Sounds like she feels obliged to stick around that long wasting her time, maybe to give a good impression to her Prof. Considering she doesn't start until March 2011, 65 hours a week (heck even 40 hours) seems excessive. Maybe she needs to discuss her schedule and expectations with her Prof. For you, if not for herself.

Your CV sounds impressive. Have you considered applying for a postdoc in the US? I had similar (bad) luck when applying for postdocs in the UK but finding one in the US was very easy.

You also mentioned that the PhD wasn't finished yet. That can be a barrier for some PIs.

Failing that, you could try applying for somewhere less prestigious. You obviously come from a high-caliber academic background, and understandably may wish to maintain that pattern, however I know of many individuals who are quite content with having an oxbridge/ivy league degree and finding employment at any good institution.

You could try putting it somewhere between the front and back cover. (up)

Tut tut peewee. Book pirate! Just wait 'til you're a full-fledged academic and nobody buys your academic book because everyone is downloading it on piratebay. Yep.

So there I was, enjoying a break with a fine cup of Earl Gray and a Kit Kat . Thought to myself, "how are those dear folks over at the postgradforum doing?" and over I came for the first time in several months.

And lo and behold! The first thread I opened I see my dear forum friends are pining and lamenting my absence. That's really quite charming, you made my day! :-x

I finished up my phd a few months ago, and was accepted in a very competitive lab in the USA. I should be grateful, it's the perfect topic in an amazing city. However, after ~6 months I feel burned out. I've been given ~7 projects, plus supervising undergrads, and I've been working 15-16h a day for a few weeks now, from 9am to 12am/1am. I have to come in on Sat and Sun also for a couple of hours to monitor rodents. This week no experiments worked and I have to make some powerpoint slides for the weekly lab meeting tomorrow morning. I feel lifeless and barely recognize myself in the mirror anymore.

On the bright side I got an Ipad 3G before all you guys back in the UK. :p Yes, it's awesome for reading papers and I likely won't be printing a paper again.

Count yourself lucky that your advisor kept you on post-viva.

Just apply directly to a lab of interest and get a job offer from the PI. If you have a lot of time, patience, etc. you could apply for your own funding but that's less common.

On another note, for immigration, Canada is more than eager to give visas to PhD holders. They have a points based system and having a PhD gives you a tonne of points so you're practically guaranteed.

Aw, Sneaks the feeling's mutual (kinda)! :p

I've been a postdoc for a few weeks now and the main difference is the paycheque -- haha! Ok so things are mostly the same, though I find I'm expected to take more initiative in getting things done. I don't miss my supervisors and sure as heck don't miss writing the thesis, but I do miss the leniency when things don't go to plan!

About time we have a place for ourselves away from those whinging, depressed PhD students! :p (up)

Most supervisors will happily accept a self-funded PhD student, so you may as well get admission at a high rank university. I'm not an Oxbridge guy myself, but I recently helped two self-funding international students to get admission at Oxford and it was extremely easy.

Only go to a lower ranking university if they fund you. Good luck.

This is partly why I left the UK and came to the USA for my postdoc. The vice-chancellor of our uni. sent out an e-mail early 2009 explaining how these cuts would be felt hard after 2010.

President Obama on the other hand recognized the value of the 'knowledge-based economy', and in response to the recession increased HE & research funding to levels not seen since the space race/JFK days.

I also had my viva last week. I prepared by reading my thesis a week before and looking things up so I felt confident about every statement made. I also printed a copy of the university regulations stating what was required to be awarded a PhD; I then thought of ways I had satisfied these criteria -- although this was thankfully not needed in the viva.

On the day, faculty were telling me well done before I even went in. My supervisor even remarked beforehand that I wouldn't fail unless I had a brain transplant on the way between his office and the viva room.

Don't worry. I would have put the odds at 50/50 at passing/failing on the day before the viva, but it turned out ok. The fact that your supervisor(s) let you submit means you're more than likely to pass. Good luck (up)

I'm looking forward to an open-source alternative to Mendeley. Mendeley is a good idea ruined by its propriety nature -- they will monetize on it eventually and this will likely be to the detriment of the academic community.

Congrats! I only got asked one generic question ('what made you choose this project?'), all the rest were very technical and I didn't know many of them, but tried my best to show the thought processes.