would like to ask a couple of questions in regards to PhD Economics. Firstly, as I got MBA specializing in International Business.My under graduate degree was in Commerce from Pakistan with Economics only in the first year of it. I do have a sound understanding of Economics as I have been teaching it till A levels. How can I get myself into PhD Economics?

Also, is it a necessity to have university taught Masters degree in economics? Or is it acceptable if I get a distance learning Masters degree and then apply for a PhD?

University of London and Open University provides distance learning opportunities and the only reason why I am reluctant to sign up with any of the two is because, what if I wont be offered the place in PhD program from a recognized university later on?

These universities also offers Graduate Diploma and Advanced Diploma in Economics. So should I get myself into the diplomas rather than signing up for the degree?

Also what are the best ways to improve Mathematics for Economics? Any books and recommended websites?

I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for reading and posting the relevant replies to this thread.

Best Regards,
Syed

Pink Numbers I can sympathize. I also need to do a bibliography later today but Refworks and my mac aren't getting on recently so I'm going to have to try doing it on a university machine.

I had a sort of argument with my OH this morning. I'd had an important email from my supervisor and was trying to tell him about it but he kept talking over me and singing. Then I snapped and accused him of not caring about what I'm doing. When he gets back from work he'll blame it on me being stressed out and ratty. Maybe I am, I can't tell!

Anyway, my first goal is to prepare a document for the research office with the extra info they need to project the costs for my project.

Hi Star-shaped, I also find myself getting ratty with the pressure I put myself under to get the thesis completed. You seem to have alot of deadlines at the moment.  I can have lower tolerance for the toddler tantrums and babies. My hubby switches off when I talk to him about my thesis etc which I find annoying, but he doesn't really understand the subject I am doing. DH is very understanding with the time I spend at the laptop in the evenings so I cannot complain!  I think that a PhD isolates us from friends and also very close family at times when deadlines loom. Have a chat with him this evening, I am sure it will all be fine!

In the meantime hope you have a productive day!

Dunni, star-shape, thank you, I'm so glad I'm not the only one that has to fight the thing. All this compatibility across different software is doing my head in.

I understand what you two mean about the PhD being very isolating. PhD takes over your life, but you can't discuss it with those closest to you because it's far too specialised. My husband is slowly getting his head around the subject, but that's because he's proof reading my chapters for me as I write. I had a good friend ask me yesterday "what's your PhD on? I mean I know you're doing a PhD but I've never asked what the PhD is on".

Then of course, you two have the added stress of looking after your children. I'm not surprised you find your tolerance is lower when you are up against big deadlines. I think it's perfectly normal. I mean if it was your husband dealing with a huge deadline, you'd be understanding and support him, right? RIGHT? lol

Today, I'm starting a new chapter. It's going to be build upon a short published paper, so it should be easier than the last chapter. Hoping to finish it by Friday lunch time so I can have it seen to by my supervisor at the meeting.

Goal 1: Plan the chapter
Goal 2: Write the introduction section

Yes it is difficult not being able to discuss it with people. I don't really understand his work that much either. I ask him about stuff but generally don't get it. But he works with actual people, his dad is part of the company, he discusses the ins and outs of everything with his brother. So he has people to talk to but sometimes I just feel like nobody understands or cares what I am up to! But he moved to this town because of my PhD and he is willing to discuss moving again so probably I'm just being unreasonable.

Anyway, I have now sent a revised version of the project costs to the research office. My next job is to write the 'justification of resources' for project number 1.

======= Date Modified 19 Jan 2011 11:45:41 =======
I hate it when people ask me what my PhD is about, because when I tell them a really simplified version they often seem to think I'm actually asking them the central question, and then try to answer it off the top of their head. So I get lots of anecdotes about the stuff I'm looking at, presented to me with a beaming smile of 'look, I've solved it for you!' Of course, so far none of them actually have solved it for me... save me a lot of work if they did! Sometimes I give a brief explanation of why it's not as simple as they seem to think; other times, I can't be bothered, and just smile and say their point is probably one part of it. Silly of me to get annoyed by that, really! It's just so repetitious!

Today, I woke up with a stinking cold, and am making hardly any progress. I want to add details of how I'm analysing each question to my questionnaire. Once I've done that, I'm going to do something easy because I'm feeling so rough - probably go through some notes on journal articles I read a while back, and reading a bit more.

