That wouldn't work for me, I would just lie there and worry. I need to be distracted in some way. I do a lot of reading when I'm stressed(fiction though, don't want any reality to intrude).

How do you get to sleep when you are stressed? (without pharmaceutical intervention anyway)

I know what you mean - one of the books I read about PhDs said that it's important to learn how to switch off, but it's not so easy. Especially at night when you're alone, things always appear unsolvable (is that a real word?). The old making a list trick may help. I've decided to try to do at least one positive thing each day to improve my situation, whether that's working on a paper or trying a new HPLC method. Even if the method doesn't work at least you've eliminated something.

I'm looking rough today - pink-eye from lack of sleep and curly hair from the bloody fog this morning. Lie-in tommorow.

mmmmm.........prawns...

Well, I can read it but I can't understand a bloody word of what I'm reading...should have paid more attention in Sister Marcelina's French class

Hi Miro,

I'm trying to set up something similar: if you read my thread dated 5th October ("IT-related question...") you'll see that MsCrow gave a number of options. Ms Crow, if you're reading this, I think I would like to go with the Wiki option, if you could advise me what to do next? I did look at the Ovidentia site but it was mainly in French which I can't read.

Not the PhD itself, but the endless bureaucracy that seems to characterize universities does. They seem to employ minions of people whose sole purpose it is to slow everything down and slowly drive you mental.

In second year I lived with a girl who was scared of prawns. No idea how a phobia like that would be triggered. I'm rather partial to a prawn meself.

Thanks for all your responses; glad it's not just me. (Would have replied sooner but I'm a pauper with no web access at home). fili_fole, in our local shopping centre you always get people who think that the top of a moving escalator is a good place to stop and yak as well. I give them a suitably grumpy stare and mutter something damning, but then they just assume I'm the local bag lady or something.

And SixKitten, did you see that documentary last year about a bloke who was freaked out by tinned beans, he was undergoing desensitization therapy for it? Don't think it worked in the end.

I know we're all highly rational on here, but does anyone have a strong irrational fear or dislike of an inanimate object? I've found it to be more common than you would think.

As for me, I hate fans (extractor fans, desk fans and so forth). Can't stand them; have to leave the room if there's one there. Makes summer a bit of a minefield, I must say.

And I was scared of the Muppets when I was younger (involuntary shudder)

In typical English fashion, you could simply never speak of it again.

For me it comes and goes: some times are busier than others. I've stayed past 2am before now, but other times I've just done a few hours in the morning. Don't tire yourself out unnecessarily now and then you'll be able to work for long periods when the time comes.

It's not like working behind a bar: you are not selling your physical work, but your ability to solve problems - and if you find you work better in short bursts with lots of breaks, then don't let anyone else tell you to do otherwise.

Actually talking of starting the day, I like to go out and feed the birds in the garden. Their chirpy little faces sitting waiting in the trees cheer me up no end. Course most of the food gets eaten by the bloody squirrel.

Well, I have my first sip of strong coffee in my supervisor's office, so it would be rather embarrassing if your theory was true in my case.

I have heard that departments start asking students to pay monthly fees after the 3 years are up, but I don't know how common that is. This department seems quite mixed: some students finish exactly on 3 years, some (quite a few, it seems) ask their funding bodies for 6 month or 1 year extensions, and quuite often get them.