Done! Makes a change to the usual psych questionnaires! Though being a sad psych student, I do love doing psych questionnaires! KB

Hi Maz, I don't know an awful lot about educational psychology, but you need to take a three year doctorate to become one (that's different to a research PhD, it's more like the doctorate for clinical psychology, where some of it is taught and you have placements and so on). I have a friend who has just got onto the educational doctorate at Birmingham university, and I am pretty sure they run the course at Cardiff too. There will be others, I just happen to know that this person applied to these two. I'm pretty sure you don't need a PhD, although my pal did one, but I think the main thing is psych degree, possibly an MSc, and experience of working in schools and with children. Sorry this is a bit vague, but I'm sure if you do a bit of googling and look at the university websites there will be more information about requirements etc! Good luck! KB

Hey! Yeah, there seems to be a lot of variation in conference attendance among PhD-ers. I only attended one conference in my first year, and I didn't present there- it was just a topic of great interest and also had a workshop that I thought would be really helpful for me. The main issue was that I simply didn't have sufficient data to present in my first year as I'm doing a clinical PhD so data collection is a slow process! I'm halfway through second year now and I have my first conference presentation in June and have put in 2 more abstracts for conferences later this year. It was fairly easy to choose which ones- they are just the main annual British and American conferences in my subject- my supervisor always attends them and presents and usually puts in for symposia with other members of staff and collaborators so it made sense to go for those ones and she was keen for me to present there. To be honest I will be nervous as hell- presenting isn't my strong point but I need practice and experience so I'm going to have to push myself through them and hope it will get easier with time. If you want to go to conferences then I would suggest you have a chat with your supervisor about appropriate ones to go for and make it clear that you want to go. The only downside is the cost- I some funds to cover conference costs with but it won't be enough to attend the ones I want to go to so I am having to apply for grants and also accept that some of my savings may have to go towards it. Not ideal but as I said, I need the experience! Best, KB

======= Date Modified 05 Apr 2010 22:03:03 =======
[quote]Quote From badhaircut:


Someone else mentioned Clinical Psychology, and this too is oversubscribed and PhDs, while helpful, are not enough by themselves without prior substantial NHS clinical experience. (Also things like a 2:2 degreee, poor references or prior mental health problems will eliminate you from that particular race). Ditto graduate medicine. Things like nursing and physio are possible, but are pitched at very different level to that of a doctoral level candidate.

[quote]

Actually, I have done a lot of research on the Clin Psych doctorate as that was originally my career choice (before I realised I loved research more), and you are right in that often PhDs on their own are not enough to get onto the course, but I know people who have done clinical PhDs who have got onto the course without NHS experience. There are also people on this course who obtained 2.2s (not many, but a few who have an outstanding amount of relevant experience) and I also know people on the course who have themselves experienced mental health problems, and now certain universities are actually encouraging people with personal experience of mental health problems to apply for the course. The courses are widening their definition of what constitutes 'relevant experience', particularly now that there are fewer and fewer assistant psychologist jobs available. The uni I am at runs this course and I have a number of friends on the course and friends applying to do the course. I'm not pointing this out just to contradict what you have said for the sake of it, just so that the post doesn't discourage people applying for the DClin course if their heart is set on it and they happen to fall into one of those groups (2.2, mental health issues etc!). It is very tough to get on the course, but the requirements are continually being revised! Best, KB

Hey Teek! Sorry to hear you're feeling a bit rubbish. At risk of repeating myself again and beginning to sound like the PGF mental health advisor, you are not being pathetic, or weak, and you don't need a clobber round the head. I'm really glad you have been to see your doctor- if you are suffering from an illness (mental or otherwise!) it is not your fault and you deserve the help and support that you need. Some GPs can be very dismissive about these sorts of things but it sounds like you have seen a decent one. Hopefully you can now get some help. I've been on medication for bipolar for about 8 years now and it's been a horrific battle, but now I have the appropriate help and support I am back on track and doing well, so if it is depression or something then there is every chance that there is something there that will help you. And as some of the others have said, go see your uni counsellor. I've been seeing one for over 6 years now, and she has been fantastic. Without my medication and my counsellor I wouldn't still be at uni and I wouldn't even be on planet earth. I didn't want counselling or psychotherapy at first but it has been invaluable- so go along, have a chat, and see if they can help! It is hard these days because a lot of people seem to think depression is just like having a bad day or something (including some doctors!), but it is so different to that and it needs proper treatment. Hope your appointment with the consultant goes well- it's definitely a step in the right direction, good luck and let us know how it goes. Big hugs, KB

