Whoo Sue you sound more energised now that you've had a break! Just what you needed I suspect! Good luck with the rest of your 2nd draft, you'll get there!! I had a word with my supervisor about the examiner, he said it's fine, if the internal is the evil guys sup then he'll see what he's really like soon enough, and besides he's a very nice guy, very professional. So I'm happy enough with that, I knew he was a nice guy, which is partly why we selected him, but I just needed to hear it from my own supervisor! So back to the task at hand!!I have decided I'm going to be happy and try and enjoy the last few months as a student, it's going to be potentially the last time I'll be able to structure my own days and now have to answer to anybody, cos after this it's time for a 'real' job! So my head is firmly stuck in the sand and I'm determined to be ok!

:)

nice one Wally! This week I'm aiming to get the last of the data gathering sorted for one of my studies, then I can start on firing it all into Spss and seeing what it means. I also got accepted for the NERC/BES policymakers workshop next week so I have to prepare something for that by Thursday. I'll be finished my methods chapter by the end of today. So that's 2 chapters done (awaiting corrections for the lit review, ugh) and a third nearly done. Today I choose to feel ok about the work I ahve to do, I will not let myself panic!

the Giant Cabbage was so nervous they'd get caught he kept squirting out a little trail of brussel sprouts behind them...(sprout)

I know someone who tried to self fund in an ecology phd, no chance, she ended up having to leave with an MPhil as she couldn't afford to stay any longer. In sciences the expense is much greater due to the cos of fieldwork and experiments, I know for my own project running one set of samples costs nearly £1000 in total when sampling, preparation and running costs (reagents etc) are combined! For 50uL of standard its about £300 so I'd have no hope! Living costs are dear enough to contend with when self funding, us lab people are greatly reliant on our supervisors lab budget to see us through, my own PhD stipend would only cover my 1st years work!

Oh Gosh Joyce I just saw your reply there now, I'm so sorry I don't know how I missed that :$
I think you are right 100% though which is why when we have those kinds of arguments I end up getting really frustrated if I don't know what to do. It's not always me backing down, we have had several talks about 'big' things where we have had different opinions on things and have been able to compromise or come to an agreement on them quite well, and he's backed down a fair few times himself. I think sometimes he just doesn't get how these little things get to me. He is so matter-of-fact, he'll say something and perhaps not think how it sounds. He's getting much better at it though, that was one of the things that we had argued about when we broke up last year (but he was writing up then and extremely stressed, which I'm starting to properly understand) and I can see he's really making a conscious effort to think how I'll react to things. I think I baffle him a little bit to be honest! I couldn't imagine not being with him in the future, he is the kindest most loyal person I know, even with his flaws, but then we all have some!

LOVE it!!! I'd love to see you pulling some moves at a party now sneaks!! :D

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lol sneaks I think I'll get that just dance cd and see how I get on! :) I think he'd be up for that actually, no crowds of drunk people bashing into him, just me! Should be fine! Thanks for the advice, I had a chat and it's sorted, he was really very nice about it. I see him this weekend and apparently there's a special treat in store so it's not all bad :-) I think I've just listened to my Dad go on so much about how easy it is for relationships to devolve into a fight for control and manipulation that I get paranoid sometimes, silly I know but I'm working on it!
and yes, we are both over 25, and he is even more stubborn than me!

I just cleaned my flat Emaa, sometimes that helps dispel the fury! My goal for tonight is to get this chapter done! I'm so close, just can't bring myself to do it! ridiculous! I can also hear strange moaning noises from the flat below which doesn't help.....

:$

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Goodboy if you had read Natassia's previous thread on her PhD application you would know that the PhD she is accepted for is the exact one she wanted, in the univeristy she wanted, with the supervisor she wanted.  There is little funding available but she is able to apply for some later in the year and has thought through the implications of doing a self funded PhD thoroughly. I have no doubt Natassia would be accepted for funding were it available, but I don't see why she should have to go elsewhere to a PhD that is not her first choice solely for having it be funded when she has already weighed up her options and decided she can self fund for now.  Surely it is more likely a PhD candidate will drop out in a self funded position, due to running out of money or the extra stresses of having to work to fund the PhD, and are therefore a less reliable candidate to a supervisor than a funded student. The issue is not whether this is a self funded PhD or not here but whether Natassia has been accepted, which I think she has, so again Natassia, congrats and good luck.

