Hey! Yeah, depends on your subject, the uni, the source of funding etc, but I don't think you have too much to worry about. You are still averaging a good merit after all. It sounds as though you are in a good situation, having your masters funded and hoping to carry on at the same university- I don't think they'll worry about it too much if you don't quite hit the distinction. A lot of people in my department were offered their PhD funding partway through their MSc, and it was dependent on them completing their MSc, but it wasn't dependent on them getting a distinction on it, and that is in a really competitive field. So shoot for your distinction, but I don't think it will be a disaster if you don't get it. Having said that- it might make life a bit easier when it comes to funding- I won a scholarship for my PhD funding which went on academic achievement alone and which I wouldn't have got without my distinction, but these sorts of scholarships are quite rare! Good luck with it! KB

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I would tend to agree with the comment about MSc courses- there were some students on our course (a proper BPS-accredited MSc) from overseas who could barely speak the language, didn't have an appropriate background or qualification, and even a girl who had never used a calculator before and didn't know how to work out an average/mean. Needless to say, these people didn't last the course, and it was really unfair on them too because they had paid a bomb to get there, and then there wasn't anywhere near the kind of support that they needed to get them on target and through their MSc. I should also mention that there were also a lot of overseas students who did exceptionally well, but there does seem to be a trend for accepting students who are not suitable for the course when there is the offer of a big lump of money on a plate. Not right, but it clearly happens. KB

I think you would know if they weren't keen! It sounds like they're really happy to support you and your PhD application, and from what I know of academics, they don't waste time on things they don't think will succeed! It's true- grades are just a reflection of how things are at that time. There is a lad on our team who failed his GCSEs twice, had to re-sit his A-levels, then got a place at a good uni, got an RA position, and has now just been awarded full funding for a PhD starting later this year. He's a smart guy, just things weren't so good for him when he was younger and taking his exams, but he's got there in the end! And people will appreciate that non-academic circumstances affect how you perform at times. When I had to break it to my (at the time potential) PhD supervisor that I had bipolar and had a long history of hospitalisations etc, she wrote me a lovely email saying that she admired my achievements all the more given what I had been through, and then proceeded to write on a reference that I had 'demonstrated remarkable resourcefulness on dealing with personal challenges' or something to that effect. So most people are human and will be understanding...sometimes life deals us some shit and we all just do the best we can at the time- and it sounds like you're doing a mighty good job of it! Best, KB

Hey Natassia! I honestly think you will be fine with a merit. You have a great first degree and a merit is the MSc equivalent of a good 2.1, so you're still going to be a very strong candidate. I know what you mean about wanting a distinction to 'match' your first, but in all honesty a lot of people are offered fully funded PhDs whilst still doing their MSc on the basis of their first degree grade....and these offers are dependent on completing the MSc, but aren't dependent on getting a distinction in it. Do you have any grades back to indicate where you lie at the moment? I know people in other departments doing funded PhDs with 2.2s and a pass at MSc level- I know you're in a similar field to me where things are a lot more competitive than that, but I still think you're in a very good position to get a fully funded place. Certainly if you decided to self-fund then you will have no problem at all, but definitely go for the funding! Hope things are beginning to get a bit easier for you. Take care, KB

Hey Jinkim, I think I know what you mean...I feel as though I have found a sense of purpose and a sense that I have something to contribute through doing my PhD. I was so lost before I started the research thing and didn't know which way to go, but it finally feels like I have found my thing with what I'm doing and I'm hooked on it. Even though a PhD seems to highlight every weakness a person has, I am a lot more confident in every way than I was just a couple of years ago, and my friends and family say the same about me. I think it helps because the topic I am studying (mental-health related) has a lot of personal relevance to me too, so I have been able to make some sense of my own experiences and also to find an outlet for them in a constructive way. That sounds like such a psychoanalytic thing to say, but it's actually true! And I am a happier and more fulfilled person because of it. And now I'm going to choke on my own vomit for being so sentimental about it all! Best of luck with finishing your work off, sounds like you are well ahead of the three year thing- congrats! Best, KB