Aww that's very sweet Satchi, thank you. That's the nicest thing anyone has said about me in at least a week! Thanks! KB

======= Date Modified 04 Apr 2010 16:28:51 =======
Hey there! I am assuming that your salary is in dollars- when I first looked at it I was thinking in pounds and it looked like a pretty good salary! Anyway, with regard to the PhD I think the first thing is to make sure you want to do it for the right reasons. Of course it's nice to get a better salary but it shouldn't be your only reason for doing the PhD (well, in my opinion!). As for taking time off, the top profs in my department work around the clock and don't take much time off at all. But if they're just bonuses to you and you want to do the PhD because you want to get into academia, want to get into research and get your work published etc, then it sounds like a good move. I think in terms of topic it's probably going to need to be related to what you have done previously- it's difficult enough to get funding for a PhD as it is, let alone move into a completely different field and get funding. Of course, some people do manage that- there are always exceptions. I'm not sure how something like political sciences would follow on from what you have already done, so you would probably have a better chance of getting on a PhD by sticking with something maths-related. Of course, the main thing is to choose something that you will enjoy because if you are successful at breaking into academia then you will be doing it for a very long time! So if you are sure this is the career for you then go for the PhD- just be aware that it's not an easy route into academia, there is a lot of uncertainty, a lot of competition for funding both for and after the PhD and so on. I suppose you have an advantage in that if it doesn't work out you can go back to teaching! Also bear in mind that what I have said is from a UK perspective- things might be different in the US! Good luck with it all! KB

Hey! Well they don't really do these upgrade viva things at my uni- you just have a review at the end of first year (which is more just like a chat about progress and feedback on the written work you have submitted to the committee- so long as it's of an acceptable standard then you progress to second year). The main aim seems to be to just check that basically you have produced evidence that you have been working hard for the year and that you have something to show for it. So in that sense you should be okay. I guess the main question is, how big an error is this? Is it another week's work to re-do it or another 6 month's work? If it is a fairly minor issue then I would just be honest and explain the situation, but also explain that you know how to correct the errors and you are confident of the way forward. Everyone makes mistakes and the main thing is to learn from them and move on. If it's more serious then it might be difficult to brush over. Is your supervisor present at the viva? If he/she isn't involved in the assessment then would it be possible to mention the error to him/her and ask their advice on what to do? That's what I'd do, but then I have a pretty good relationship with my supervisor- I appreciate some people might not be in the position where they could share this sort of thing with their sup. Best of luck with it, however you decide to proceed- let us know how you get on! Best, KB

Hi again! Definitely worth pursuing the departmental studentships- most people in my department are funded by departmental studentships which are usually £13,500 per year or so. I would try making enquiries to see if there are likely to be any this year, or perhaps ask your sup to find out- someone must know whether there are going to be any. Also look out for any scholarships that crop up- the scholarship I won was completely random- I had never heard of it and it was open to students doing any subject at any university in the country. We got an email about it and I wasn't holding out much hope but I threw an application in and couldn't believe it when I got lucky. So try to get a few irons in the fire, with your achievements I would be surprised if something didn't turn up for you! Good luck with it all! KB

