This was actually something that I was considering posting about as I wondered how others had done this. I am starting my funded PhD in September but I already have a mortgage. We're currently on a fixed term but were hoping to move banks and I'm unsure they will accept my stipend as income. Obviously, it's not too bad as we could always stay where we are.

However, when I did get my mortgage in the first place, my husband was working full time. I was working but one of my jobs was a temporary contract covering maternity leave and the other was a permanent contract but I had only been there a month. We managed to get a mortgage quite easily despite this because we also used a broker so I think it might be worth going down that route.

Hope you get sorted.

p.s I think it's ridiculous that banks don't accept stipends as it is just a salary that's not taxed in my view!

Hi! I'm not sure how much my experience will help you but here's my thoughts anyway. I think it truly depends on your motivation for studying whatever topic you choose. If it is purely to study then who cares!? But, if it's to achieve career goals, it really depends what that career requires.

I say that because I did Town Planning at undergrad level. The institution I studied at then run a certificate in planning practice (basically an industrial placement). Following that, the typical route is to do a PgDip in Town Planning. I followed this route and thoroughly enjoyed it. Ultimately a PgDip is just usually a Masters without a dissertation. The majority of my friends left uni at this point and are now working in their roles with a PgDip and nobody seems to mind. Personally, I chose to convert my PgDip to a Masters by writing a dissertation (and paying a top up fee) after I'd completed my course but I did that because I wanted to, not because I had to for work/jobs etc.

I really think it depends what you want to do and why you're studying. If it is for the sheer pleasure then it doesn't matter but if it's for a particular career path then you might need to think about it..

Hope that's at least a little helpful.

Thank you to everyone! Still in shock a bit!

I got the PhD opportunity too! Go us!

It did go well! I was more nervous that I usually am for an interview as this was my first academic interview but it went much better than I expected. They are interviewing all week as there are 10+ places available for the PhD so I will find out by the end of next week whether I've been accepted! *fingers crossed*

Thanks to everyone for the advice too.

TreeofLife - hope your interview went well too. Also the thing with the two articles...I think they just wanted to make sure I did my homework and I was able to critically analyse an article. They had said the majority of the interview would be taken up with a discussion of the papers but in fact it was 5/10 minutes at the end!

Congrats on the opportunity to start with! Sounds exciting!

Could you not have an experience section?

I'm quite new to academic CVs but I tend to not stick to the boundaries that seem to be imposed on CV writing, whether it's for an academic or non-academic position. I've recently applied for a PhD opportunity and I approached my CV the way I would with my non-acadmic CVs but swapped round the sections so they were in a better order and obviously ensured that it was wholly relevant to the position I was applying for.

Thanks so much both of you! That's really helpful even to put my mind at ease! I'll definitely come up with some questions as you both suggested too.

Also, good luck for your interview too, TreeofLife!

Hi everyone,

I have a PhD interview tomorrow and I'm feeling very nervous as this is all very very new to me! It's for a funded PhD position and I am not required to have a proposal for my research. So I've done all my research about the department, about the course, all the usual stuff etc.

What I'm a little worried/unsure about is that they've provided 2 articles to read through. They said there will be an informal part at the beginning then a 45 minute interview, the majority of which will focus on a discussion on the articles. I've never done anything like this before... I've annotated the articles - lots of comments, similarities/differences to what I've faced in practice, critiqued them. Is that what they will be expecting? Should I do more wider reading? I feel like if I do, I might get too bogged down in other stuff...

I'm quite confident in interview situations usually but feel like I'm entering into the unknown because it's an academic position! What I do struggle with is thinking of questions to ask them too!
Thanks!

Thanks for the advice wowzers. This idea of a conceptual framework is totally new to me but it's something I need to get my head around very quickly!

Thanks siliverlining!

I'd looked online but as you say there's a lot of material about it but some of it is confusing/conflicting. The idea of using a conceptual framework is completely new to me and my supervisor wasn't starting from basics, if you know what I mean. There's so much work out there on my topic that it should be easy to find sources but it's just knowing exactly how to go about it. I'm doing my masters in town planning and my focus is on the challenges practitioners face when engaging communities. I'll have a look at past threads too.

Thanks!

I'm doing my Masters dissertation at the moment and I really need some help! I'm aiming for a distinction as that is what all my other grades are and I'm applying to do my PhD. My supervisor said that to guarantee a distinction, using a conceptual framework would be the best way (obviously done well) but that so far I don't have one. I tried to get to the bottom of what this means and how I could improve my work but didn't really get anywhere.

Can anyone help me...what is a conceptual framework? How do I build that into my work?

I'm really nervous as I find out if I have an interview for my PhD soon and my supervisor said they might ask me about this in interview too but I don't have a clue!

Thanks in advance!

Hi! I wouldn't mind talking to you but not sure whether I would fit the criteria as my course wasn't traditional really. I did a BA(hons) for 3 years, then a certificate in planning practice (essentially an industrial placement) for 1 year, a postgraduate diploma for 1 year (essentially a masters without a dissertation) and then in the following year or so, I wrote a masters dissertation to top up my diploma to a masters.... Long and convoluted, I know! They were all from Newcastle University and that used to be a genuine route in Town Planning! I've just submitted an application to do my PhD but alongside and in between my studies I've also worked full time. So I'm not sure if that would be any help to you at all - but if it is, let me know!

J

I'm not sure myself but have you read the following guide to see if it's mentioned in that?

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/_images/ESRC-Postgraduate-Funding-Guide-DTCs_tcm8-28310.pdf

Research councils usually have pretty good guidance somewhere on their website about most things.

J

It's nice to see that I'm not the only one in this boat! This is something I've been thinking a lot about! I'm 25, been with my husband for years and we were planning on starting a family next year. The organisation I work for full time at the moment would be very supportive but a PhD opportunity came up that was too good to pass up on. I've applied but feel like I have to put a family on hold until I'm finished at 29. If I get onto the PhD it's funded and it's in social sciences too so I'm in the same position, Annebelle!

I don't have any words of wisdom but just thought I'd let you know you're not alone! There's never going to a perfect time for us ladies to have kids though!

My regular CV is 4 pages and I've just done an academic CV which is the same length. The position I'm applying for specific no more than 4 pages so that seems like a good number!

AislingB - that is totally normal. Job applications can take a heck of a lot of time! Even when you think you have applied for similar positions and already have material you can use, it doesn't particularly speed up the process! It is time consuming but you do get used to it... I think!