Hi Lost.

It's a good question you ask about supervisors! You probably meet them for an hour at most when you have an interview, so it can be tricky! Make sure when you go to interview to ask lots of questions as different supervisors will have different expectations. I had three supervisors (due to interdiscplinary topic) and I would see all of them for ten minutes once a week and then individually where I needed help. This ended up a case of seeing one of them for an hour, sometimes two, during my final year. But each will be different - some like to be more hands on and set up a weekly/monthly meeting, others are happy for you to see them when you're stuck instead of something formal. But ideally you should make sure they would want to see them at least once a month.

Also depends what you want to do after. Within academia people will know who is a good supervisor/department. Outside, nobody will care and will recognise the name of the institution. I say this because I work in private sector and it was a case of "oh you did your PhD at a decent Uni" and that was it.

But you need to be somewhere you feel comfortable. Go and have a look around the Unis your interested in if possible, either at open days or just even turn up and have a wander around.

This just in from the sister website "Statingthebleedingobvious.com"

"Pope IS Catholic"

"Bears DO shit in the woods"

Not sure if you're aware of http://www.accommodationforstudents.com/

I used them when I was looking for somewhere to live for both my masters and my PhD and was successful. Or gumtree.

How can it not be, when Floella Benjamin is to be given a peerage?

For those of you who don't know who she is, she was a well known Children's TV presenter for those of us in our late 20s to late 30s. A national treasure, if you will.

And yes, I really am that easily pleased :-x

Hi Biologist, the problem with a PhD is that it is very self-motivating and the point is to make you independent as a researcher. That makes taking most of it from your own initiative - your supervisor is there to be a guide and not to tell you what to do. You already said your supervisor is accessible, which is good.

I did an interdisciplinary project as well which meant none of my supervisors were experts overall in what I was doing. But they were there to help in their own specific areas and then it was for me to go away and fit it together and see how other people had done that.

It can be quite frustrating but you have to get rid of the expectation that someone else will do it for you - you have to be proactive and take the lead. If you want to learn something, just learn it. If you are in the lab, don't be afraid to ask where things are. But you have to take the lead.

I have to say I used to do this and found it generally a very positive experience, as it was well managed and set up.

The setup was that it was only possible by fourth year undergrad students (for those who, like me, took a 4 year first degree) and there were coordinators who ran things very well - so if the tutor or the student had a problem it was easy to get things sorted out. I also experienced it as a first (and second) year and I felt more comfortable talking to someone more "on my level" who had perhaps only gone through the same thing a few years ago and tended to be able to focus in on the problem better.

I think it also works depending on subject. In my subject (mathematics) it was a case of marking the students problem sets for various classes. These generally had a well defined answer so it was perhaps easier than a subject that was more based on written essays and open to more interpretation.

Well I will go against the grain and say nope, not like that for me at all. I write straight onto the computer and edit in front of me if necessary but it all goes directly on.

Well I do at times like today when I had my weekly meeting with my boss. "Dan, you're getting on really well", he says. "But one point that others have noticed... you do tend to nod off during meetings".

Yes, that's because the 9-5 (or 8-4 in my case) model of work is not what I like. I used to love working as and when I liked, as long as things got done. I feel so much more constrained now :(

So make the most of it while you can! That and being able to pop to the shops during the week (although, finishing at 4 I do tend to just sneak in before the hoi polloi).

I assume it means it must fit into the area prescribed by the details, not into two pages itself.

It depends what you want to do afterwards. If you want to go into private sector, where people don't know a damn thing about the academic merits of a PhD, then a good name University is a help. If you want to go into an academic career, who your supervisor is is probably of greater importance.

However don't run before you can walk. Find out what you're interested in and see where offers it, not the other way round.

Ugh, I found my corrections so boring. Nothing to encourage other than to say it feels so good when you get them done and sent off!

Some good replies already. I did majority of my PhD from home because our work space had about 40 PhD students in it and it was impossible to concentrate. Also, as desk space was at a premium, I ended up being given a laptop by the uni and giving up my desk in a trial (there were some hotdesks for when came in to see supervisors etc). It was brilliant. Plus it meant I could work the hours that suited me better.

I'd really recommend it if your supervisor is happy with it.

To be honest I think you're doing completely the right thing and wouldn't suggest you change at all! It's pretty much how I did most of my PhD - work when I felt most alert and the inspiration would hit. Sometimes I'd do probably only about 20 hours work in a week - others I would do 80. Sometimes I'd work in the middle of the night. Other times I would be up early. Do whatever you find best and don't change just because you think it's wrong. If it's getting you results, then keep going!

Brewing and Distilling.

Sounds.

Like.

Heaven.

Do I really want to do another masters... hell yeah if booze is involved :-x

Ruby, you are far more polite about it than me 8-)