Another vote for smart casual. And don't wear flip flops. I did at a massive (3000+) conference earlier this year, and I think I was the only one there not is shoes or trainers!

I was interviewed for a post doc around this time last year and didn't get the post. I've seen it readvertised with an identical advert, which I assume means whoever got the post has quit after 1 year (it's a three year project). The feedback I got from the interview was vague to say the least ..."It wasn't anything you did, it just came down to who came accross best o the day."

my reasons to apply are - well I need a job asap. It's an interesting project that I'm well suited for as it's a similar project to my PhD but in a different patient group.

My reasons not to are - I feel like I've not really moved forward in a year. I told them I was looking to submit in Jan 2011 and now it's going to be end of Sept 2011. They're going to think what the hell have I been doing! I don't even have any publications done in that time to at least explain what it's taken so much longer. I also put in another job application that had the same PI about 1 month ago and havn't heard anything more. I'm assuming I don't have an interview, and that's knocked my confidence about approaching him again.

I agree with people who say self doubt is common. I'm generally pretty confident but used to get nervous before meeting my supervisors. I remember coming in early in my first year to prepare for a meeting and having to sit outside as no one was there yet - Then he didn't even look at what I'd been working on! I also dreaded handing over my first chpaters as they hadn't really seen anything I'd written.

I also agree with whoever said it's good that issues are ironed out the proposal at this stage. It will help in the long run, and give you a clear idea of why you've done things when it comes to writing up. It's easy to take criticism to heart but I'm sure it's not meant in a way that you're not good enough.

I have amazing memories of my time as an UG. It was three of the best years of my life. I met some people who are still good friends. Was great being able to go out every night of the week. But still managed to do enough work to walk away with a good degree. Only blight really was that I spent my third year going out with a guy I didn't really want to be with, but he lived in a different city so I could ignore hime most the time :$

But I don't feel emotionally nostalgic about it. Maybe because I still see quite a few people from uni on a semi regular basis and when we get together we act like we're 19 again!. Life has been very different as a PhD-er. Much more responsibility and work!

I get more nostalgic about the year after my degree when I worked full time in a bar. Probably because my life is so different now, and although I'm kinda in contact with the people I met then we're not really friends anymore.

I learnt not to trust my supervisor when he said he was going to do something. I should have been more forcefull in saying "this NEEDS to be sorted now"

I also didnt keep as good notes as I should have done. I can think of many ways thigs could have been better organised from the start to prevent myself having to go back and re do things.

I'm writng up now, and only really feel I'm now getting to grips with some of the literature. I didn;t have to do a literature review in my first year, but really wish I had spent more time on that right at the start, and really trying to find a niche. A lot of what I've done has been done before and done better. Instead my supervisors encouraged me to get working on the protocol for ethical application early on, when I should have spend more time thinking about what really could be achieved.

I wish wish wish wish wish I'd written more as I went along. Everyone told me to do it, but it always got pushed down my priority list.

I should have tried to go to a conference earlier. I went to a big international conference in my third year, realised the way we;d done things wasn't the best way, and it was too late to change anything by then.

Finally I should have stuck to my guns on what I wanted to put into one aspect of the project. My supervisor was anti this technique, so it always remained as a possibility, but was on the back burner. He retired in my second year and has not really been invovled since. The technique would help with the novelty of my study, plus would be really helpful now in applying for jobs.

I'd quite like to go back and start my PhD again, knowing what I know not. There's A LOT I'd do differently.

Kbara, any particular reason you'd go with non-parametric?

Thanks for other response. That's what all the books say, but I'm sure I had a reason to think non parametric was better when sample size was very smll and unequal, I just can't remember where I got that from. The five do conform to normality using testing...... but it could be those tests don't have the power to pick up deviations form normalitity with a small sample....

My uni regulations say either indent and no gap, or gap and no indent. Personally I like having a gap and not indenting.

and I get exactly the same answer whether I use t-test or Mann-Whitney.

I have a long held assumption that when comparing two groups with very unequal sample sizes, it's better to use non parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U). So today I was merrily doing that, when I though, "why is this? and where did I get this assumption from?". So I've looked in a couple of books and can't find anything reccomending non-parametric tests for this situation. Has anyone got any pointers? Worst case scenario I need to compare n=5 to n=32.

Hi, I'm in similar boat. Absolute absolute deadline sept 30th. Slightly panicked, and for some reason I thought it would be ok to move house thus week. Bad bad idea. SPent weekend packing and moving stuff to storage. When I should have been up to eyeballs in work.

Plan for today was to finish chapter. New plan end it must be done by end of wed.

Off home to see how well the guys have cleaned house. They've been at it all day. Do feel bad I said I had to work today but it had to be done.

I hate letting agencies and their fees for soing sod all! Moving this week and had to deal with a lot of them recently. Think we paid £300 in fees for the place we're moving to. Which included a holding deposit (non refundable fo course!)

When I was looking I saw companies advertising on gumtree that pay your deposit, and you pay them 10%. I have no idea if these companies are reputable, but it was something I considered looking in to. At least with a deposit if you can scape it together, you should get it back at the end of the rental period. You may be able to speak to your bank as you wil be getting the studentship money in soon after you need to pay the landlord.

Oh and don't feel angry at yourself. Bet they were misleading about what the money was for!

Hmm well then I'd sneak (excuse the pun) a smoke alarm in when they were out! Welll ok I probably wouldn't really! but I'd think about it! :p

ESka, didn't know you were in Liverpool. I lived there for 7 years pre PhD. How much damage to the bombed out church? I used ti live on Faulkner Square. Ok the post code ws technically Toxteth, but it was thr nice bit! Then heard there were cars on fire and windows smashed. Was gald to be away from there.

Sneaks - no fire alarm. Surely that's not legal if it's rental accomodation?!

Congratulations Keenbean. Is that less than three years then? If so even more well done. Enjoy the celebration. Enjoy the new job and enjoy getting away from your supervisor. :-)

Sneaks - that's one thing I was thinking. But then one of the first people charged to day was a primary chool worker. That's one guys who's maybe thrown their career down the toilet for some new stuff.