thanks guys, I don't feel so bad about posting now after that Keep_Calm :-)
We have been together nearly 4 years, and its always been a bit long distance due to him living in a different city, but mostly so for about 2 years now, maybe a bit more. I don't really want to go into specifics, it's all little things, which really might not be important, but I've always got hung up on the little things anyway, think that's just who I am, as annoying as it is. One example, we don't always like to do the same things, such as going out. I love dancing, since I was about 5 years old and making up my own little dance routines, and I love going out to clubs. Not raving now, just normal dancing, especially with my boyfriend, it's nice dancing with a boy! He on the other hand, doesn't like it, and when he has to go along to something he doesn't like, he behaves like a spoiled child and sits sulking and letting everyone know he's having a miserable time. So I said ok, he doesn't have to come with me, except on my birthday cos it's important to me that he comes then. Then last year coming up to my birthday he made such a fuss about going, and about me having a party that I gave in and told him to just come the next day. So he wasn't even out for my birthday last year cos of it. My mates were raging but I just let it pass. Then recently I suggested to him that perhaps if we both make an effort to do things that the other likes, it might not be so bad. Like I'll so something he likes that I'm not really fussed on, and he can come out with me occasionally. I though if we both did something, then it might not seem like he's selling his soul if he comes out dancing with me sometimes! Then said it was as if I would only do something nice for him if i get something in return....which is not what I meant at all and he knows me so he should know that. It's mostly just things like that really...I changed my hair colour and he told me he didn't like it and that I wasn't pretty and he told me not to do it again.
We went through a really rough patch early last year and broke up briefly but ended up getting back together, over the same kinds of things, only worse. I'm really quite independent so when he tries to tell me what to do I get really annoyed and we argue but then he makes it like that's not what he meant and I get confused! It's just that everything is great otherwise, and I'm not sure if I'm overreacting or if it's all little subtle things that are actually bad. I just don't think I'm brave enough to break up with him again in case it's the wrong decision.

Hi guys
Sorry to bring this up on PGF but I'm really turning myself round in circles trying to figure this one out and I figured saying as there have been 'boy' topics covered before this might be ok.... As some of you know I'm in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend. He is great in many ways, while we are two very different people and have very different views on lots of things. I generally like that he's different, I tend to get bored if I'm not challenged by something (possibly hence doing the PhD and trying to make up my own job...) but there are some things that I don't like. They are usually relatively small things that when I think about it, I can see where he's coming from, but I still don't agree. These usually tend to be things about how he treats me and what he values as important in a relationship.
Several of my friends have mentioned that he's not treating me right and don't be with me when he's there as they don't get on. It's not a situation where I have to choose between them thankfully, but it can be difficult. The thing is, we argue when these things happen and every time we do I'm left wondering if I'm doing the right thing by staying with him. I usually end up trying to ignore how I'm feeling about stuff and trying to accept his point of view, but I think the problem is that I really don't believe it or agree with him. I really don't want to break up with him, but all these arguments are really getting me down, I'm losing time working and generally feeling like crap every time it happens. Which can be quite often.
So I guess I'm just wondering what you guys think, is it something I should just try to get used to or should I listen to my friends? Sorry again for sticking it on the forum, just massively confused this week!

Welcome to the thread Montezuma! As my supervisor told me when I asked if it was possible to submit on time, it's only up to you! You have most of your thesis written, all you can do is keep blasting on at it and give it your best shot.
MaltildaL I hope you took your evening off, you deserve a break now and again otherwise it will just feel like one big long slog!!
I'm trying to do a bit of work at home this morning but my neighbour in the flat downstairs is soo noisy!! Also starting to freak out a little about my internal examiner, I found out during the week that he's now a supervisor for a guy I had to work with in the past and who I really don't get on with. He's a total bully, I had so many issues with him and he left me crying so much I ended up having to go to my own supervisor about it. Now I'm a bit worried he might get talking to my external and I'll end up having an awful viva....this guy really is that bad! But I'm trying not to worry about it too much!!

Hi there, I think you can submit and then start your masters course in another uni ok, pretty much the same as starting a job in another place before you do your viva. However you may not be able to defer your viva until after your MSc. Can you not just do the viva during your masters when you get a date from your examiners?

Hi Wally, this is something I've been thinking about a lot, for the past year or so! I really enjoy my PhD and if I could get a postdoc to continue on my research then I'd take it I think, especially as I's starting to use different techniques that I'd love to learn more about. I always wanted to be a lecturer in a uni, I have such a passion for the teaching side of it and working with student, but I've been put off by the amount of emphasis and pressure put on research and publishing papers. I think the teaching side suffers greatly due to this.
I also think there need to be much more done in improving non-academics knowledge of science and how research is done and how it affects policy. So I would just love if I was to get a job working as an intermediary between policymakers, the public and and academia. And working with children and community groups in an outreach capacity. I'm not sure if this job actually exists but I'm gona try and make it up as I go along I think!! :-)