I'm *hopefully* starting a new job in a couple of weeks - I'm just waiting for the contract to appear and, until I've signed that, I'm always a bit nervous that it won't happen! Anyway, I am leaving academia for industry. I didn't start my PhD wanting to do that, I was sure an academic career was for me but my confidence has been battered, I've been pretty lonely all the way through and worked my absolute socks off! The thought of following post-doc positions around the world (should I be lucky enough to get one in the first place) for the same sort of experience does not appeal! I just do not have the intelligence, I have to work flipping hard to 'get' something that everyone else seems to understand with ease and the job i am going to is very team project led, fast paced and project turnover is high. Oh, and having done it before I know I like it! In addition the PhD will help progress my career at a faster pace.

As for my PhD experience, I've loved it (a bit), I've loathed it, I have had severe anxiety and (brief) elation and thanks for the experience, but no more please! It has made me realise I reckon I can cope with most that a 'normal' job can throw at me and that should get my confidence back. I can now manage my supervisor (worked that one out about 3 months from the end)/ write a thesis (not much use now)/ survive a viva (ditto). A big good luck to everyone on their PhD path, and it's worth it in the end!!!
:-)

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Hi Stuff,
Any chance of Q&As.
Bye, Chuff :-)
Many congrats by the way. (up)

Chuff, you mean viva Q & As?

Very thesis specific, a lot of the questions were aimed at getting me to recall a section of my thesis, I guess so they could check I had written it and expand on theories I had mentioned. I wasn't asked specifically about certain papers etc. but I did sometimes recall them to back up my argument. If I was unsure of something I asked for a minute or so to think it through. That was fine. I also said 'I'm not sure' quite a lot! They weren't trying to catch me out, just wanted to know themselves.

I was actually asked a lot 'if I could have done something differently with this method what would I have done', why I did what I did in that order, what things that had gone wrong that were under my control and what had happened that had been out of my control (fieldwork) why I had written my thesis up chronologically (to check I could link my arguments and develop my research in a logical manner), in what order would I publish papers from it and why (I guess so I knew what part of my thesis I considered most important).

I had students to help with fieldwork and they also wanted to know exactly what they had done, although I had mentioned it in my declaration at the front.

I was asked at the end, they almost forgot to ask, what my original contribution was. I have several so I told them what was original in what I considered to be order of importance. They liked that!
It was a long 3 hour viva and the length of it worried me but at the end I realised it was because they were both very interested in what I had done and urged me to publish what wasn't already done, asap. I did stutter and confuse myself a fair bit but it was fine and they were encouraging. I was in tears the night before from fear that I could have wasted all that time but my viva prep was good (read thesis, wrote all over it etc.) I also changed a small argument that I had written and said myself I thought it was a bit rubbish and that was viewed as fine, I clearly had still been thinking about improving my work which was looked on very favorably.

Bit of an essay, hope that helps, feel free to ask any specific questionsa you may have whilst it's still in my head!

Hi Stuff,
Yes that's what I meant. Thanks for sharing. No specific questions, your story is great, really gets the feel of it.. just as if we were there.
Congrats again, Chuff