Does that mean you're creating your reference list manually? If so, DON'T.

Most standard bibliographic packages (Endnote, Reference Manager, Mendeley, Zotero) will abbreviate the journal names as required by the specified journal assuming they have the right style settings for that journal (you may have to download them)

If you're not already using one of these, start now. Really, there's no good reason to want to do these things manually all of the time.

A common problem I'm afraid. IF you can ever get hold of him then ask him what is honestly the best strategy for being in touch, explaining that things are not working well in that regard at the moment. In the mean time I would suggest:
-Asking around in your group to see what other people's experiences and strategies are in this matter
- Copying in a friendly but persuasive co-supervisor/administrator who might help you lean on your supervisor for a response. Or at least it shows that the ball is in his court not yours.

Good luck with this one. You are not alone in this issue!

Given that they brought up the idea they must be willing to go a little out of their way, I'm sure.

I would suggest that you put forward to them 2-3 options and explain what you think they might get out of each. Then it's up to them to decide what's of use/convenient, and the responsibility is off your shoulders. :)

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Probably best not to jump straight into a PhD as they can be a shock to the system anyway and if you've been out of the loop for a little while that will be the case even more.

Your BSc was already quite specialised, so if you can find a Masters that would add to that then great, but be wary of something that would cover too much of the same ground (makes for a rather expensive revision course otherwise!). I would suggest trying to get a research tech/assistant job as that'll get you some practical experience on your CV and help you re-immerse yourself in science. Make sure you sell any useful transferable skills in your applications and explain clearly your motivation/commitment to returning to science. You will be competing with more recent grads so you need to make sure that you convince interviewers you are a more attractive candidate for your extra life/real world experience. If you want to go down the job route I'd recommend starting to apply for stuff pronto before this year's graduates finish, although you might already find that they're busy applying.

Good luck :)

Probably more likely to find something via your prospective uni or something like spareroom or gumtree. Make sure that anyone who approaches you isn't trying to rip you off (i.e. avoid Western Union money transfers like the plague!)

Good luck with your flathunt and your courses :)

Sometimes these things persist in cyberspace after they're passed. Happened with mine - was quite glad cos I had to keep looking up the advert to make sure I understood what the project was about.

Check if they have an expiry date showing on the ad.

You'd be daft *not* to apply for other jobs. Would your supervisor have a hissy fit if s/he knew? If not, be honest and tell him/her that you're doing it. They really shouldn't object - tis the nature of the beast that is academia. If anything, might make them fight extra hard to keep you. But if they're a reasonable person they shouldn't object.

'were'.

If writing more informally (e.g. in a newspaper article) I'd use 'was'. But for a journal, 'were'.

Depends entirely on where you're going to work (assuming you want to keep your commute to <1 hr). Distance and journey time don't necessarily correlate - better to live further out but close to a suitable tube station than to live somewhere 'central' but find you need to take 2-3 buses to get places.

If you don't want to broadcast it PM me with the vague area you're going to work and I will suggest suitable living areas (I am a native Londoner so my knowledge is pretty good).

Also be aware that 'reasonable budget' will not get you as far in London as elsewhere.

Check the university's regulations. The PhD I am doing was sold to me by my supervisor as 'thesis by publication'. The university, however, call it 'alternative format thesis'. This means my thesis will comprise an introduction, and discussion, and then instead of methods and results chapters, any papers I publish in the course of my PhD. BUT if they don't get published, or the work is not quite suitable for publication, then chapters can be unpublished work *written up as though it were a paper*.

This seems to me (medical research) so much more sensible than churning out a traditional thesis which needs to then be substantially restructured into papers.

So check with your uni whether your thesis actually needs published papers, or whether you write the work as though it were papers you might submit.

My MSc was 'pass' or 'distinction'. But as less than 10% of a very bright group of people got a distinction, I wasn't too upset at not getting one. And it didn't hurt my PhD application.

I suspect the economic situation means there is increasing competition for PhD places so you might just have been unlucky so far. It certainly sounds like you have a lot going for you. The sandwich year in particular will help you stand out as a lot of bio undergrads have no more than a final year project

I think the key things are (i) to really sell your research experience, (ii) to make sure that personal statements and cover letters are not too generic and are tailored to the specific project (iii) be clear in communicating your motivations for doing a PhD. Bear in mind that references probably won't be taken up unless you are interviewed, so don't rely on that.

Make good use of your careers service in terms of getting help with CVs and cover letters etc. The help is free now, but it gets costly later! And do you have a personal/course tutor you could talk to for some hints and tips? It would definitely be worth getting other people to cast an eye over your applications in case there's something you're missing.

I'm not sure about the funding but I would suggest that you gather together all the correspondence you sent them (emails, dated letters etc) and try to find someone in research admin at the uni, or a postgrad tutor, or a student representative who can help you put the case forward that communication has been poor and the situation was not clear. It might help you make the case that you should be allowed an extension (although that will probably incur a fee).

Assuming that the quality of research is about the same, I wouldn't put too much weight on Cambridge making you more 'saleable'. UCL is a leading international uni on a par with Cambridge in some respects so it's not like you're choosing between a very high quality and a low quality institution.

If things seem the same with regard to research opportunities, consider the following:
- Which research questions on offer really grab you. Not just 'Oh, that's interesting', but 'WOW, that's INTERESTING, I want to spend 3 years obsessing over it!'
- How supportive do you think the supervisors will *really* be?
- What opportunities are there in the department for wider learning - seminar series, chance to go to conferences, inter-institutional collaborations
- Do the current students seem happy and inspired there?
- Would you rather live in a big city or a small one?