LOL Piglet. I'm also 30 and still can't see the attraction of babies. Don't like it when people assume you're a careerist or consumerist just cos you don't want kids. I'm thinking of a TV programme I saw on Saturday (What Makes Us Human); great programme, except for the presenter's summing up when he suggested women who were "commiting genetic suicide" were doing it out of a desire not to miss out on the consumer/career lifestyle. Nope, just don't want the buggers.

Well despite my moan yesterday I think it's usually a good thing to supervise FYPs; I can't believe it's against any rules cos it's done at pretty much every uni I know of. If you're going to stay in academia you will be teaching at some point so you may as well get the practise in now. And it is one way to make sure you stay on your toes about your subject.

I think you've got a point Sue; there's a world of differene between working togther with one or two interested students on a shared topic (what I was describing above) and running round like an idiot after 10 average-to-gormless students who all have "just one question - just another quick question".

In our case it was cos the uni takes increasing numbers of fee-paying students whilst not increasing the staff accordingly.

Hi Ashpan,

I had similar experience; and I was very aware that I was "supervising" some really clever students that would probably get a better degree grade than me . I treated it more like a collaboration; explain what my aims were for that year; ask them what they hoped to get out of their project, and then allocated tasks for us both that would be mutually beneficial.

Focusis the most important thing - don't let the student lose track of project aims. I would suggest that at the start of each day they write in their lab book a paragraph outlining their hypothesis and practical aims for that day. That way they have to answer a lot of their own questions and not rely too much on you to "do bits for them". Of course you may have to show them how to operate machines etc but if you really don't know how to do it be honest and tell them you're new at this too: I found that they respected that and it makes the so-called supervising a friendlier process.

If you have technicians they are always good to go to for help when you're really stuck.

I didn't necessarily mean in that way, guys...can we not all get together in a nice spirit-of-international-friendship kind of way? That's the good thing about these forums. Now pass me a bottle opener and I'll propose a toast to forum users everywhere. Actually someone else had better make the toast cos I'm pretty crap at that kind of thing, unless I'm already drunk.

Oh no don't worry Piglet, I don't mind. At least my thread is bringing you and DanB together and that makes me feel useful...though I suppose I would be more useful to the world if I got off my arse and started analysing my samples.

LOL Claudia. I was a bit surprised to find me email full of 75 "someone has replied to your thread" messages this morning...in between the usual offers of viagra and bank detail requests from Nigerian ex-princes

This cheered me up no end after a boring day. My favourite is TechnoCat:

http://danette.wordpress.com/2006/08/09/catmusicheadphonesrecordstore/

Some days it's great having an empty buiding and no undergrad projects taking up your time; but other days you think of all the other people away on holiday and then it's hard to get your ass in gear. As the summer progresses I'm feeling more in need of a break, for sure...

Yeah, go get 'em!

That's happened to us. Can't really say any more cos of confidentiality issues, just wanted to sympathise. Some people are really hard-faced.

I find him infantile (in appearance that is) - like that other one, Leonardo di Caprio? Who fancies men who look like children?! Give me a bloke who looks like a bloke. Sayid off Lost for example.

Good to seem that I'm normal (in one way at least). Thanks fot the welcome Jen

Oops, forgot the link:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2291737,00.html

Interesting...but for me it falls down on one point - am I the only female in the world who thinks Brad Pitt is minging?

By the way don't think I ever introduced myself - I'm first year in pharmaceutical sciences, it's been good to read about all your experiences on here.