The subject line isn't probably that important - it's what is in the email that counts.

If you just say, 'I want to do a PhD in computational mathematics - do you have any opportunities', you're less likely to get a response that if you say 'I'm really interested in X topic, which your group works on'. Tailor each correspondence to the person you're writing to rather than using exactly the same text for each mail. Highlight your relevant qualifications and any useful research/work experience.

Good luck!

======= Date Modified 05 May 2011 16:14:20 =======

None of this gentle encouragement or mutual accountability business - I need tough love. ;-)

I've been faffing around with my literature review for too long. Not helped by the fact that my supervisor is uber relaxed about when I finish it, and I'm rubbish at sticking to self imposed deadlines. At the moment my only motivation to finish it is that then I won't be doing it anymore (although we all know you're never really done with a lit review...)

So I hereby invite you to give me a kick up the backside. In a nice way :-)

(Gold stars may be awarded for helpfulness)

- Look for advertised PhDs in that subject
- Identify university departments that work on that topic and contact department members whose research topics interest you
- Identify people from author lists of papers that interest you/conference speakers.

PS. I think your poll is broken

I second everything Ady said. Short and sweet message, asking for constructive feedback. Keep things open for future contact.

Competition has increased. It could even be something as simple as a candidate equally good as you who was just a tiny bit better in the interview. Or someone who interviewed the same but had a first.

It's difficult and disappointing, but don't dwell too long on the hypotheticals. Good luck with your next application.

I'll play. :)

I'm not 100% sure how/when I got my second star, but I think I've contributed enough for it to be warranted.

======= Date Modified 03 May 2011 14:59:12 =======
Depends on the uni. Oxbridge can be funny about it but most places don't really care as long as you put the work in and turn up when needed. When I've worked in research groups in London people have commuted from Cambridge, Oxford, various places in the home counties. During my masters in London there were even a couple of people commuting from Nottingham.

If you're wondering what your supervisor might say - then ask him/her! :)

Sounds like you've already made your mind up. As long as the commute/distance isn't detrimental to your work/health/sanity then why not?

Have a rest. Take a break. Go on holiday. Indulge a hobby.

You'll be spending 3 years immersed in your project - enjoy the gap while you have it :)

Good luck :)

I hope it's not the case, but if for some reason you don't get it, but you like the supervisor and the work she does, do send a follow up email so as to lay the foundations for staying in touch. If you work in that field then your paths may cross again in the future, so I guess it would do no harm to have a positive communication with her after the decision.

I wouldn't either. If you've been given a rough date I wouldn't get in contact till after that has passed. It might not be viewed well if you make unnecessary contact.

How different is different? What about your Bachelors - was that a similar area?

It would be unusual to do a PhD in something that didn't relate to your Bachelors OR your Masters, unless the skills were relevant but the topic quite different.

I think we might need more info to help.

======= Date Modified 27 Apr 2011 17:15:21 =======
Depends on your fields. If your library has access to Ovid, this can be used to search a number of databases simultaneously.

Def worth having a chat with a librarian though, especially as you're in an interdisciplinary field.

Edited to add - depends what your reason for searching is. Google Scholar may be perfectly adequate if you're just trying to learn stuff. If you're doing a proper systematic review though, one should always check more than one database, even if there is one which is perceived to have 'all the literature'.

PS. Forgive me if my initial post seemed patronising but on more than one occasion I've come across PhD students (including those who have submitted their theses) who have never used reference management software and used various laborious processes to create bibliographies for each new document.:-(

======= Date Modified 27 Apr 2011 16:50:01 =======
Hmm, that's odd. I've not used Refworks but I thought most packages did that kind of thing automatically as long as you specified which journal style you wanted the bibliography to be in.

I don't know the best place to look really. If there aren't that many, maybe you could post the names of the journals and the place you're submitting it to and folks here can help you work it out.

The distance thing is important. It's important to consume and digest the literature, but regurgitation should be avoided! It's hard though, especially if you've immersed yourself in reading. So allowing time between reading and writing is important.

One thing that I've been trying recently to let go of my perfectionism about writing (which leads to massive blocks to my progress) is to open a blank document and just splurge out what I know on a particular topic. It's for my eyes only, I don't worry about grammatical perfection, colloquialisms, or referencing things. It's just a case of getting the stuff out of my head and on to the page. It then gives me a rough document that I can take from to polish into something more academic and appropriate.

If that doesn't sound appealing, you could literally put things into your own voice by writing a list of questions that you want to address, then answering them out loud as though you were being interviewed about a topic/giving a lecture. Record what you say on a dictaphone and see if what comes out is helpful to your writing.