Your field is very different to mine, but in your position, I would go on trying to get more samples if that is what your supervisor has advised, and since there is no reliable way to calculate how many are needed. It does sound a bit frustrating if it is progressing so slowly, but that is also the case in my study which is very different - I think it's a very common PhD experience to feel as if data collection is never-ending!

You haven't said what your subject area is, what kind of experiment you are doing or what kind of sample you mean - perhaps with a bit more information, someone might be able to comment. If you did a reliable calculation that said you need 20 samples and you've exceeded that number, it sounds like you've done what you set out to do, but since you're doubting it, perhaps it is best to check with your supervisor?

It depends on how many credits are awarded for each 'chunk' of the Masters. The university should be able to tell you how many credits you'll have completed after the first year and whether that corresponds to a certificate or a diploma.

Marusa, I clicked through your survey without answering the questions, to see what it is about, and you are asking for some very sensitive information about things like drug use and prostitution. Are you doing this as a university project? I think, at the very least, you need to add a front page explaining who you are and giving contact details, explaining that some sensitive questions will be asked, making a statement about anonymity and confidentiality and giving people the chance to click to say they consent to the survey. Perhaps your supervisor could help you to add a page like this. Also, it is not clear if you are asking about the economy in Slovenia - if this is the case then you need to say that you want people in Slovenia to respond.

I'd probably start by coming to an agreement about how you're going to mark any errors you find (e.g track changes/written notes etc) just so your friend knows what to expect - people are sometimes a bit sensitive about seeing corrections noted, even if that's what they've asked you to do! I would also break the job down into small chunks to ensure that I was approaching it with a clear head each time.

That can vary depending on things like whether you are funded and what the arrangement is. My PhD funding is for three years, which is pretty standard now, and my supervisors are very much gearing me up to think of it as 'three years and not a day longer', because then I'd be into unfunded time. The reality is that most people take longer than three years, though. I think some universities are now putting a limit of four years in place. (I am talking about UK PhDs).

I had no idea you could get all these colour options and just sort of assumed thesis binding was a standard black! I'd be like you and feel spoiled for choice, and would probably just go for something I liked (I kind of like the copper). Whatever you go for, enjoy this time, Dr Awsoci!

Hi Darky,

My comment about focus and motivation was not intended as a comment on your work for your degree (I can see from what you've said about working all those hours and still heading for a first that you have been very motivated indeed). My comment was more in response to the fact that you said you had a lot of research interests and didn't know what to do for your PhD, or whether to go for clinical instead. As you will know, a PhD involves exploring one topic in a very in-depth way over a number of years, and that is what I meant by focus and motivation and being sure about what you want to do. Similarly, in clinical psychology you will find people who have known that they wanted to do that for their whole lives, as it is so difficult to get into. As you will be looking at funded places, you will probably find that the options are narrowed a little anyway, which may help.

I can tell you that at the end of my BSc in Psychology, I felt I had a very general knowledge of lots of things and no in-depth knowledge of any of them. I think Psychology degrees are a bit like that, as it is such a diverse field. I hope it will reassure you to know that much of a PhD involves learning your niche area as you go, and you are not expected to have a perfect knowledge of it to begin with. You get a lot of time to read, to specialise and to develop the skills you need - your degree is just the beginning.

It may help you to have a look at the careers information on the BPS website, http://bps.org.uk/careers-in-psychology

I'd also suggest speaking to the careers advice service at your university. Both clinical psychology and PhDs are competitive areas and you'll need to remain focused and motivated for 3 or more years, so my advice to you would be to gather more information or take whatever time you need to get information/experience to decide on the best course for you.

I usually just try to get in there first with 'I am available every day except X and Y', then my two supervisors sort it out between them.

Congratulations!

I have seen some of the staff at my uni using the HEA membership letters after their names, and I am currently doing some teacher training at uni which qualifies me to join the HEA at some level, so it is applicable at uni level. However, someone told me that HEA had lost half its personnel in the last year and is less powerful now - I don't have any details on that, but maybe someone more familiar with it will comment.

Yes, it's a teaching post with an administrator's salary. There was also a controversy recently when Napier University advertised a zero-hours lecturer post.

Congratulations on passing your PhD!!

I'm not in Australia and I'm not at that stage anyway, but in your shoes I would arrange a meeting with my supervisor to see if you can decipher between you what is required. As for the person who wrote only a small and negative-sounding report, perhaps it's just their style and they liked everything except for the one thing they mentioned? Whatever happened, they didn't have reservations big enough to stop you passing! I think you can assume that they did think it was well done.

It's quite disheartening to see how subjective it all is and how grades can vary so much from one marker to another. I guess there are plenty of lecturers out there who are conscientious markers and really know their stuff, but it seems from the experiences described here that you can just as easily get someone who will look at your work for ten minutes and then mark it on a whim. Thank goodness you changed unis, wowzers.