thanks teek! stars all round btw ;-)

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hmmmm....I've been thinking about this one Eska for a while and I'm not relly sure I can say anything more than what's already been said. Essentially, what happens in the end will be down to your niece's reaction if you go. I think you should go if it's important to you, I don't think I could handle not going if it was me. I agree with Joyce that it would be good to let your niece know that you are going so she isn't caught off guard, hopefully it will give her time to try and consider why it's important to you to be there as well. If she seems ok with you going then great, but if not, then you don't have to spend any time with her, you can keep out of her way just so long as you are there. And definitely take some friends. Good luck with it and I hope your situation is resolved soon.

pfffff.....as much as i agree with you wally and hate politics and all the complete guff politicians spew out on a daily basis, I think it's time people got a bit more interested in what's going on. I think the current dire state is partly due to too little interest being taken in politics and no-one really getting/caring about what's going on so politicians have been able to get away whatever takes their fancy a lot....and as a result, there isn't a single decent candidate for this years election. Seriously, there isn't one of those eejits I'd want to run the country. But that's never going to change until people get involved. I just don't know if I have the resolve to face it yet....

That's brilliant new Chrisrolinski, just what you needed to hear I'd imagine!! You should wear that blush proudly! I don't have much in the way of rays of light except that I've found out that I can go to live with my boyfriend when I'm writing up so I'm super chuffed with that! (up)

Hi Keep_calm, I'm glad you got the first reading of the comments out of the way. You're right, you do have to be brave to sit and take whatever they fire at you, but take heart in that usually what they say is likely to improve your paper. I had worse criticism from one of my supervisors than I did from reviewers for my first paper which forced me to grow a very think skin fast. I posted about it here somewhere, he can be really quite nastly when he wants to be. The two reviewers were very different inthe style of comments, one was extremely thorough with a fe pages of comments, while one gave just 2 paragraphs, so it does depend a lot on who the reviewer is and it's not necessarily always a true reflection of your work.
So take a break over Easter, enjoy your easter egg, try not to think about work and come back to it with a fresh mind, you might feel much better about it then :-)

bloody better be worth it....:p

I think even if we don't go on into a job in academia though, having done the phd will be worth it for all the little life lessons you get from it, plus you'll not have to look back and think 'if I had done a phd would I be in a better position...'. I have been told that post-docs are worse than phds for stress, time wise etc but I think a lot of that depends on yourself, the job you've got, and your supervisor and I think a lot of the issues regarding working later, not switching off etc are true for many non-academic jobs as well. Even when I was working in various jobs throughout school and my undergrad I had to step in when people called in sick, work (unpaid) overtime, miss lunch breaks and all that fun stuff, and it certainly wasn't as interesting to me as science is!:-)

Aww thanks guys, I love this forum!
I totally agree with what everyone's been saying actually. 404, you're right that in a lot of cases being in a long distance relationship can be more of a struggle than anything else at times, but if it's a constant struggle then I that's when I think something has to change, just as if you were struggling through a relationship where you see each other regularly. There will always be plenty of arguments and things that get misunderstood, but it's important to be able to distinguish which are due simply to being frustrated at the distance and which are actually about the relationship. But Teek you're totally right in saying that you can't dismiss a relationship just because it's long distance, and being forced to fit into a way of life that's not really what you want for the sake of a relationship would totally change me into a right resentful oul nag!
Thank you Wally for that wonderfully comprehensive reply, Bob Hoskins was right when he said it's good to talk indeed! Altho my boyf apparently 'isn't good on the phone'...or so he says! :-)
To clarify, if I was lucky enough to get this 3 month post, then I would still be seeing my boyfriend once a month as we do now, those 2 lovely days in an otherwise dreary landscape! Or I could possibly see him more as I'll not be in the lab/office most weekends...it's more of a case of him being disappointed that I'll not actually be living there for those 3 months I think that's got him a bit off, but I'm also disappointed and feeling rather guilty that I might have to change plans so I do have a tendency to overthink things...He would never in a million years stop me doing something that was important to my career, and we have both agreed that as the first job is usually the hardest to get, we'll do what it takes to get it and hopefully be able to get a job int he same place afterwards. Hence he will now be postdoc-ing in France for 2 years while I finish and hopefully get my first job. Which, while it's difficult to be apart, we both know is important to do if we want to have a chance of a future together. SO!
Some good news though: I met my lovely supervisor yesterday in the corridor and he said he doesn't care where I do my writing up so long as the words are coming and I meet my deadlines, so I'll be off to live with my boyfriend for the last few months of the PhD! That should make things easier!!

