======= Date Modified 20 Jul 2009 15:30:20 =======

sounds like bullshitification to me !

Have you thought about speaking to the technicians directly and getting some idea about how soon the equipment may be fixed ?
If its not going to get fixed and the Uni are not going to be buying a new one then you don't have much choice but to explore using someone elses lab.

I suggest you have a meeting with your supervisor, and the technicians, and agree a plan of action with a timescale.

Perhaps, as a precursor to doing a PhD, you should use this opportunity to try out your interest in research, by doing some !

See, all you needed was a night off and a beer.
Don't whip yourself so hard !

You sound like you work best under pressure !

If you are paying your own way, I say....
Good for you.

If you are state or institution funded (i.e. tax payer), I say...
Get a bloody job.

If your parents are supporting you, I say...
She's grown up now, kick her arse out and tell her to get a bloody job.

Who has a post grad support group at their Uni ?
Do you make use of their services ?
Are they any good ?

I'm particularly interested in support groups for part-timers.

Let me know your experiences, please.

Can I add 2 pennyworth.

For a short essay, if you are trying to keep the word count down, I don't think there is so much need for the "tell em what you are going to tell them next".
Just get on with it.
Make sure that you have an introduction, a body and a conclusion.
The introduction sets the scene and demonstrates that you understand the context,
The body shows you understand the subject matter,
The conclusion shows that you can, well....., draw conclusions.

For a short essay i.e. 5k words - ish, you can assume the reader is taking it in a single sitting.
So you don't need flash backs & flash forwards, just make sure there is logical narrative flow.

In reports, you often see a section starting with "In the last section, we saw that..........."
and then a summary of something that you have only just read, a few seconds before.

This is fine in a 100k word Thesis but is unecessary padding in a short report.
After all, if the reader needs to revisit a previous section, they can do it for themselves.

The above is based on 20 years experience writing technical reports in industry where even 5k would be considered "a bit wordy".

Remember, "Brevity is the soul of Wit".

I'm with you Sleepy.
Definitely A.
Wouldn't waste my time on S.

Works out less than min wage.

Think I would say thanks but no thanks.
Then get a part time job at a bar.

Of course, if it is teaching experience you are after, then the pay doesn't really come into it ?

I would suggest that you select the course whose syllabus best reflects the areas you wish to get into.
Also, if you wish to use the Masters as a qualification to enter one of the institutions then check to see which course is accredited for that institution.
I wouldn't worry too much about the title MA or MSc.

Do you use Endnote as as add on to Word ?

======= Date Modified 14 18 2009 20:18:45 =======
======= Date Modified 14 14 2009 20:14:29 =======
Sure its been asked before but....hey,ho! What is the best word processing package for preparing your Thesis ???

I've seen Endnote discussed. Is it worth getting separately or is the referencing good enough in the latest Word.
I've heard people saying don't use Word for your Thesis and instead recommend Latex or some such.
But I think the new word is much better.
Any opinions ??

I'm just starting out but I would like to start off on the right foot, as it were.
I thought it would be especially useful to get my citations from the lit. review correct from the start.

I'm doing an EngD so I will need software that can cope well with equations.

Any recommendations??