presentations are standard for all academic interviews. Get used to it now, you'll be doing them for your entire career. Ten minutes is really short so no need to panic. Just tell them about your research - all the usual stuff rationale, methods etc. You'll be fine!

what has happened to the chat forum? Every time I type in the web address I get directed to a Christian website?

I had three small children when I started my PhD. They are still quite young now - 5,8,12. I am finding it very difficult to fit working full time with childcare responsibilities. Even when they start school there are endless holidays, inset days, sick days etc. Employment practices in GB are not family friendly - but it can be done with a lot of compromise and co-operation between you and your other half.

i financed my own PhD - so it cost me about £12,000. You will earn that in one year! And I was bringing up 3 kids, and I'm over bloody 40. Don't moan to me about getting paid to do your PhD.

I agree with Badhaircut - it does matter actually. I was lucky eough to get my PhD from a redbrick after having got my degree at a former poly. No-one will let me forget the poly. Its like I am a bit less worthy. I have had colleagues laugh in my face. I was given the advice by an eminent academic that I should ALWAYS choose institution over all other factors. Sorry

I was more confident at the start than at the end - but this was more to do with a dawning realisation that the more I learned and knew - the more I realised how much I didn't know!!

I do sympathise but I think you'll find its basically the same everywhere. I was thrown in at the deep end marking and teaching, it was all I could do to stay one step ahead of the students. Sometimes they know it aswell!! Make them do the talking - when you mark get a set of marking criteria - they will have to have one. Good luck - remember just be 24 hrs ahead of them

i studies 125 miles from my uni - it is very isolating

the viva is a defence but not in the context of facing an attack - or at least it shouldn't be! Its in the context of justifying your research decisions. If you know why you did everything you did and can confidently support your findings you should be ok - this is the kind of defence you need to put forward. If your externals work is not very similar to your own, you can not be expected to be very familiar with it - it would be courteous to be able to talk about it at some level. If it is related to your research, know it in that context.Good luck, its more frightening before than during!

There was someone on my supervising team who looked down on me and was never going to accept my presence. I just grit my teeth and carried on - You have to jump through hoops - she was a hoop and I am free of her now!

whilst I sympathise I think you are approaching this all the wrong way! The MPhil is not the easy route, there is still a major dissertation and viva. If you are overwhelmed that is different to wanting to quit - you need to take control of the research and speaking about your feelings will make you more capable of doing this.
You will get nowhere in academia as a researcher without your PhD - times have changed its entry level qualification now - good luck

its a slow slow process, so I sympathise with you, sometimes you feel as if you are actually going backwards! Keep reading, you will be achieving something

the PhD has relevance if you want to teach in HE. No jobs tho because there are too many PhD's! May be different in other disciplines however, I am social science.

hi

I have been told that I need to think very carefully about which institutions I work in. There is an awful lot of snobbery and I must admit that doing my undergrad work in a post 1992 uni has had its consequences. I find this very sad indeed.

that's exactly how I feel Zelda. What an awful way to treat each other.