"Robotics" is an over-used word hairizaman, think about the application area you wish to work in - medical, nuclear, forestry etc, because a robot is essentially a piece of electro-mechanical engineering and software, which many Universities do.

Then look at 'who' has active links with industry. Some of the Unis. mentioned earlier have fancy sounding programs, but what are they achieving? Will it help you achieve what you want?

My supervisor has suggested I work from 8 till 6, 6 days per week if I want to treat the PhD like a job. I asked this question before and everyone here said "oh no it's possible to work 9-5", but I'm beginning to suspect otherwise!

I have no problem working those hours and I probably will do that and more, but I don't like the expectation that I will. Subtle? Pedantic? But an important distinction.

What is the consensus about this in general? How have your hours changed through the years?

I guess 'number of hours' has become important to me, and perhaps other PhD students, because it gives us a measure that could enable us to disengage from PhD work on our time off. A justification for relaxing in an industry that, by character, doesn't have many feedback mechanisms or measures of mid-project success.

Has anyone had any concerns about 'ownership' of a project when their PhD is part of a team project?

Is it normal for a PhD candidate to join and work with a post-doc on a project that has been going on for a while now?

I have submitted an application for the post, but have only recently heard about the team aspect and that some work has already been done. Was I being old-fashioned with the idea that a PhD student is the originator or original thinker?

eddi, although I don't have experience of this in a PhD post, it is very common in industry. It's perfectly ok to be anti-office politics and still be 'in the in-crowd'. I'd question the value of friendships with people who follow the general opinion. If like me, you don't follow the norm, you can carve a carear as a perfectly lovable eccentric character. Age always helps!

It's surely not a question of differing commitments, I can't imagine a PhD completed without commitment. The question is, the scope for effective time management. If you are being worked to extremes, perhaps the supervisor (or student) is being unrealistic with the project boundaries?

Perhaps because there is a perception of a high workload, some PhD students perpetuate it as a badge of honour .. daft people!

You're all teaching. Who and what? I'm not aware of PhD students teaching in my dept. I should be pleased to hear that there can be life outside a PhD, but my lifestyle is unpredictable, it all happens in short bursts.

I'm thinking of starting a PhD and appreciate is isn't a 9 till 5, how much time do you put in? Do you have weekends free? And more importantly, can you relax and disengage at the weekend?

I've just finished an MSc and haven't had many weekends and evenings to myself.