Oops, should have told you that the pre-course was also at Reading university: it was arranged by the university themselves.

Hi Bedr,

I know an Iraqi student who failed the English requirement, but was able to take a one month pre-PhD course to make up for it. She was at Reading university.

I don't see a problem at all. We have two married couples in our department and they manage to leave domestic stuff at home.

Better to risk it and see what happens than regret a missed opportunity. You're not teenagers: you can be civilised even if it doesn't work out.

Actually, this sounds pretty promising. If they didn't want you to continue it would be much easier for them to ask you to leave, rather than suggesting you resubmit; clearly they think that what you have is not only fixable, but potentially very good (hence the postdoc offer).

Yeah, when you're feeling low I think it's natural to be attracted to someone who shows interest (even just a professional interest) in you. It's probably a more common feeling that you think. It'll probably pass in a month or two.

Jouri, it seems to me that in recent days the Burma story has been the headline on every news program and in every newspaper that I've seen. The Austrian story has gone very quiet now.

Though I do agree with the Cheryl Cole comment.

We often have get-togethers where everyone cooks one dish; that's much cheaper than going out. If we do go out it's often to one of those "all-you-can-eat" Chinese or Indian buffets

I think his response re: evenings/weekends was pretty rude (most supervisors I know go home at 4.30 at the latest and don't do any work out of hours). But in my lab I have to do a lot of day-to-day stuff like maintaining cell lines for other people, and QC work for outsiders. None of it's paid. What's annoying is that other people always offer to help...just as you finish. How convenient...

Know what you mean; checked my bank balance the other day and needed a drink afterwards. It's not so much PhDers that are the problem but well-meaning academics who think nothing of pub lunches 5 days a week.

It's OK pineapple; you're not the first and you won't be the last. Pleny of people have got great PhDs despite needing a couple of attempts to upgrade.

Like Kaymoy says, have a break and then go at your report like a demon: show 'em what you can do!

Yes, I wondered why they kept saying that he was "potent": I just thought that was an odd way to describe anyone.

You're probably right that this is the logical conclusion to the way women are viewed, but that dodgy view is widespread: in the UK, the majority of people seem to think that women bring sexual assult on themselves

True. I'm totally against capital punishment but I keep having revenge fantasies in this case

I can, but it's drivel

Know just what you mean for the most part: keep panicking when I think about how much time has already passed with little to show. My supervisors are OK but I sometimes think my industrial partners want ever more data ever more quickly...and it's not happening.

I've decided to ban TV in the evening till I've read at least one paper, and to try every idea as soon as I think of it instead of putting it off. Most ideas don't work, but I guess that's life.

George Bernard Shaw said: "When I was a young man, I observed that nine out of ten things I did were failures. I didn't want to be a failure, so I did ten times more work".

He must be so egotistical to think that his daughter existed only to serve him.
Surely a father should wish the best life possible for his daughter