London is VERY different to **********, you can't even buy the same food there! The next 3 years will be tough....

I didn't have an interiew as I already knew my supervisor (or I should say, she knew me). They kept faffing about and said they were waiting on the head of department to make a decision. I was like WHAT?!?! I emailed him and asked him what was going on and it got sorted in 10mins......

I think if I was working on something for longer than 3 years I would get the blues too! Don't white russians make you feel worse? Go abseiling!

I'm a bit confused....isn't the proposal meant to give an idea of what you should end up with and a very brief idea of how you get there? The rest you research yourself.

Why german universities??? they are full of germans

I don't know how you would go about applying for the projects in USA, but it is likely to be similar to UK where you apply to a university stating which area you would like to research. The duration of a PhD in the USA is 5 years (I think!), it is 3 years in UK. The fees would be expensive. However it may be possible to be funded. For computer science, perhaps MIT would be a good choice, this is one of the best universities in the world, so it would be competitive to get a place there

Even if you do see the original research proposal (I didn't), or your supervisor gives you a big introductory talk I don't think you'll fully grasp what you're supposed to be doing for a while. I don't know how or when but I can I assure you that someday it WILL happen, then you'll be much happier that you can take control of the project and use your own ideas to push things forward. Until then, the reading is probably the best thing to do.

Think of it like a big puzzle - all the clues are in those papers! Find out which bits (you think) relate to your work, collect them all together and try to put everything you are told to do in it's place. I know that doesn't sound efficient or even sensible but I think that's what a lot of the best students have to do (the others just don't bother and never get to the stage where they're in control?)

Your supervisor probably SHOULD be trying to give you an overall view of the research, maybe they are brushing you off by telling you to 'read widely', but you can cope! From your original post I think you'd enjoy figuring things out on your own (you just don't know it yet). Finally, I do think it would be risky to ask for the proposal at such an early stage. But you could hint and see what happens, make the supervisor think it was their idea?

Hi all,
I've few questions as I am newbie here.
1) I've don MS-IT from a Premier Institute of INDIA. Now I want to persue PhD in computer science that too in USA. So how should I proceed further.
2) What would be the minimum duration of same? What would be cost,fees for same?
3) Which are the best & premier institute for PhD course..?
Replys would be highly appreciated.

THanx in advance.

Try taking long showers/swimming or just do something crazy to pump up your adrenaline that may help.

good advice german

I agree the administration is terrible at london uni's. I did my BSc in Salford and that was so much better. Cheaper too! I don't think I would gone to uni in london if I didn't move down from Yorkshire to be with my girlfriend. But now I'm here I love the place.

Oops... too much liquor tonight... Posted this on the "postgrad life" board ...

[ I suppose I could have read more of the forum before posting... I was just so excited to find it! ]

Nice to find this forum. I'm a 4th year PhD student in seismology in the US and am stuck in the PhD-blues big time! Just wondering how you all got through it... The only things that have helped so far are Queen, White Russians, and chocolate...

Is there a different forum for PhD-blues or is this one ok to post to?

I appied for a PhD studentship at Strathclyde, and now I have been told to come up for an interview. I reside in Pakistan, should I ask them a telephonic interview?, But I also feel that physical presence definately has an edge, so should I travel? I mean I can but am kinda lost for now. The project itself is so very wanted by me, I can travel if its worth it...any suggestions/experiences please?

just quit then let someone more deserving take over