======= Date Modified 15 Nov 2009 17:30:51 =======
Yeah, I didn't spot that Magictime. I struggle financially as a self funded PhD trying to complete in full-time time scale, but I wouldn't dream of going on the game. I certainly wouldn't move to London! I hate this Belle du Jour thing, the original Bunuel film was about trauma responses, not about how much of a laugh being on the game is. It's put me right off Billie Piper - sell out

I'm being very naughty and eating the second of the two sausage rolls I made this afternoon It was meant as an early evening snack for tomorrow when I'm out and about teaching and looking for a new home, but they're so nice I can't resist it: they're made from sausage meat, chopped apple and chestnuts, thyme and rosemary and are wrapped up in some puff pastry. Yum, yum, yum. Now I have confessed, so obviously the calories don't count.

Well, maybe if she hadn't moved to London without a job, (always an incredibly foolish thing to do) but stayed where she was, which is bound to have been cheaper than the big old smoke, she wouldn't have been so desperate. Yes, it's a telling indication of poor job opportunitites, but it's also a tale of daft choices.

Hey Algaequeen, Welcome to the accountabulity thread, i's great to have you around . I hope the re-jig of your paper went alright.

Today I will be combining PhD work with housework.

So, fo the PhD I will be:

1. Working out a schedule for the list of work my sup and I think I should be doing.
2. Making a start on an abstract for a possile book chapter (I am petrified of doing this, but can put it off no longer because the deadline is looming).

I will be taking short breaks once ever 45 mins to an hour or so to procrastinat on here, and to make my flat sparkly and beautiful.

======= Date Modified 15 Nov 2009 12:05:08 =======
Yeah well Bug, when you get to middle age you'll truly realise that, unfortunately, immaturity and being a boy and such like have bog all to do with numbers on a birth certificate. :-(

Hi Bug, I didn't see any of what you are saying in Destiny's post; she/he was just saying that this particular individual has too much time on their hands and lacks maturity. I have no responsibitlities other than myself and I did not see a scrap of what you are suggesting in Destiny's post. I agree with her, this individual is a boy who understands little of life, and I'd think the same thing about anyone who made such crass judgements about other people.

======= Date Modified 14 Nov 2009 18:52:26 =======
I just spent 40 quid on art! I got 4 miniature, and two large postcard sized, abstract oil paintings, all really beautiful. So that's three crimbo prezzies, a christening gift, my aunty's 65th birthday prezzie and a fabo art work for myyyyeeeeeeeee... Isn't payday wonderful.

I wish I could help you by speaking from experience on this, but I'm not at this stage yet. However, I do think it's worthwhile just getting the thing in on time, faults and all, and letting your supervisor give the guidance you need. Perfectionism can be such a blackhole where time is concerned and this is just a first draft, no?

I hope that helps a bit Jojo, good luck.

I must be really lucky because my supervisor isn't like that at all, he's very into getting things done as soon as possible.

Hmm I see what you mean Magic. The individual I was thinking of particularly took 12 years to complete, and only worked a few hours per week. He really struggled with concepts etc.

I know a few people who are not so bright who have PhDs; from what I've seen it's about grim determination and hanging on like a barnacle against all the odds more than anything else.

I knew it! Harry Enfield was right... Higher Education makes women grow beards.

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Hey Maria, that's true about Dickens, I've noticed he often chooses names which have relevance to his characters; for example, the cruel, glutenous orphanage owner called Mr. Fat *******. I think your friend is right, but am not sure how that element of Dickens would fit into a Phd, but then I'm not a literature postgrad.



In fact, as I remember this is something you learn at GCSE and A'level: the name Oliver has associations with dignity and strength, add the Twist surname and you have an indicaton of Oliver's character and fate. Also the name Pip from Great Expectations suggests a seed, a fitting analogy for the story of a young man's progress intoo maturity.



I take you didn't study literature at GCSE, or if so they'd stopped doing Dickens in your cohort so I've attached some GCSE stuff on Great Expectations:



http://www.greenfield.durham.sch.uk/Dickens_3_names.htm

I'm thinking that I may need to start an accountability thread for my housework. Would that be appropriate? Did Jane Bolker write a book about cleaning your house? I won't be able to get any work done until my pad's clean and tidy; but for now I have temporary domestic trashiness blindness, and housework phobia. I may watch an episode of 'how clean is your house?' there's a possibility that Kim could jump start me into action... only a possibilty though.

Great post Cobweb: I too spend copious amounts of time and energy worrying about money, bills, fares to work and uni etc and I really struggle most of the time. But I am absolutely determined too do this, and in a way it makes me more efficient because I grab every chance I can to work, squeeze every ounce of productiity out every minute, and I'm grateful I can do this after years of thnking even an undergrad degree wasn't for me, I will not let my [tentiall slip away. I will also push like hell and never give up on my future career because I have invested so much in this. I'm forty, so this is a real risk for me in terms of building up another career - I don't own a property (although I do have a four years of lecturer's pensin built up); I have to make this work!

Yeah, I've seen students who aren't really up to it, and who are there for their money (horrible but most probably true), but I've seen many of more of them at MA and undergrad level then PhD.