Do you have good supervisor(s)? Don't be afraid to ask them for help. Mine are all great, fortunately. But that's what they're there for. Don't suffer in silence.

Don't panic ! I only started a few weeks ago myself. I struggled to find a relevant paper for the topic I was told to read about, but finally it came through. Everyone feels daunted at the start. I certainly did ! But stick at it. I finally finished properly reading the paper I found yesterday and felt so good that i'd finally understood something. Don't expect to understand everything straight away, just take your time. It is a VERY big shock to the system :)

Surely you mean "just about" live on 12K a year. You will have to eat cheap food, never eat out, never drink alcohol or take drugs, just do nothing in fact.

I'm in Sheffield, how abouts I visit your office and then tell the others about the experience?

Some pretend grass made out of play-doh?

If your interested in Scotland, contact the FRS Marine Laboratory, or lookout on their website (www.marlab.ac.uk), as a friend of mine did his PhD with them. Also try Dundee and St Andrews.

is it normal for supervisors to nick your ideas and use them as theyre own?
How do u deal with a supervisor that just wont let u get on.

know how u feel.

I'm 25 and feel 18 :D

22 - just started. My supervisor even referred to me as the young 'un today...

I'm 23 and started a month ago

I only started my PhD yesterday, and already I have a mountain of papers to read, and most are going straight over my head – which is worrying me greatly. It’s all very daunting. Is anyone else feeling down at the minute, or did anyone else feel like this when they first started their PhD? Perhaps it’s just the shock to the system of stepping up to a new level of difficulty – kind of like the same as the shock of university work after doing college work.
I’m going to stick at and see how it goes.

I am studing MSc in Tropical ecology and managment of natural resources. I will complet it in June, 2006. I have taken also many courses in economics. I want to study PHD in ecology, enviromental economics or other related areas.

email: [email protected]

Gotta be close to zero if is indeed a big ball of green play-dough? But would depend what's whacking into it I guess?

Freddy, fear not about being old. I was talking to someone at a party the other night and they said 'oh yes i'm writing up and i'm 24'. That made me feel old !