I went to a large mixed comprehensive school. I think people had mixed experiences - I was in the top sets and worked hard, whereas there were a lot of students who left at 16 and a few who got pregnant. I dont think it's really influenced my life after. I chose to accept a place at a middling Uni because I liked the city, but got the grades to get into better unis. I chose not to apply for Oxbridge, think 4 of my year group (about 100 in sixth form) got offers.

I thought I had a handle on this but the more I think about it the more confused I get! personally if reporting stats I'd put in the SD but if displaying on a graph I'd use SE for error bars. Why? I don't really Know that's just what I'd do!

SD gives an idea of the spread of the data. Whilst SE also does the SE also takes into account the number of observations you have, as the greater n you have the smaller the SE. This is not the case with SD.

In some cases it makes sense to use SD. For example if just talking about your sample, such as reporting the age of participants, wheras I think SE relates more to the population - There is a 95% chance the actual mean will fall 1.96*SE from your mean value. Thus it gives an idea of how representative your mean is likely to be of the general popluation.
As for why report SE with t-test, I don't really know. I guess as the t-test measures whether the means are different or whether the error bars overlap, by reporting SE and the mean then an interested reader can check your claims of significance.

I don't think I'd have gone in if I hadn't had two participants coming in. I guess I could have changed the date but it would have been difficult for various reasons.
The strikes were over job cuts at the Uni. The Uni (like many others) is in debt and cutting jobs.

This may give away where I am...
As I had to cross a picket line to get in today it got my thinking, should PhD students strike in support of staff? Job cuts will affect us in the near future with less jobs to go around in an already competitive market. But then striking would only affect me as I have so much that has to be done by Monday and not much time to do it over the weekend....

Would you have stayed home? or even joined the picket line?

I don't care what you lot think, I love my flip flops and I wear them as soon as the weather gets warm enough! Never really understood the feet=horrible thing. Ok they can smell, but then in they are out in the fresh air ala flipflops then they tend not too.

Anyway sticking with the chocolate thing has anyone noticed how expensive a pint is these days? ok so this is different accross the country (and the world) but down in brighton your lucky now if a pint is below 3.50! sigh I remember they days of living up north and getting pints for less than £2.

I tried my tomatoes once. Set it up and then had a 25 min conversation with my office mate. I didn't quite know how to say I can't chat to you right now I'm trying to earn a tomato!

One day I'll look back on this thread and probably reminisce about how good the PhD days were!

I wanted to come back and say thanks for all the tips. I wish I could say I've not been on here cos I;ve been working really hard! but still finding motivation a bit of a struggle. Unfortunately I find the idea of being Dr a bit embarrassing. Don't really know why but it doesn't really motivate me, but maybe will try and focus on it a bit more. I have a few Dr friends from my undergraduate days and they all seem very happy since completion so I should also focus on that. Just need to recruit recruit recruit at the moment so I can get more data.

Dunno if you still want make up tips.

The body shop do good make up. I swear by their liquid eye liner and all-in-one facebase (foundation and powder). As for mascara it took years of buying different ones for me to find my perfect one - benefit bad gal marcara. My problem is clumping and this is one mascara where that never happens.

It's not that I hate it - I don't. I get on fine with my supervisors, they're supportinve and think I'm doing fine.

I just can't find the motivation to be bothered to do it. I'm in my third year and still have LOADS of work left. I'll never complete in 3 years, and even that doesn't really bother me or panic me into working harder (yet!)

I just had 3 weeks off for an exotic holiday (for a wedding), which came at a time I should have been increasing my work. Since getting back on Monday I have no motivation. The holiday was great and despite bringing some work with me I barely thought about the PhD. I fantasise about winning the lottery and not having to do my write up!

Anyone else feel like this? Guess it's just normal third year blues.

For effect sizes you could look at something liek Cohen's d. There are loads of free internet programmes that can calculte this for you (plus I think spss can do it) G*Power is good, you put in your means, SDs and n for the two groups and it can tell you the effect size along with the power your study had. There are others on the internet that give you an effect size from the T statistic.

This thread makes me panic a bit. everyone's told me to write up as I go along but I've been incapable of doing it! If I listed my chapters (and I'm not ever sure what the chanpters are) they'd all be 0% done. funding runs out Oct 2010, still collecting a lot of data and fantasising about winning the lottery and jetting off for a year!

Well I'm a woman and I do running and weights!
Can definitely reccommend joining your uni gym - you're never gonna get gym membership this cheap again, and then you can try all the classes and see what suits. Can second the recommendation of cicuit training, and if it's anything like the ones I've been too then the classes are full of beginners and undergradates who went along to keep their mate company and haven't exersized since PE at school!
Personally I run a lot. The third year of PhD seemed the perfect tme to do a marathon when putting in the application last year! Now running sometimes aas to take precidence over PhD! and defnitely does over weekend social life!

Hey Superman.
On balance I'm having a good PhD experience - though not quiet as good as yours! I'm in my final year and only now going to my first conference. Hope the poster presentation goes well, and things stay good for the three years. (up)

not had my viva as still in 3rd year, bvut think I'll be shi!!ing myself on the day.
Had an upgrade review earlier this year later afternoon and tried to relax and keep my mind off it. I think a haircut is a good idea, so long as you can sit still!

Just signed up for my tomatoes and then had a 25 minute conversation about exercise with my office mate! not sure that's the best way to work it. Also my computer doesn't have a sound card so don't think I'd hear the timer. MAy have another go tommorrow though.