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hi. they started off with questions like why i wanted to do a PhD. the reasons why. my future aspirations. what i see myself doing in the future. i found they had spent time going through my proposal prior to the interview and they started asking me more academic questions to do with my proposal eg wanted me to explain more about the theoretical principles i had chosen in my proposal and why.
i had thought the interview would mainly be more about me and why im doing a PhD, so i hadnt expected id be asked all the academic questions i got. in hindsight i would have read up before going for the interview and i hadnt. but i did try talking my way through it :-) they seemed impressed that i wanted to be active in the department eg i did say i wanted to be able to do some teaching which they seemed very impressed with. they like the fact that i wanted to be an active student as i asked them what they had on for students to keep one's motivation going. they told me of the weekly seminars etc and i nodded away happily and said i would certainly be attending them and also as many activities as i could. they replied that their PhD students are very visible in the department. i also after the interview emailed them a day later to thank them explaining that i was nervous at the intervivew. i also rang a few days later asking for feedback. thats how my experience went. lol...i found it nerve racking enough.. hence i didnt want to do it again. so glad i got an offer and at such a fantastically brill uni! i did feel i rabbited on and talked a lot out of nerves. and when i rang, i apologised if i came across nervous. Mmmm.... hope this helps. but yeah..in hindsight, i would have done some reading before the interview xx

tut tut! i really should spell check :-( was meant to say current and past legislation... apologies...lol x

sorry my thread posted twice. im away at mo and using my laptop via usb cable to my mobile so very slow. thought it hadnt posted and clicked again, hence the double post. hi tricky im writing on female offending and criminal activity which will also involve examining current and pas legislation. also using criminological and sociological theories to explain the offending behaviour. not sure the exact focus of my thesis as that will become clearer once i start meetings with my supervisors. my proposal had so many ideas and needs focussing which my supervisors im sure will help me with. thank you for all your words of support. yes i have started doing some reading. on amazon today saving books to my wish list :-)

lol.. as to social life.. its kinda non-existent. im so happy iv got the offer. i rang and accepted and start i think the lady in admin said 1st january. i started feeling scared after. now its sunk in, then came the fear...lol. scared cos i know what iv got ahead of me for the next few years. scared in anticipation of all the hard work ahead of me. scared becos i know that i will see it through to the end so i know iv got years of hard work and challenge in front of me. just scared! wasnt scared before but now iv got the offer i am. today iv felt less scared - i went on their website and was amazed at how much this university has put into their PhD students. they've got about 5workshops on each week and every week covering topics like writing abstracts and conclusions, interviewing, methodologies, the viva etc, ranging from 3 hours to full day workshops. and this is every week. they also have seminars once a week and guest speakers in once a week. i am so amazed at how much theyv got going for PhD students. no wonder they have a high success rate :-) my old uni in contrast has a high drop out rate for their PhD students and i can see why. they have nothing on. i spoke to someone i know who's doing their doctorate there and they are finding it hard going. im just so glad i applied to this other uni. its the best thing i did :-) im so positive now and im glad i didnt stay at my old uni.

lol.. as to social life.. its kinda non-existent. im so happy iv got the offer. i rang and accepted and start i think the lady in admin said 1st january. i started feeling scared after. now its sunk in, then came the fear...lol. scared cos i know what iv got ahead of me for the next few years. scared in anticipation of all the hard work ahead of me. scared becos i know that i will see it through to the end so i know iv got years of hard work and challenge in front of me. just scared! wasnt scared before but now iv got the offer i am. today iv felt less scared - i went on their website and was amazed at how much this university has put into their PhD students. they've got about 5workshops on each week and every week covering topics like writing abstracts and conclusions, interviewing, methodologies, the viva etc, ranging from 3 hours to full day workshops. and this is every week. they also have seminars once a week and guest speakers in once a week. i am so amazed at how much theyv got going for PhD students. no wonder they have a high success rate :-) my old uni in contrast has a high drop out rate for their PhD students and i can see why. they have nothing on. i spoke to someone i know who's doing their doctorate there and they are finding it hard going. im just so glad i applied to this other uni. its the best thing i did :-) im so positive now and im glad i didnt stay at my old uni.

