It sounds to me as if you're trying your hardest to justify taking the second option. It isn't an easy choice to make, I'll grant you that!

I'm actually struggling to give any new advice that you don't sound like you are already giving yourself. What I will say is sometimes you just have to follow your heart and try and not worry too much about the consequences. I wasn't happy in my last job, and got a new one after a year. I did wonder whether it was the right thing to do and whether I should have stuck with what I had a bit longer.

I have never been happier.

Whilst it's not the same situation, it was a case of going with my heart, even with a possibility of it not working out. And I wouldn't worry too much about being seen as employable in late 20s, it's quite common now for people to come into the labour market later on as more students take masters, or take a year travelling after uni etc as long as you have been developing the experience for it.

There is one other option I'm not sure if you have considered: you could stay with your current company, do the masters, but save up the costs of it yourself so that after graduation if you decide you wanted to move you could pay it back. You still would have the job, still have the masters, but if you couldn't get a job for a while after graduating it wouldn't be so bad. Or the next company might pay it for you - that's what happened to someone at my old job. Is that an option at all that is feasible and you would consider?

Unless they say something else to what is already in the thesis, I would leave them out. Chris' suggestion is a good one.

Sadly, Jepson, there are some academics out there who would think nothing of stealing (and yes, STEALING, not borrowing, or building upon, but downright stealing) ideas from others. Can't be bothered to come up with ideas of their own so go to conferences to steal from others - PhD students are often seen as "good game" because they know it's usually a losing battle to fight against a better known academic.

I was told it's perfectly acceptable to be cagey about the details but you have to make sure you can have a good intellectual conversation about what you're doing. Most academics will be helpful and willing, but you really do have to be careful about some out there, sad to say.

Will you be tied to the company for so long after completion without having to pay it back? I'd be very surprised if you weren't.

I will wear my iron pants in that case.

I do love a bit of Belford, where else could have I got a Bachelors, Masters and PhD all at one competitive price? It's comparable only to the DFS sale!

Hi Ishmael.

Congratulations on choosing such a fine University which, I might add, produces some of the wittiest, most charming and all round delightful PhD holders.

:-x

Bedford or Belford, slight difference ;-)

I'm actually off somewhere near Bedford tonight on a date... hmmm.... should I be scared?

Some (i would guess most) of the funding bodies penalise the universities if they don't finish within the full time allowance + 1 year writing up. I had to finish within the four years overall otherwise my university wouldn't even allow me to extend the registration period (I think the idea being they get penalised so you get punished i.e. no phd!)

No bad thing, but that's another discussion!

Indeed it is.

Isn't it what they call "viral marketing" ?

Okay, okay, it was semi-amusing for the first half dozen threads. Now it's just getting silly.

We get the picture.

Signed,

A somewhat irritable DanB

I've heard people often discuss Walden and Belford in the same sentence.

I'm guessing you're studying at LSBF too, BarbieJoJo?

We haven't had a good troll for a while :)

We looked in monsoon and coast and she wasn't impressed. She has an idea exactly in her head what she wants, so I guess that helps! The dress has been the hardest bit. She just wants to upstage me, that's all...

I should perhaps say: Some people generally in life are weird! It isn't any better in the world of work...

You'll only feel lonely if you don't make the effort to get out and meet people to offset living by yourself - if you throw yourself into student life, join some clubs, mix with your fellow students, you'll probably get the right balance!