Thanks

This might provoke another outcry, but aren't Minstrels much nicer than M&Ms?

Hiya Doodles! That's right, DJ Wickid posted her choc cake recipe for me to try. I do enjoy baking but have to be in the right mood - sometimes it's too much like being in the lab e.g. carefully weighing out ingredients, following the protocol (recipe), anxiously waiting for the results etc. Only difference is I tend not to double glove when cooking at home... ;o)

That's right ...my apologies Ann. You see I'm becoming a proper PhD student ... getting forgetful or is it too focused on my research? Now I remember you were going to serve this wkd vegan chocolate cake for all us suffering PhD students. I think that's a great idea!

Oh yeah of the munchkin variety!!

I think this depends on the supervisor. I saw the original proposal for the project that my supervisor tried to get funding for. I also saw the proposal for the project I'm doing now which is different to the project mentioned above. Although this was in a lot less detail so only have vague idea of what I'm doing!

It's just the established London unis have this air of arrogance about them. I think it’s to protect their prestige!! It’s a very closed ranks system and the administration is terrible!

I'd agree with Somebody's assessment. I have a 2:2 which I don't like mentioning either. I did an MSc which was at the other end of the spectrum to my BSc degree! Found it a struggle to find a PhD in the field of my MSc. However it can be done, given the right contacts, determination and some luck! I got onto my PhD by undertaking voluntary work experience as I was often told I didn’t have enough experience of the subject. My supervisor there gave me an excellent reference which impressed my current supervisor!

I didn't apply for mine either. Got official offer 2 weeks after interview as they had to wait for head of dept to sign paperwork as he was away at the time of interview! But sometimes it can take months or you even have to chase them up to get back to you! It all depends how good the dept/uni is!

If you are lucky you'll get £12.5K, if not you will get considerably less!!!!

That sounds about right, a PhD is technically a job, so treat it like one. You will need to put in 40hrs plus a week. At the begining you will work less than you will at the start. But think how hard you worked for a bachelors degree, then double it.

Are you drunk or something?

I'm living in Nottingham at the moment, but start my PhD at Cranfield University in a month, can't wait.

How about just sending the names of the references. If you then get spontaneous rejections (because the supervisor has no money for a student) you will not have waisted countless reference letters that have been signed by your referees.

Well like you I have some bills outstanding to pay so am getting desperate... But most people i've spoken to said it takes about a week usually.