hi. iv just got my offer for january. i sent an email to the head of department about 5weeks ago, attended interview under 2 weeks ago and just go my offer. my experience -depends on the uni. some take oct starts. some jan and iv been told by one they take anytime! my research is in the humanities and i was told that if id done an important research management unit in my masters, id be exempt from doing it for my PhD so my start date would be flexible. hope that helps xx

hi. i have doubts too. from reading the posts on here, i now am feeling thats a normal feeling, having insecurities. iv got my offer and i start in jan and i have kids... though they're teenagers. but i am a single parent and have been through both my bachelors and my masters and iv got this far. i let things slip, like housework etc. i even cook ready freezer meals and i feel such a bad mum but thats how i managed and how i will manage. im so glad when i read posts like urs cos i realise im not the only one and we can all do it.. we'll all get there. chin up xxx

hi. iv just got my offer. still so excited. only read the email an hour ago :-)
1) it is possible to gain entry-yes. i have a 2:1 bachelors and a master of science (merit)
2) no-u do not give up. u dont throw in the towel becos he doesnt have the confidence. u can tell him/her to put his opinion+lack of confidence where the sun doesnt shine...lol :-)
3) i dont feel it would be difficult. but u should start researching the universities first. go on their website, check out the staff and their research interests. thats what i did. also their success rate, what on going support they have for their doctorate students. that was very important for me as i like to be part of the university eg going in regularly etc. the uni i did both my degrees in were very poor on the on-going support and i was actually told they have a high drop out rate. so i checked elsewhere, checked the staff profiles etc went for interview and just got my offer :-)
4) im going to do my PhD self funding.
5) Mmmm.... my field is criminology/criminal psychology which also does merge in the sociological arena... as for history, theology etc id say check out the universities and see if they have a strong interest in that area. see if their postgrad staff have the topic u interested in on thier research interest list. thats what i did. u may also get other replies to this. and hey! im just starting out. i start in january xx

just got my offer! im so excited :-) just got the email. i was that nervous, i wasnt even gonna open the email when i saw it as it's past midnite and i knew i'd go to bed upset. i'd actually convinced myself i might not get the offer. did that maybe so in case that happened i'd have been prepared for that. also had since the interview started feeling insecure and thinking id never get to do my doctorate and maybe i wasnt that bright (i got a 2:1 for bachelors and merit for masters). so, imagine my surprise when i read the email :-) the uni i went to for my interview (previous posting of mine)- they'v offered me a place after getting my references back. im starting january ! oh my God! im on such a high!! :-D God! i was shrieking and dancing. rang my 18year old at her dad's where she's staying for half term but she was in bed. told my ex hubby but said dont tell her, il tell her tomoro. i was gonna give up if i hadnt got this offer and my daughter had said to me 'Mum how can u give up? i never knew u as someone who gives up.. u keep going, u keep applying'. those were her words. though i replied 'no, im leaving it'. its past 1am and im so excited :-) :-) :-) xxx (ps ignore my spelling, i know its like text type but its fast for me)...lol. nite nite. love to you all xxxx

I GOT OFFERED A PLACE !!! the uni i went to for the interview :-) just got the email today.... i am soo soo excited. its a brilliant university. i am so happy.

feeling much better today. rang the uni i went for interview and had brief chat. said to them im willing to rewrite the proposal to make it more focussed. they are waiting on my references from old uni. spoke to my ex lecturer who's writing me a reference. he told me he's already written it and im not to worry as he's sending a brilliant one as he has so much faith in me :-) i will rework my proposal again and decided to check on where i will be doing my research (iv already secured access). il check with them current developments in my research area and from that, rework my proposal. i do hope i get in the uni i went for interview. they are just so brill! im not sure i should go back to my old uni. i bumped into a lecturer from there who said to me I'd be mad to go to my old uni. his words to me - 'its the drags'. he said id be mad not to go to the uni i went to for interview as they are tops. he said my old uni he teaches at focus on undergraduates but not on postgrads. he also said they have a habit of mainly only taking foreign students for PhD's as they need the money as they dont get much funding. in fact my proposed supervisor at my old uni said to me they have a high drop out rate! :-( that to me is scary to hear :-( the uni i went to for interview have a high success rate :-) i feel it is better i go somewhere where i know the support for doctoral students are high on their agenda. anyhow..il wait to hear. the uni i went for interview say once they get in my references they'd decide from there and if needed, then they may ask me to rewrite the proposal. on my part, im gonna start that now...fingers crossed xx

thanks ju-ju. feeling very down today. thinking dont feel il start. got email off my old uni-the guy who's meant to supervise. said my proposal wasnt focussed enough. feel bad cos i know i could get it focussed but it was that way becos i was trying to strike the right balance between what he wanted and what the ethics board would allow so hence the ideas were everywhere :-( its got me really down and feeling like just giving it up. its caused me a loss of self confidence. making me think maybe i havnt got it in me after all. sorry to go on but just feel down. thanx for ur advice and i hope i get a favourable reply. havnt heard from the place i went for interveiw. have rang but as they have reading week, neither of the 2 people i want to speak to are there. feel like i really shouldnt be chasing them.

lol. sounds a bit different to my MSc in UK :-) 25 of us in a class....lol