My working week is made up of paid employment and my PhD. I probably spend 30 hours a week on my PhD. I am a first year. Of course I do spend time outside the 30 hours thinking about it. But 30 hours consciously reading, writing, researching. I'm at a 'good' university - but think that the 9-5 or 30-35 hour week is probably the same in other places

I think that if you were working more than 50 hours a week as a PhD student you would probably need help. Over 80 hours p/w and you would def be in the grave. But I'm coming from a humanities perspective and we do more 'soft work' outside the office and stuff.

I shall be working, working like a smurf trapped in the evil Gargamel's mine......

Hmmmm, middle of last century?

Well unless MDF was a viable building material between 1850 and 1950 I guess it isn't too valuable. But then the faux beechwood veneer would be somewhat ruined!

It is a promotion from working on the kitchen table, or lying on my bed at home ( and falling alseep, no doubt). I'm a bit worried that it may be eventually taken away from me - what with my only using it for about two days a week what with work, and wanting to do a bit at home. But I guess a moudly coffee cup and a pile of books will stake my claim.

Thank you!

A new desk! A desk I have! Finally a place in the PhD room!

Good luck!

..I'll never complain again!

Over my porridge this morning I heard on Radio 4 about the 'Fairtrade' bannana warehouse that packs fruit UK supermarkets. Apparently it gives its (mostly migrant) workforce few breaks, 6/7 days weeks and 12 hour days. Staff were too scared to take time for doctors appointments, and one woman lost her baby from overwork. I was outraged - and I'll never complain about my lot in work again. What with a generous, holiday allowance, sick pay, cake sales, internet use and printing - I'm practically spoilt.

Today I am listening to 'You so Far' by Nikolai Baskov and Taisiya Povaliy or, in Russian: 'Николай Басков и Таисия Повалий - Ты далеко'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ohz6bXjso-I

Strangely catchy....

Thank you all of you.

Nimrod81: I have begun to draw up a list on how I plan to make my treatment of the 'same' subject different. I'm planning at trip to the BL in two weeks time to look at the same sources, and find some 'new' ones too. My supervisor has consoled me and told me it is all in my interpretation. So I feel less devastated now. I guess I just worry about the whole 'originality' and PhD thesis thing.

I just want at least part of it to use sources not used before - but this is probably naive. As you said - in Barcelona they were sensible contributions....

I already have it in my mind how I can potentially approach these sources differently and more throughly - and I'll sit down this weekend and start putting things on paper. Deep breath.

Thank you.

....I by chance today found 2 works that refer to sources I wanted to use to make a conference posterr and a chapter in my thesis. Luckily my paper I have written before is safe - but I am going to have to spend all weekend trying to think how I can approach and intepret things differently for my conference paper and thesis chapter. At least I found out now. But I still feel as though I have swallowed a bottle of laxatives - totally drained and empty.

It seems like for the early modern period because so few sources are extant that people just pour all over them...

...who help us out!

I have been desperate to find the research notes of an American academic who published in my field in the 70s. And they have been found, and the archivist is sending my copies of them...sans £££££

Yay!

congrats! drink, drink, drink, drinkkkkkkkkkk.