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Grrrr. My supervisor is brilliant, and we get on really well. But, she keeps on moving the damn goalposts! First I need to do a one-year follow-up on my quantitative study, then we decide not to due to time constraints, now she is insisting I include the follow-up again. It's not just an extra couple of weeks we're talking about- it's an extra 6 months of testing! And now I need 15 people for my qualitative study instead of the 10 originally suggested. It doesn't sound a lot, but for an in-depth qualitative study an extra five people is an extra 2 months in terms of testing, transcribing, analysing, writing up! She's great but I could strangle her sometimes- I'm not far off halfway through my PhD and can't just afford to add an extra 8 months of work at the drop of a hat. I have mentioned this to her and her response was to smile and remind me that supervisors are there to make more work for their PhD students, not less! Arrrgh! Anyone else have this issue?!

Best, KB

Ah Bug, you know me too well! Indeed, the plan is for me and my current supervisor to come up with a project proposal together and apply for funding for it. I do have a nosy round at current post-docs now and again and can honestly not see anything that appeals even slightly really. I had exactly the same problem with the PhD- I simply couldn't find an advertised one that was close enough to what I wanted to do. I'm not even halfway through my PhD yet but my supervisor and I have talked a lot about me staying on and applying for funding for a post-doc, and will hopefully be discussing it in a bit more detail in supervision next week. It seems so early to be thinking about it but funding can take so long to come through, and that's if we manage to get any! I think the advantages of coming up with your own project are endless and I have been really happy to have the freedom and control that I have had with my PhD, but as usual, it's all about getting the funding...so we shall see! Best, KB

Yeah, you could try sucking up to a lecturer and asking him/her to mention it at the end of their lecture or to let you have their attention for 5 minutes so you can explain what you're doing and try to reel them in that way. A few people used to do that in our lectures- some even handed questionnaires out at the beginning of the lecture for us to fill out in the break and hand back to them on the way out, but obviously that only really works for questionnaires. How many participants do you already have- i.e. how much of a disaster would it be if you couldn't quite get 19 more? Best, KB

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Hey Bug, that's the kind of thing I'm aiming for. I think different approaches suit different people- there are people under my supervisor who aren't planning to publish their work at all, but for me she has suggested that I take the publication approach as I really enjoy writing papers and apparently I write really well (according to my sup, although she makes two zillion changes every time!), so it makes sense to publish as I go along. I am aiming to have 2 theoretical papers, 3-4 results papers, and a discussion article submitted by the end of my PhD, but this seems to be quite a rare approach in my department too...I guess I already know I want to stay in research too, so I need publications and my sup is very keen on getting my stuff out there. At the moment I have two articles published and another ready to be submitted and I am 16 months into my PhD...I don't know if I'll hit my target number of publications, but at least it's something to aim for! It's strange your sup isn't insisting on being on your papers...has she had any input at all? I have written mine but my sup has looked at numerous drafts and made comments, and she goes on as second author which seems fair enough to me. I don't mind anyway, it's quite cool to see my name in print next to hers, I'm quite proud to be associated with her! KB

Hmm...I have heard of all sorts of dodgy stuff going on with authorships- friends putting each other down as authors on papers to increase number of authorships per person, people contributing little or no academic content to the work but being added as an author because they corrected a spelling mistake or something ridiculous like that. I do think there are major politics behind a lot of authorship issues and a lot of friction between colleagues regarding who should be first author etc. With my supervisor all us PhD-ers are first author on our PhD work, and our primary supervisor goes second, and sometimes our second supervisor goes on as third author, depending on his input (generally not much). On my first publication I asked my primary supervisor if my second supervisor should go down as third author and she was clearly pissed off just at the thought of it- they get so touchy and competitive these academics! But a pal of mine had a supervisor who insisted on being first author on my pal's work, even though it was my pal's PhD and he had written the paper- I guess people vary, but I think I'd be hacked off in that sort of situation! Best, KB

Hey!

