Congratumalations :)

Leicester is quite a good University so yes it would be a wise option.

Jabref is indeed open source, platform independent (as works on Java) and FREE!

I should get commission the amount of evangelising I do about it...

I used JabRef and it allows you to store links to where you a) downloaded it from originally and b) where it is stored on your computer. Really good so it means you can see the paper details and also a link.

Hi, I was just going to say (based on the title alone!) go with Royal Holloway. They are THE people in the field.

Not sure about the rest, you could contact the department directly and ask what their entry stats are (i.e. how many acceptances per application) and whether they offer any of their own funding.

I've never heard of that before and sounds ridiculous to me.

Might be worth contacting the education desk of one of the major broadsheets, sounds like the sort of story they would love to run.

Take a break, don't worry about it 8-)

I agree, it's best to allow yourself the full four years. You will only have a real indication probably towards the end of your second year whether you could reasonably finish in three, depending on how much research you have done by then.

I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you addressed them as Professor X, if that feels more comfortable to you - one of the Chinese guys doing his PhD where I was always referred to the academic staff as Professor or Dr, it wasn't a problem at all.

Sorry to be defeatist, but having been in a similarish relationship (someone who worked long hours, lots of other activities, tired when did get time together) it won't get better. We had all the talk, like Sneaks suggests, and it was fine for a few hours. But it doesn't change and you'll just end up feeling frustrated.

That is just my own personal experience, of course.

Your last post, Slizor, echos something my mother often says:

"People only offend themselves"

My experience is similar to Sneaks - I did a maths based PhD and there were a couple of people who did their PhDs within 3 years, however both of those were extending the research they did for their masters dissertation (so weren't doing something totally new). I don't know of anyone else who finished in 3 years and I think it's unrealistic to plan to finish within 3.

Similarly, I don't think I've met an academic who has been offended by being called by their first name, it tends to be quite informal. Even at formal conferences and meeting well known academics, even Nobel prize winners, all of them introduced themselves by their first name. You are becoming an equal - another academic mind.

I thought that was pretty funny. I can see how it might be offensive if it was delivered in an aggressive way, but it seems fairly jokey to me. Then again I'm pretty hard to offend and find humour in many things I really shouldn't

I wouldn't give it too much more thought to be honest, I certainly wouldn't, but then I have no problem with people disliking me for just being myself. Their problem, not mine.