Tervetuloa! Onnea!

Lycka till och vällkommen!

Tricky - In the 1770s Lord Clive painted one of his stallions with stripes to get his mare zebra to mate with it. The zebra-horse hybrid lived for at least six months.

I would like Swedish model Andreas Lundin to be my personal assistant - with his own stipend. And, the poor quality desk I write on simply won't do: I think the funding body should stretch to a 18th century 'Gillows of Lancaster' walnut desk....and a magician to magic up a fully bound copy of my thesis that I can hide in my room for the next 2 years, and whip out just before the deadline...

There are 15 PhD students in my department (humanities) - and only three of us live in the same city as the university. Other people live in other cities, including several in London, 185 miles away from our university. They travel in on the train in two hours for teaching, meetings and it seems to work for them.

Golfpro- thank you for introducing me to the phrase 'Hobson's choice' - I'm so pleased it first appeared in written form in the 18th century. 'My' century.

Well, surely working on these research projects has grounded in you a sense of what is possible in certain time frames?

Okay, so you have research experience, and that will obviously help you. But have you had to work alone to produce 80,000 words before, that are original, peer-reviewed? Whilst attending conferences, and trying to publish? I'm sure you are a capable researcher, but the PhD is a specific piece of research, with specific requirements.

Look, a three to four year UK PhD just scratches the surface of a tiny area of a discipline. You cannot gain confience and authority in a field in two years, as you suggest. If you're not even willing to sign up for the full duration, why even bother.

Maybe I'm being harsh, but the PhD is a real challenge and requires the full duration, the 'amount and period' do matter. You need those years to build networks in your field, to read and think broadly, and write up. Think about it - a UK undergraduate degree takes 3 years. Do you seriously think you can do a PhD in less?!?

The PhD is not a degree that is fast or cheap. Anywhere, well - unless you want to buy a 'PhD' online.

Tack så mycket Jouri!

I just heard that I am having a book review published. Yay!

:-)

Nej! Det gör ont!

My PhD is a living nightmare. I am a year and a half in and have gone off on tangents (but not in a good way) and have an ill defined area. My panel is in two weeks. I'm supposed to hand in a thesis argument in three days. This is the hardest thing I have ever done.

den ny hit sång från BWO "Give me the Night": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdEaWoURaHQ

Some kids just knocked over the recycling bins outside - argh!

Me.

Hmm, panel meeting in two weeks, and work due on Friday. Desperate to impress? You bet. I don't care if it kills me. I am desperate to impress. I can tell my supervisors have been dissapointed in my work recently, and it has been lacklustre - but this will be a swing point. It has to be.