In my field at least (clinical psychology), first author is the first person listed, and the person who gets the most credit. The corresponding author isn't really that relevant in terms of having credit for the work I don't think. On my PhD work, I am the first author and my supervisor second, but she is the corresponding author. There was a particular reason for her being the corresponding author but I can't remember what it was now...I think it was something to do with her having a permanent position at the uni and me more likely to move on before her, so her address would be valid for longer. But I agree with the other post- if there are only two authors anyway then it is often perceived as more of a joint effort than if there are a whole list of authors.

Personally, I think 4 papers is pretty good, even as second author. Of course first author is preferable, but many people come out of a PhD with no publications at all, so you are way ahead of a lot of people already. Your publications show that your work is of publishable quality, although it would be good to get a first author in if you can, as that also shows that your own writing is of publishable quality too! I think you should be pretty pleased with yourself! Best of luck with the submission! KB

Hmmm, I think my pals and family think of me as the 'super-intelligent one' (which I'm not) and frequently tell me that they have no idea what I'm going on about when I talk about my work with great enthusiasm...but I don't think I'm a 'geek'! I possess a wide range of social skills and function pretty much like a normal person as far as I'm aware! I fear I may just have facilitated a debate about whether 'geeks' are 'normal people' or not. Oops. To be honest though, I love my work and it keeps me awake at night thinking about it with great excitement and enthusiasm...if that makes me a 'geek' I'm not really arsed :-) Best, KB

I probably wouldn't worry about it too much- if it's obvious what you meant then I doubt it will be a deal-breaker in the context of the overall application. Personally I think it would be worse if you had made a their/there/they're error. I guess it depends a bit upon the person too- my supervisor used to be a linguist and also a proof-reader before she changed into the field I'm in, and she can't stand poor spelling and grammar. I double and triple check everything I send because I can imagine her rolling her eyes and tutting impatiently if I made a careless error! With her, a there/they're/their error on an application form would no doubt end up in it being binned, but she is a bit extreme! I think you'll be fine, we're all human and it's the sort of mistake anyone can make- good luck with it! KB

No worries! I think this is why an MSc is pretty much compulsary for psychology students wanting to do a PhD- undergrad degrees just vary so much and people often only have experience of either quant or qual but not both etc, and some people who have done BA Psych instead of BSc Psych often won't have any research experience or statistical training and aren't used to it treating the subject as a science. There is also so much to get to grips with in some aspects of psych in terms of designing and undertaking studies- it's quite normal to still need quite a high level of support with the MSc project because there's an awful lot to get to grips with. My training has always been on psychology as a science, but even so, and even with a first in my BSc, I would have really struggled to do the PhD without the MSc. So it's great that you are enjoying it and doing well- it will be a valuable grounding when it comes to your PhD! Best, KB

Hey Orgiv! You shouldn't be giving yourself such a hard time on this! I think it's important to remember that you can't always use every single measure that you would like to on all of your participants anyway- there are loads more I would have loved to have used for my PhD, but the time with each patient just isn't there. I also found what would have been a really perfect measure for my PhD a few weeks ago and was so annoyed that I hadn't come across it earlier- like you, it's too late to add it in now- it's frustrating but bear in mind that you will probably have plenty of data to write about from the measures that you have used anyway...your supervisor must think so if these were the measures that were suggested. And like you, for my MSc I was pretty much handed a project on a plate and I took it. It was still a great project, and you will have plenty of time in your PhD to learn to think for yourself a bit more and be more independent, but the MSc is for getting a grounding in your research skills so that you are able to stand on your own feet a bit more at PhD level, so don't stress. Also bear in mind that sometimes you might know better that your supervisor- usually not in my case, but there have been times where she has made a suggestion that I didn't think was suitable for whatever reason, so we have talked about it and done things a different way. So don't be scared to question things (nice and politely!). I doubt your lack of this extra measure will affect your MSc grade- so long as you do a good write up of the data you do have then you should be fine. Your supervisor will probably be one of the people who marks it and if he/she didn't expect you to put this measure in anyway then you shouldn't be marked down for not including it. Best of luck with the PhD applications! KB