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Actually, at the time I wouldn't have said I felt stressed if you'd asked me; I was just running round like mad trying to find a home/job. It was only in retrospect that I realised I must have been under stress and that's why I was always ill. I think that's often the way. So all those late-stage PhDs shouldn't worry too much about the sniffles; it's normal. Annoying, but normal.

Yay, there's nothing like a good poem. We should have more on the forum:-). I wish I could write poety, but I'm crap.

I sympathise with everything on here; like it says on another thread, we just have to try to not take things personally, or let people's annoying habits take up too much space in our heads.

I think most people will tell you from experience that when you are under stress, you will fall victim to every bug going. A few years ago I lost my job and my flat within a few weeks of each other, and I swear for the next few months I had cold after cold, with just a day or two in between (which of course made me even more worried;-)). Once things settle down, you'll get back to normal.

Bonzo, you're so right (not that your advice was written for me, but still...) my first supervisor is brilliant, really knows me and is supportive. But another supervisor (retired, a bit head in the clouds) drives me nuts with congratulating my lab-mate for work and ideas that were mine - not a big deal but it happens on a weekly basis, and I am getting it all out of proportion in my head. I should just be grateful for my brilliant first supervisor and let the other comments go, cos it's bringing out the worst in me. I think it's possible to go stir-crazy during a PhD.

Well, I am not taking sides here, but I do think that there are a lot of sunbathers (good description) in the academic system. We have a couple of champion sunbathers in my faculty; it is much easier to hide laziness and/or incompetence in the academic world than in industry. And it's quite normal for a science student to need the full funded time to collect data, and then some, quite often.

Of course there are also students who don't take their work seriously - I've met some corkers - but there is no evidence that Hairui is one of those.

Thanks Sarah, it's really good to hear that you are having such a good experience. What you describe is just what I hope for (one day!):-)

I got funded with a 2;2, so do lots of people (do a forum search:-)). My supervisor had to write a letter for the university stating that I had sufficient experience and achievements since graduating to make up for the lower grade; but it was all fine.

That's a stinker of a position to be in. Is this academic in another university going to offer you a place with them to finish your PhD?

You do have appeal rights, I think, if you want to stay. It's very (very) difficult for a university to remove a PhD student these days. I think you need to start by talking to the research office people.

I've been asking myself similar questions lately. I'm certain that I want to stay in academia, but I hope some things will be different compared to being a student. Mainly, I feel aware of being at the bottom of the pecking order, and I hope that if I get my PhD then I'll have earned the right to say "no" to collaborators, or take a break without people saying something about it.


I'm hoping the main difference will be the ability to put more of myself into my work; and have more control over my day to day activities.

The Royal Society offer travel grants:

http://royalsociety.org/funding.asp?id=2348

and depending on your discipline, a lot of smaller societies such as the Society for General Microbiology will offer the same:
http://www.sgm.ac.uk/grants/smtg.cfm


If you're funded by one of the big research council like BBSRC, check whether they will offer a similar grant.

I like your PhD!

Hey, this is fun! We seem to have few sets of avatar twins already :p

What a jerk! I'm sorry that this happened to you. It's great that you are still able to think rationally and calmly: I would be putting laxative in his coffee.

As to your questions: I think it depends on who is funding you. I have heard of other students moving their reserach to a new university, but they had to get permission offthe funding body: which (unfortunatly) sounds like it is the university itself, in your case.

By the way, I would take a rep from the Student Union with you to the meeting; they will know your legal rights, and will have seen jerks like this before. They will give you some moral and legal back-up.