Oh I'd never noticed the listings before! Somehow I'm 20th?! No idea how that happened, I just tend to babble a lot... maybe babbling is sometimes useful.

But it did make me smile to see some old former users from before when I started my PhD...

... Gawd, that makes me feel old!!!

Should I feel happy? Proud? Elated?

I'm currently having more of a "WTF?!" moment.

How did you feel if you had the same thing happen to you?

What about private tutoring?

I chose the first answer (researcher/academic) because that's why I did it in the first place. As soon as I realised that an academic career really wasn't for me (somewhere during my first year) I did it because I had a passion and thought it would be useful for a career.

Saying that, it hadn't proved all that useful. It's only my current job that I'm actually finally using my skills...

Well I'm through the other end of it but the one thing I would have wished for during mine was a partner who truly understood the demands of a PhD (working from home does not mean I'm sat watching daytime TV!)

Erm, I rang my parents and then drove home and we had a meal out (was living there at the time). Bit of a letdown as had to go to work the next morning but had cakes and lunch out there, which was nice. Then at the weekend saw friends and let my hair down 8-)

Hi Snowdropbooks, I can understand it must seem very frustrating for you! But ... it sounds perfectly normal course of affairs and your supervisors are at least being honest about how it is!

I know it can be hard trying to shift to a new way of doing things (I am currently having to do so in my new job, I'm so not used to the structure, so I sympathise entirely) but keep at it and remember it's not personal - they are trying to be highly critical because that's what academia and the pursuit of knowledge is about, challenging the intellectual boundaries.

Having done a PhD and come out the other end, I would say I hated it about 80% of the time. But it's only nowadays looking back that I realise that actually all that frustration and being intellectually pulled apart were for a very good reason.

Okay really really random off topic question (even by my own bizarre standards)...

... but can anyone recommend any good Hungarian resources? Or know a good (but not too expensive!) Hungarian teacher in London/anywhere but would tutor online?

Thanks you gorgeous lot ,-)

Haha! Thanks for dragging up this old thread....

... but I don't need to try that dating site as I'm still very much walking on clouds :-x

Apple's suggestions all sound good...

And I used Jabref to make my Bibtex file during my PhD. I can't comment on other options for making bibtex files but I found it quite nice and straightforward, so if I can help at all I'll try (although that was quite a while ago admittedly!).

Love the idea of a bit of mutual motivation! I am moving to London shortly and it's a joke between myself and my boyfriend that I have to start running as it's something "everyone" in London does... but I do want to lose some weight and it's a great way to do so!

I walk a lot already but want to push it up to the next level. So I'm in!

Reality has to win out over sentiment in these cases. And I would walk before you run - you're thinking about applying, that's a long way off having an offer on the table. If you don't want to ask her at this stage then, quite simply, don't! It's all way too hypothetical at the moment but you need to think about your own future and all the options.

I know so little about London and I need to find somewhere to live sharpish... so... any recommendations? Or places to avoid? Have a reasonable budget, thinking of housesharing to start until I get on my feet, want somewhere fairly quiet - where do postgrads and young professionals live?

And other than gumtree/spareroom/easyroommate, where is good to look for places?

I once built a greenhouse if that helps?

Sounds a bit sexist to me.