Justification of resources done. My goals for the rest of the day are to attend meeting with research group (will be nice to get out of the house and away from my proposals) and to sort out bibliography for proposal number 1. Then to go to the gym, as I haven't been in since Friday.

Batfink, thank you for the tip about how to deal with those people that try to solve it for you, I'm so going to use that from now on. just smile and nod, smile and nod ;)

Well, the converting the short paper into a chapter went rather well, and it's all done for now - yay! So for the rest of the day, I will focus on writing discussions and conclusions on my previous chapter.

Do you think it would be okay to take the rest of the week off? I'm about 10 days ahead of my original schedule. Then again, knowing me, I'll take one day off but get the itch to write and carry on with work! I do fancy going for a day out in the lake tomorrow though.

Goal for today is pick myself back up after getting supv comments back on chapter I submitted last August :( He has picked up the pace and the other two chapters I have given him since then apparently are coming on Thursday - can't wait... :( He tells me if I keep up the productivity (which in effect is 7-days a week) I should get it in during the summer. I feel I have so much to do that I can't think straight. Was going to post new thread about writing up angst but there's not really much point as it really is a case of just getting on with it.

My hubby thinks in terms of words, ie "how many words did you write today?" At this stage I just lie and give him an arbitrary number. He also keeps asking me where I would like to go for on holiday - in June - just when I think/hope/pray that I will be submitting. He doesn't really get that it's not a firm deadline but more an aspiration on my part. Also good friend at uni thinking of pulling out so won't talk about submitting, chapter deadlines, viva, anything. That's why I keep logging onto this forum, for like-minded people - I find the virutal support heartening.

Thanks guys :-)

Hi Ady, you and I have the same deadline :) end of June, although mine is like a very FIRM deadline, I don't get it in by then, then I am dead! So you are in a much better position than I am in, you're obviously ahead of your schedule.

How come your supervisor took so long to get back to you on the chapter you submitted in August? That's - one, two, three... - 5 months! Is this normal?

To be fair, he is genuinely a very busy person and the chair of the department which makes his comments, when they come, very useful. I am his first PhD student at our uni but now he has six of us altogether. Maybe it was more the beginning of Sept rather than Aug when I gave him the chapter?? He has mentioned it a few times, telling me he would send on his comments and finally he sent them on. They're not bad - really - it's just that there is an awful lot of them to take onboard and it would have helped frame the remainder of the work if I had had them sooner. Am feeling totally over-whelmed just at the moment but hopefully once I read what he has said properly after that first panicked skim-read I'll be better able to focus.

Pinknumbers (great name!) I have to be ahead of schedule or I can't work. Once I fall behind I find it nigh on impossible to concentrate on one thing and constantly flit between different things. June is close, isn't it??

Ady - when I got my first chapter comments back from the supervisory team (yes 3 sups!) I was almost afraid to open it! The comments were plenty and the first read through had me panicking that I could not write a thesis. However on re-reading and reflection the comments were not actually that bad at all. I think it is better to have feedback (even if you can dispute it) rather than submitting with no comments at all. Once you go over the chapter comments again you will be more focused and constructive.

My deadline is a moving goal! Officially 6 years in May 2011. An intermission for 'twins' takes it to Sept 2011 but the write-up extension that my supervisor added in when I applied for write-up status takes it to Feb 2012! I personally am aiming for April 2011 as my supervisors reckon that by Easter will be easy! At least I don't have a firm deadline.........although probably best to have one before things slip! Currently ahead of schedule :-)

Yikes, deadlines! I guess mine is September 2012, as that's when my funding runs out... Seemed a long way away but now I'm thinking that's no time at all....

Pink_numbers - you take time off if you want time off! It's so easy to get burnt out, so breaks are good. And sounds like you've earned it!

Finished the work I wanted to do on my questionnaire. I can feel my temperature rising and my face burning up with this cold, but I want to get another couple of hours work done before I let myself finish the day early and slob out moaning about being ill! Time to go through scrawled notes on journal articles I skim-read a while back and write these up into proper notes, I think.

Thanks guys(up), I need to shake off this imposter syndrome and get some actual work done! Good luck all with all our goals;-)

Ady and Pink Numbers, I also have a similar deadline. I am hoping for July although my funding runs out in October so really I have until September.

I have now met with the research group and responded to the various emails which appeared while I was away. My next goal is to sort out the bibliography for proposal number 1.