hi. coming up to xmas so done no reading over last 3 days...lol. day out shopping tomoro. yes....did find the 'how to get a phd book' very helpful. covered most disciplines (science, social science etc). had read another help book prior to this one and hadnt found that any good. but within a few pages of this book, i started understanding a lot of things and felt much more positive about doing a phd and what was involved :-)

iv found dell to be excellent. had one from 2002. used it thro my 2nd and 3rd year of first degree and sold it on ebay in 2006. got 200 and it was going well. then got a fujitsu. nightmare. used it 06 to 07 for my masters and it packed up just over a year later. just bought another dell oct 08 in preparation for my PhD and im pleased. yes ive paid for extras like 3years on-site warranty and 3years accidental damage but need to know that il have this going for that long. wish id gone for 4years now but cost me about almost a grand. think about 980pounds in total. but i like it and feel happy using dell. i found when i went into computer shops, i was told any problems with the laptop, it'd have to be sent away, anything up to 28days. cant have that while doing a doctorate. dell are the only ones offering on site next day repair in ur home. yes u have to pay extra for that but gives me peace of mind :-)

hey.. never say never... we may organise meets some day. now that would be something else...lol :p

a real tree please ! with gold and red tinsel. and a light up fairy at the top. and musical lights on the tree. can someone put some decoration on please? theres a fireplace in the room. im going to light it. iv got the wood in. theres a big pile in the basket. iv put some paper down, some kindling and some coal and some firelighters. its soo beautiful. iv just lit it. and placed some logs on. wow! its roaring. gosh! u should be in this celebration room. the fire is roaring so brightly and so warm. im gonna stay here a while. im curling up in front of the fire. this room is so beautiful. thank you olivia xxx

5 mins later...still checking and cant find how to vote someone helpful :-(

couldnt find the button...cos id like to use it sometimes. have had some excellent help and advice on here and would love to work out how to click to recommend. oh well...il keep looking, maybe il find it sometime, someday.
Mmmm..... where do i click it?

im starting my PhD in jan. i am self funding and have paid my first year's fees in full but have now realised things wont be as i thought. in short, my financial situation doesnt look good. is it possible to start and appy for funding for say year 2? i will check with my uni when i start in jan. but just wondered...do u have to secure funding in advance of the first year or can i apply for consequent years. my course is full time in the social sciences. thank you x

thank u phdbug. that makes me feel good xx

xmas escaping me too this year. il make an effort to buy a tree this week and put it up. normally go to my mum but we fell out in march and havnt spoken or seen since. she's moved so i dont know where she is. tho i can contact her thro someone else but cant bring myself too due to what happened and she wont also. so unless im invited somewhere, im not celebrating xmas day. my teens have always gone to their dads and when i mentioned to my daughter, turns out he's not having them at his weekend/holiday home near me. he's taking them to where he lives a distance away with his current partner. cant stop them going. wouldnt be fair as they'v always spent xmas day to new year with him. il have them xmas eve so il enjoy the time. spoke to a good friend of mine. he doesnt kno what he's doing but if his girlfriends ok and they spending it together, maybe il head there. but not sure. her son's hyperactive so not sure il handle being there. bless him...not his fault. havnt bought pressies as paid for my daughters car insurance and that was her pressie and my son's having driving lessons and that was his. il get them something little each. with no contact with my mum.... its sad. but thats life...for me.

hi phdbug. just read some postings on the current thread and ur reply now makes lots of sense. thank u. theres a lot to learn and it will only start unfolding as i start and proceed on my PhD journey. reading a lot of what's happening on the current phd threads is quite an eye opener. im learning so much. now understanding ur remarks. so much can change. in fact gosh! so much will change. il keep on doing my research and readings. getting me more focussed ready for my start in 3 wks. well..think its 3 wks. my start date is 1st jan.. though they're not there on new year's day...lol. take care x

thank you :-) my research area is a carry on from my bachelors and masters. have also had meet ups with another student from my old uni who started their PhD last year in same field of criminal justice and found it very helpful to discuss what he's doing with what idea's i have. also have had chats with their supervisor who i know and was once my supervisor and got lots of advice from this person which is where iv got the books im reading and areas im reading from etc.
yes.. new uni, new sups. lol.. maybe il find im taken somewhere else. though from interview and my proposal, my research has to go down the route iv proposed and they've accepted. there's no other way. so hence the readings im doing is covering the areas of my research and proposed methodologies. finding its helping though compared to waiting till jan before i start anything. thanks for tips (up)

lol. so when do i change myself from prospective to current PhD i ask myself :-) 1st jan? yes :-) dont know whether to smile :-) or be worried :-(
i think this best suits me :-O a nerve wracking feeling. trepidation, and afraid - yes. scared. worried about finances. didnt think about it before but now worried about how il pay my rent and look after my teens. started feeling scared as just found out that being a full time student means im gonna lose a lot of help i counted on before eg paying my rent. have thought -God! what am i doing here. yes im scared but i refuse to let this beat me. almost thought of backing out and doing it in a few years as the financial mess has only just sunk in a week ago but im going ahead with all the hassles thrown at me. i just pray i wade through it all without sinking. will ask help from the uni on finances. pray for me everyone xx

so what's 2 stars? must be posting 100 makes a star. what's 2? what's 3? :-)

though i dont start till jan (3wks), i am finding that doing some prelimnary research and writing is helping me get in the right frame of mind. started mid november. done a bit under my lit review tho not much 300words? lol. have found that doing a lot of reading and research on methodology has given me a much better understanding and confidence on what i am going into. also one book i do thoroughly recommend is - HOW TO GET A PHD by Estelle M. Phillips and Derek S. Pugh 4th ed (2005). i read the book from cover to cover and its so amazing. talk about eureka moments. i cant sing the praises of this book enough :-) its about 20pounds in bookshops but amazon have used ones from £2.99! i am so much clearer on what a PhD is all about, aims objectives hypotheses etc. it has helped me focus my research topic which was previously unfocussed and a mish-mash of ideas. i am so much clearer after reading this book. i am now reading on methodologies relevant to my research eg non probability/probability sampling, interviewing, questionnaires etc. writing up bits as i go along. getting so much clearer. this has helped me as when i go for my first meeting, i will take in all iv done and see where my supervisors guide me from there.
iv got another new book called a postgraduate research handbook by gina wisker (2007). havent read that yet, but plan to start before jan. il let u know if any good. got alan byrmans new 'social research methods' book only published this year 2008. havnt dipped into that yet. using robson c. 'real world research' 2nd ed book i had from my masters to start with as so many good chapters in there. also going over my old masters unit course book for research methods and gleaning much info and writing from there.
all this getting me so much better prepared for jan :-)

well done Dr. K xxx