To be straight ... doing a phd, everyone agrees upon that, will limit your career opportunities. If you look at it this way, as i did, if you spend the 3 years in industry or in a normal job you, instead doing a phd that is to say, you will be promoted and your salary will rise accordingly. Therefore the salary you get from your post-doc will propably be more or less similar. What I am tyring to say, and i am not forcing my views here, that stoping at BSc or MSc level will be wiser that cary on doing a phd ... cos you waste 4 valuable years in your career live. If i have the chance to go back with time i wont do it but due to social pressure from parents, friends and undergrad sup. to prove to them i am capable of doing it. I always advice my students to reconsider if they want to do a phd ! the best thing about phd that u will keep the title Dr. for whole your life and even after .. but job wont last for ever !!!! you get respect and recognision with it. Enjoy it.

andy ... can you tell me which university and which field and
how much they pay you ? thanks

Anytime ..

ROSY ... making fun of me .. OK ... will see who will
laugh at the end ..

Thanks olivia. The institute that belongs to UM is located 90miles south of St.Paul in urban city called Austin (see google earth). I dont know if i will enjoy my stay in a very small city far from the capital city!. Can you also tell me if $30000/year is normal or less than the usual paied research postdoc in the US?

Hi all .. i would like ur advice! i had an offer to do a postdoct in the US at the University of Minnesota for one year contract. They told me that the salary going to be around $30,000/year. I am currently working in a university as an Asst. Prof. in my home country and i am getting less than the above salary. I am concerened about: 1) i have to terminate my contract with my uni. as i have to be in the US by March2008 = payment of termination fees (i.e. contract punishment). 2) is it worth the hassel to go to the US and stay for one year (extension not guaranteed) and save money from my postdoc work (is MN or US in general expensive - flat rents, food cloths ...). please advice me if go or not to go, this will support my dicision. Thanks folks

hi eddi .. i would advice you to start socialise with other students around you specially the ones within you same group. The reason is that you need some support and feel comfortable among the lot you are working with. Participate in all possible activities and do networking is valuable during ur phd and therefore you wont feel isolated or alienated.

Hi all
I would like to have your openion about something, i finished my phd last july 2007 and i am trying now to convence/push my sups to publish my phd work but so far no replies/responce. I am thinking of publishing my work by my own without their permission and write only my name one it? do think this is ethical? what to do? please advice
thanks alot

PhD stands for " Permanant health Disorder/Destruction/Deterioration " so be prepared to have one soon

I am with katq ... stick with ur phd .. you have been holding up for two and a half years which is an achievement with two publications .. so six more months they will pass so quick you wont even notice. Having a phd is much respectible in the long term than masters and it is a proof that you are an independent researcher and able of publishing your work.

Thanks alot barnaby .. it is a gold mine ..
i will let all my friends know about it to benefit from it.

Thanks again

i know i am late replying on you VeryPoor
but i think this is important ... cos loosing\facing
thift of your valuable things will put you off your studies
and feel you are targetted. I have to remind you that u
are going to live in manchester (gunchester) which is
diffenitly not that safe ... therefore it is your right
to ask the land lord to put lock for ur room door
or try to find other acomm. bottom line is dont stay
in private shared rented house (even with friends) without
your room door has a lock ... u will feel much secured
and piece of mind. enjoy gunchester and ur course.

let me correct
"... taking 1ml of the 1mM stock and dilute it in 1L solution ... "

PhDgirlie .. please check this with other people .. i also dont want to srew others work ... i am suggesting a mathmatical method not an answer. good luck

Matthew82 .. you are right ... there are no pippette do 5x10-6 .. inorder to go around it by taking 1ml of the 0.1mM stock and dilute it in 1L solution ... and then do the calculations to get 5x10-3 = 5 micorliter .. which you can use the 10micorL pippitte.

thanks for the your comment

Calm down SeaBird .. you will be fine ... the thing is you cant write anything unless you have the analysis of your results done. Doing reports with you experiments and results during your phd (thats what i did) and let you sup. review these reports each time u do one is beyond helpful ... it will keep you updated and fresh and know your way during you phd work, as well as will save you plenty of time during writng up. Anyway, everyone has his own way of dealing with things. Although doing that my sup. gave hard time in reviewing my writing and i went through what you are going through and i had feelings to quit and dont want to do it any more ... but you need to be strong and plan a time schduale to finish ... and tell you what after i finished the final draft i went to paris for a treat .