And, that bloody Russel Brand (I don't know who I hate more, him or Darius) seems to have conquered Channel 4. So, I've decided to start a thread on funny PhD-related blunders. I have quite a few, so I'll start with two of my best one's that happened whilst I was doing my field work.

This one a couple of months ago now...

Picture the scene. I've got my room at a hospital waiting for my first participant to be persuaded by a helpful consultant to engage in my research. Well, I don't know what medication she was on, but she walked in and I thanked her for her help and asked her to sit down. "Well, it's mi water doctor". Oh... Not one of my most lucid participants that one.

Then today.

I've started my work with patient participants again today. The consultant was in a bit of a mood and not being particularly helpful to begin with. I thought, how can I butter her up and make her more, umm, what's the NHS buzz word...concordant? I said to her: "I'm orally presenting at a major conference and for all your help with getting patients [I know, it's sick, but I need my data!] I've made you a co-author. Is that okay with you".

"Well thank you very much 'peasucker'! Well done on getting to present at that conference - a major achievement. Do you want a toffee [she really said that and proffered a box of chocolates] I'll look at your abstract on the conference website."

Oh b****r I thought...

"Peasucker, my name's not on the abstract"

"Yeah, but no, but yeah...um...It's on the actual presentation... That, tha, that was done months ago. I'll e-mail you the presentation - you'll see."

"Well, I'll let you off this time. Thanks"

So, there's two of my bloopers as a professional researcher in training.

Hi Catalina, welcome to PGF. I think you've missed some of the words in your thread out, so I can't quite make out what you're trying to ask. I presume that you're already doing a PhD but want to transfer to a uni in Europe to continue doing your PhD. I'm not an expert but I would imagine that that is a very complicated process. What country are you in? Have you told your supervisor that you wish to transfer? Is funding not an issue? I'm not aware of any websites that will help you with all the issues involved in transferring your PhD from one country to another.

Actually, there's a free online community that will proof read your work, including journal articles and theses, for free. So, as skint students, we don't need to pay for your services. And £12 for 500 words? My supervisor checks mine for free!

Here it is everyone: http://puffread.com/puffread/open//menu/puffread/index.html

www.findaphd.com

I've stopped swimming until the Easter Holidays for the school kids are over. It's like monkey section of Knowsely Safari Park underwater. They scream, shout and dive bomb, which ruins a relaxing swimming experience. Hmph, so I'll have to wait a couple of weeks until they're back at school.