What do you want for Christmas:

a) a Belford PhD
b) a bumper pack of mooncups
c) a date with the forum team
d) a date with coastman

Or failing that, a hip flask of whisky. Quick snifter banishes the chills remarkably well. I work at home, but still find a little tot of something about this time helps to cheer things up, I just have to pretend I've been out in the rain.

goretex

I think you need to learn to pace yourself. There is no doubt that a PhD has lots of ups and downs, and believe me you will have phases later on where nothing is going right and all you do is watch daytime TV. BUT, just as just as no one is making you go into the library, there is no one to make you go home. Some people may be able to cope with sustained periods of intense effort followed by a complete break, but others will need to have more balance. If you are feeling the strain already you need to work on setting yourself boundaries and getting a balance between PhD and life. The books arent going to go away, just make a note of which ones you want to come back to and go off and do something else instead. And after all its important to have time to cogitate - when you are doing other things and not thinking about PhD stuff at all, somewhere in the back of your mind things are still ticking over and processing stuff you've read. err, or at least that is what i tell myself ...

aaargh! Titles! I find titles really difficult.

I'd agree with Ann that whatever you use now is unlikely to end up being the title of your finished thesis. I still have no idea what my title is going to be but I do know it won't be the one I used in my proposal. But I can see the need to have something catchy even so - more so if it is for funding rather than getting a place. You could always play around with that old social science staple the colon - 'Technicians, an endangered species: ..... something that makes clear you are looking at education'.

so sorry FF, as if the miscarriage wasnt bad enough sounds as though you had a horrible experience with the hospital. do hope you have someone to give you lots of TLC at the moment.

Piglet have you been on the wine again?

So what's the average number of references everyone has got then?

re the pages thing, if you mean how to get them in the in text citatin, have you got 'cited pages' included as a field for the citation in your output style? Tho TBH I have gone with putting page numbers in the suffix box as it seems easier to manage.

I'd agree. Look at it the other way - if you say no, it might make it look as though you are not really committed to doing a PhD, you just happened to see this advertised and thought you'd chuck in an application. Indicating that you are applying for a number, in the same area, suggests this a PhD what you REALLY want to do, and that you have done your research on the field.

You can always emphasis in your covering letter that this is the one that is your first choice.

euuuugh!

all yours DJW

maybe stop coming home at 8pm every night and start behaving like a proper PhD student - lots of day time TV, web surfing, and eating of chocolate biscuits

Ophiucus, so you would like to end up back studying for your PhD with the same supervisor? I'm just wondering why you havent looked into changing supervisors/departments/institutions if it is that bad. Cos even if your supervisor does end up getting a slap on the wrist, it's not going to change their personality. I mean I applaud your attempts to fight 'the system', but I can't help thinking that you are setting yourself up to be a sacraficial lamb

Piglet I like the sound of your system. Wow, an external involved right the way through, then a couple of high up academics looking at your thesis as examiners. That sounds like a great way of getting your research 'out there'.

Bibi, thanks, yup, reckon I should've been more assertive earler, but now i am on drafts of stuff I hope will be proper chapters I am going to insist on some red pen.

Good luck to everyone with upcoming vivas

juno, no, no worries, it just got me thinking about how much i have changed since I started this PhD - and not for the best

people being territorial, tell me about it. Mugs - if you use someone elses mug it is like you shagged their boyfriend/girlfriend.

what are you hoping to get out of all this? You don't *have* to appeal against the result of the orginal complaint. this isnt a comment about the rights and wrongs of your situation, but what were you hoping to get out of a complaint, what are you hoping to achieve by pursuing it?