ooh i so know that feeling! I've got to go out tonight too as a friend is home and I have loads of work to do today and just can't concentrate on anything! Not much we can do about it I suppose, except chocolate treats for each properly finished tomato!!

Hi folks
I was just wondering how those of us in relationships cope with changing ideas for the future and their partners reactions, or even if anyone else has been in this situation, I'm not really sure what I can do about it....My boyfriend and I are pretty serious, talk about marriage and children and all that, but having been doing things long distance for the past few years has taken its toll. I would love nothing more than to hop on over to the country he's living in when I'm finished and work there alongside him (he's postdoc-ing there for the next 2 years) but there are really no jobs there for me, short of waitressing. So, it looks like I will have to take a job anywhere I can get really, there aren't many (ie. any) jobs anywhere for me at the moment.
I'm trying not to freak out as I still have 6 months until I finish and was planning to stay over with him for a month or so when I'm finished while I'm viva prepping. I'm moving home in a few months to save enough money to do this as I'll not be able to work in his country when I'm there. However, I've decided to apply for a training post for 3 months that will be starting when I'm finished, and if I got it, it would be amazing for boosting my employability and my supervisor is all for it. My boyfriend doesn't sound so pleased though as I think he's a bit miffed that it means I can't go over and stay with him like planned.
I'm just not sure what I can do about it, it's not like I want to stay apart but this is too good an opportunity to not apply for it....just wondered if anyones been in a similar situation!

well if you love volcanoes you have to go to iceland! although at the moment it might not be a great idea what with the recent eruption and all that, but it's an amazing place! We went there a few years ago just before the country went bust and it's so beautiful, the geysers and the ot springs and the landscape...I'd love to go back!

mmm personally I'd say that if you want to do cutting-edge research along with lecturing, the phd is essential. Of course you acan always try going to the company you did placement for, but it's unlikely you'll get much time to work on your own stuff in 'work hours' so I'd imagine you would be putting an a lot of extra time. For teaching, you can try getting onto some classes in the tech, a formal teaching qualification isn't required there, but to teach in a uni, you'll almost always need a phd (in fact i think it's pretty essential, but I could be wrong...). I'd say go for the phd if it's what you really want to do, although it could take a while finding the right one. Don't take one that you aren't really interested in, although one that is very similar to what you want to do could be an option if it's your only hope. It's great if your girlfriend is able to move with you, you need to decide between you if a long distance relationship is something you'd consider, it is do-able, although very difficult at times, and it's a great motivator for getting the thing finished on time!
but ultimately, it's entirely your choice as only you know how you really feel about things. One important thing though, you can always do a phd, there is no rush to get one now, so take your time and think it over fully.

oooh italy!! I'd so love to spend a few weeks travelling around, visiting different cities, eating amazing food and drinking amazing wine.....and all along the amalfi coast is just stunning (according to my mum)!!

congratulations jinkim! you've been flat out here for ages so you deserve a holiday, especially submitting early! I can only dream.... :-) Good luck for the viva and make sure you have a lovely holiday and relax first!

ah Bilbo that's brilliant!! I'm so pleased for you, you worked so so hard! Enjoy that easter egg and champagne, I'll be thinking of you when I'm tucking into my egg on Sunday! (up)

btw if ur going to try the computer restore, go to start, control panel, systems and system restore, assuming it's a windows PC you have and not a Mac