Well, let me know which one works. Otherwise it's my grandma's traditional (whisky, lemon and cloves).

My nose hurts from sneezing and I look like Rudolph.

If I lie on my left side in bed, all the snot starts creeping into my left nostril, and vice versa.

It is an Edwardian house, but I think that extra levels have been added over time - my ceiling is quite low. I can hear my lower neighbours farting

So true. Also talk endlessy to people - I've often heard ideas coming out of my mouth that I didn't realise I had until I spoke them (if that make sense).

Actually I just tried it - but I didn't like the look of it. I think it could be a killer timewaster if you are not disciplined.

Had a nosey at the people who had invited me, but decided against joining and deactivated my account. All in 10 minutes!

Hi Ann! I didn't even see your reply - the Forum team must be quick off the mark.

Apparantly I shouldn't have given the website address of a well-known job vacancy site that advertises PhDs...so that's why it was deleted. Did you read my reply before it vanished? If not I'll reply again (without the offending web address).

Dear Forum Administrators:

I noticed that you seem to have deleted my response; did I break a rule?

I've usually paid around 300-350/month for a flat. I think noise is unavoidable - earplugs are the only real solution.

Your supervisor needs to understand that there is a difference between a) giving students all the answers, and b) providing them with a sounding board for useful discussions (i.e. allowing you to figure out your own answers, but with a little guidance). How experienced is he/she? What is the general faculty opinion of them?

My PhD involves a lot of HPLC and mass spectrometry. I think that a lot of pharmacy/chemistry/natural products PhDs use these techniques extensively. What subject are you interested in? I think it is unlikely that you would find a PhD that was actually about HPLC-MS; most of the time you are using these technqiues as a tool to investigate something pharmaceutical or chemical.

That's shocking. Any good supervisor should have read your report beforehand - how are you mean tot know if you're going down the right track without feedback? Your supervisory team is contractually obligated to give you regular feedback - check your university regulations.

That's one thing that worries me a bit, O. Stoll - I don't want potential employers or co-workers being able to view my personal life on Google. Not that I do anything dodgy; I just like to keep the two things separate.

Just had another Facebook request in my email today: the vaguely annoying thing is I'm not even sure who from - I know several people with this person's name. How are these requests sent? Are they automated or does someone actively want me to join them on Facebook?

O. Stoll: I was making a (feeble) reference to the Churchill Insurance adverts (with the nodding dog).

Sometimes my supervisor is absent (teaching) when new guys arrive. We always look after the newbies till the supervisor is free: I'm sure your colleagues will be nice.