Cheer DanB, was watching out for you again in Sainsburys...one of these days!

My PhD combines all my interests, and brings skill from undergrad and masters 1 & 2 (I suppose school to, as reading Latin again)! Location was not important to me, I have moved around before so it was not important. Orginally good link to my hometown was important, now I wish I wasn't so handy to jump on a low cost airline! When I first visited Loughborough, everything felt right, the people and the place.

Choose a project that fits with what you want to do, and in something that interests you.

Cheers kc, I think my emotional problems are adding to my stress as per always (hence I am seeing a couinsllor). However, on a positive note, I have turned my life around since I started my PhD, I just need to think positively and not live on my nerves...however, christmas isn't a good time of year on any year & this year will be worse than ever, but I maybe able to smile once its all over, and I am not going to be stuck in the environment I was living in.

wooooooohhhhhhhhhoooooooo congrats Dr DJW

Big hug Bobby. I'm feeling awful, just about collapsed again this weekend, lack of sleep, stress, and everything is catching up with me. I think for most people the Christmas hols will be a good chance for folks to get some strength back, my only problem is its Christmas (and everything with it) that is adding to my stress! You sound like you need a change of a scenery, just take it easy, and breathe...you will be fine .

Off to see my man, and perhaps make some Stollen or even vegan cake (well it is my birthday next week)!

LOL during the last ashes I was on an archaeological dig in Wiltshire, there were was me (an angloscot) and an Australian girl who weren't fully supporting England. I saw a bit of it at a mates house today (I don't own a tv), and Australia were doing very well. I don't expect England to do well, British teams don't do well against teams from the Southern Hemisphere when not on home turf (be it cricket, rugby union etc). I just hope it is as entertaining as the last series, as it got many new people into the sport.

I am a physical geographer, however, one of my colleagues is a human geographer and has requested more frequent meetings with their suprvisor & for them to be less formal, and thankfully her supervisor has agreed (granted she is Tawianese, and is getting use to life in the UK). However, I think speaking to your supervisor, and telling them your problems/issues is a good start, as it varies from student to student how much contact is given/needed.

I have been thinking what to post, and could n't come up with any pearls of wisdom!

All the best DJW, we will be thinking about you

Hope your feeling better now I withdrew from a PhD 3/4 years ago, after being accepted..my reasons were the supervisor to be had promised to spend the 7 months after I was accepted looking for funding (I contacted him so many times via post/email/phone) that I decided I could not stand to work with a person like that and I was in no position to self fund. The university did ask why I was withdrawing, and I told them. Since then I have done a second masters, and followed a different route, tbh I am glad that PhD didn't work out, as it wasn't following what my real interests are and I don't think I was mature enough to cope with the pressures. Now, I have just started my PhD, and I am a week away from my 28th birthday, and I am happy with my hoice.

Cheers everyone My supervisor said today she help me to an extent if there was a paper I was not understanding.

Not sure sorry, if I have any brainwaves I will get back to you or someone else will.

Yes, just triming a map of my site? Do you need help?

Big hug. I am having counsilling at my uni, as alot of stuff I have kept bottled up for 28 years was adding to my worries. I am beginning to see dawn in my life, where once it was a sunset or pitch black. It is worth checking if your uni offers councilling, as just talking to someone, who wont judge you and is impartial helps.