hey KB, I will let you know when I find out! But this sounds wonderful for you, so enjoy it, but as they say, keep your feet on the ground too. Lovely thread XXX

HI Caiteight. I'm doing a film PhD, and no, I don't feel that way; but I do think a lot of what is written is rubbish, I'm just doing everything I can to make sure mine isn't. I think that's all any of us can do.

Also, I think most PhD students go through a phase of not believing in what they are doing - I have - but that's part of the process and my doubts passed. It was a bit like kicking the wheels of a car before purchasing, if that makes any sense.

Also, you may feel this way because your research is so focussed on theory - that, by it's nature, is bound to be removed from reality.

Thanks for resurecting this. It's very timely for me, I'm finishing a chapter half, so doing intensive writing and am finding I work in 1 hour to 1 1/2 hour blasts which add up to about 3 1/2 hours per day. I flake out metally after that, so just do emailing, chasing details or bibliography stuff if there is any after that. Was feeling a bit guilty with all this summer holiday time on my hands, but only doing a few hours per day, but it seems to be my limit. I've no idea how the finishers push themselves to 10 hour plus days of writing - I think my mind would snap.

Hi Wally, I've just been thnking about Gothic literature this morning, and your post read a bit like letters home from Dracula's castle...

Anyhow, yeah, liek Bug I am writing up as I go along, still getting through that first chapter half! It's taking me forever, and I've given up thinking about time limits, it's just far too depressing for me. That said, my writing's really good now, even if I do say so myself; I actuallyy really care about the quality of the thesis writing, not sure why, it's a matter of personal pride I think, and the fact that I want turning into a book to be as straight forward as possible. .

Hi Plbogen, all I can do is tell you I feel very similarly about a group of superior, cliquey, funded stuents at my department who just have to do their research and a bit of teaching, no real money worries, while I struggle and worry over pennies, and teach 12 plus hours per week, at two different unis, and then work supply in schools.

Perhaps the programming job could work for you, if it means you really will have free time: you can travel to see your sup, that's what I do, and it's not great, but it sounds as if the pressure at your place is pretty overwhelming.

Good luck

Hello again, helpful friends.


I've seen a p/t RA job advertised that I'd really like to go for, but there is one niggle that is bothering me at the moment. The job is to organise and administrate for a large research project with 3 funded PhDs attached to it, all fab and that. However, the basic questions of one of the funded PhDs would be answered very effectively by my own PhD research, in fact it ulines and exact same path I very nearly took myself a while ago, and my research could easily slip into that framework. The PhDs start in September, as I would, and I'm a bit concerned that I could get my ideas ripped off, it's happened to me before, especially as this similar outline is still in the formulation stages. I'd hate to be stuck doing admin etc half the time while a funded PhD follows my research path, or similar. The angle I've taken is unique in my subject, so a similar project would defo be stealing the thunder I've sacrificed so much for.

Do you think I'm being paranoid? Or realistic?

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Bug, that's so funny! Reading you last post, I really don't think this is an age thing, I think it is personality, my fiend is 10 years younger than me! But I too thought it might have been her age, that she was young, because I know I've had corners knocked off me over the years, as have my old friends, but I didn't say it here.

Unsolicited advice is just the worst, and I know people of all ages that do it, including my aunty (we've had a couple of arguments and it's stopped now), this friend, another fiend who is 6 years my jumior, and my closest friend moan abouther cousin who is our age doing it to her over baby care.

I'm hoping this will resolve, my aunty is a fine example, I think people do it because they care, not realisng we all develop and deal with things in unique ways that suit us best, but the intention is good. I feel much better for just discussing it here.

Hi Algae, I have tried that approach to some extent, saying 'I think I handled that situation well and I'm happy with that etc, etc' but she just keeps doing it. The trounble is she chooses the most sensitive things to push about so I find it hard to respond as well as I otherwise might, so i end up, probably being under-assertive in order to avoid biting her head off and letting rip, although I'm sure my annoyance has shown. I think she has siomesimilar things going on in her family, but is handling them differently to me, which is great, but she seems to think I should do as she does, and life just doesn't work that way.

Yes, I've had the most massive bust ups with my closest and dearest friend, and I think that is what had made us what we are today, knowing we can do that is very re-assuring. She wa just as annoying as this one in her day, and I'm sure I was too, but this is how you learn isn't it, and how you get to know eachother. Thanks Dan and Jep. Maybe a holiday blow up is on the cards... well most hols have 'em don't they, why not this one. Blimey, I'm going away on my own, and am almost guarunteed a holiday row, how's that for ingenuity.

HHmm, yes, it has got much more with me recently, but I know she does with her boyfriend a lot, she tries to 'tell' him all about music, when he runs an orchestra, and she ain't no musician - thi scauses many arguments.

What reaalllyyy bugs me is that I don't ask for her advice - it's just foisted on me about the most sensitive things, and tbh I need support right now, very seriously, and not even more opposition - that's not something I can deal with right now. So perhaps she will just have to put up with me telling to drop it in a more forceful manner and just accept that part of me, as I am. I think we may have a big argument, that's life sometimes I guess.

Thanks Jepson. yeah, she looks a bit put out and hurt when I do that, but that's her problem, I guess. I feel a bit hurt because I already have so much family pressure to be more, do more for them, that when a friend says it just makes me want to screeeeaaaaaaammmmmmmmmmm. And I'm afraid that one day soon I might... especially as we're meeting up for a day and night out soon on my holiday, on which I don't want an argument.

Hi folks, i have this friend, who I am sure means well, but is really p'ing me off at the moment.

She keeps giving me unsolicited advice about personal and professional matters, in a tone which assumes authority on my position. The personal adivce is, I guess, the most annoying because I am having to extracate myself from my family relationships in a big way at the the moment, for various reasons, and she keeps trying to get me to see things their way, even though she acknowledgs the horrific nature of what has happened recently and historically. She just can't seem to acknowledge that after 41 years I have tried all avenues and am no longer able to put up with the perpetual exhaustion involved in that process, I want to live my life for me, at last, and for those I choose.

She speaks in quite an aggressive way when giving her 'advice' and repeats things (although I don't think she knows she comes across this way - I think she sees this as passion), so I feel I have to justify my personal and professional choices, or she looks put out, and I really don't want either of those things. I've only know her for about 3-4 years, so it's early days for the friendship, but I think she could become a very good and loyal friend, she has many other good qualitites, so I don't want to write her off, the best friendships often have bumps in the road. I'm venting in an annonymous way, I guess, perhaps safer than to another 'real-world' friend. Thanks forumites.

The 'homemade' ones can be a bit hit and miss, especially as the voice overs seem to repeat Dave saying the same phrases quite often, but the re-runs are quite good, and some of the homemades are entertaining...I think I might do one.

I thought some of you may appreciate this


http://dine.channel4.com/

excellent for procrastination purposes.

Yeah, WJ, I say a revolution is in order, but I think we will go slowly and soporificlly to the slaughter, while we drown in a sea of 'location, location, location' and the wealthy revel in cheap services and biased taxes.