Wow, I am impressed at the speediness of your replies! I think the thing is, I can see where she is coming from with respect to the extra numbers and follow-up study etc, and I agree it's a good thing to aim for. But the NHS ethics committee questioned whether it was actually possible for me to achieve everything in my original proposal, let along with an increase of 50% in my participant numbers! I think part of the issue is that I tend to work really really hard, then my sup sees that I am prepared to throw so much into it and then decides I am capable of even more on top of this. She doesn't put everyone under the same amount of pressure, so I think it's because she reckons I will just agree to it and push myself even harder. Although I don't know anyone doing clinical projects who hasn't run over by at least 6 months, that's the nature of the beast in my field it seems. So perhaps I will just add an extra 6 months onto the plan and see if that looks more realistic- I know I can't meet the targets on the plan I have already done so there seems little point in aiming at them and then becoming demoralised when I miss all of the deadlines. On the plus side I tend to be quite a quick writer when it comes to writing up projects and papers once I know what I want to say so I'm not so worried about that side of things. Unfortunately the teaching is compulsory (although to be fair I am happy to get the experience) but I am hoping that the MSc supervision will be taken away from me next year to free up a bit of time. As for conferences, I am not a strong presenter and I desperately need the experience so I really need to fit some in (I already have a couple lined up for later this year). Arrrgh, there is so much to do! Still loving it though :p Thanks guys for your helpful comments! KB

Haha, now I'm getting scared cos I was happily thinking my sup was a bit crazy with her suggested number of papers and now some people reckon that it's not actually that crazy! I had never heard of anyone getting more than about 3-4 papers submitted for publication before submission of the thesis so it sounded a bit overly-ambitious when she suggested 8. I suppose the 8 papers thing isn't entirely crazy but getting them all done before submission sounds like a tough task. Oh well, I guess for all of us it's about prioritising, balance, aiming high but not being unrealistic, and also recognising that different people have different priorities and there are also different expectations in different fields with respect to publishing and so on. At the end of the day all we can do is try our best and see where it gets us, no-one can say fairer than that! Best, KB

======= Date Modified 03 22 2010 21:22:23 =======
Hey guys. So I am halfway through my PhD, and last week after supervision I decided to draw up a timetable to plan the next 18 months until I supposedly finish my PhD. Problem is, it doesn't all fit! By the time I have factored in all the testing my sup is suggesting I do (she keeps increasing my target participant numbers so we can submit the results to better journals), and all the papers my sup appears to be expecting me to write, there is absolutely not enough time to do it all. I will be testing up until the end of the three years at least. And this doesn't even take into account conferences, and the time I lose through teaching and supervising etc. It's not like I can just turn it up a gear, I am mad busy and working really hard to get everything done. So given that I know this far in advance that I am trying to do the impossible, do you think it is more sensible to resign myself to the fact that it will over-run and just draw up another plan with an extra 6 months on the end of it, or would you be looking to cut down on what I am actually planning to do? There must be others in the same situation?! Cheers people, hope everyone is having a cool Easter (up) KB

======= Date Modified 03 Apr 2010 19:06:53 =======
Hey chick! This is a tough one. When you say 'support' you- do you mean tuition fees and rent and allowance etc? Personally I would just bear it in mind for now and keep pushing for the funding. You have a good first degree and will have a good MSc behind you, so if there is any funding going then you will be in a good position to get it. I know you are in a similar-ish field to me (I'm clinical psych, are you psych or sociology?) and I don't know a single person in our department who is self-funding, and there are over 70 PhD students in the department. So the funding is there (at least it is in psych, I'm not so sure about sociology) if you look long and hard enough! I think it's a case of persevering for a while. I would also keep quiet about the offer from your parents- you don't want people in the department making less effort to get funding for you if they think you don't need it! My parents funded my MSc for me, and whilst I was so so grateful it was hard having to turn to them for basically every penny I needed. Of course I said I could get a part-time job but they insisted on giving me the money as they didn't want me to work and compromise my MSc results. Still, it's nice to know that should you struggle then the offer is there. I hate taking money off my parents, but like yours, they insist on splashing it out on me sometimes and say that they wouldn't want to spend it on anything else and so on. So I would sit tight for a bit and keep pushing for funding for a while...if you're still struggling and haven't got anywhere in a few months then maybe re-assess the situation! But it is nice to have your own income and not be dependent on the parents all the time...either way it's good to know that you have options! Best, KB

Hey! Definitely worth asking I would say. The official requirement for the MSc I did was a minimum of a 2.1 but there were quite a few who got on the course with a 2.2. It was a different field to yours but at the end of the day the universities make a lot of money from these courses and from what I have seen they tend to be very flexible with respect to entrance requirements. So go for it- I would think you would have a very good chance! Good luck, KB

Hey! Me too, I actually quite like filling these things out! Good luck with the proejct! KB