You should be proud - of course!

In terms of classing a 68%- 70% as a First, I agree with wozwers, in that it is often a lot more complicated, including considerations such as the weighting. I've previously come across the case of the 68%-70% 'upgrade' being awarded only if three quarters of the contributing credits are 70% +.

Thanks,Treeoflife!

I live with someone who does not respect boundaries, and crosses the privacy line constantly, and their behaviour is of increasing concern. The files accessed (or shown to be accessed but not modified or any other thing altered) were my diary, sensitive documents about my health and a record of their unacceptable behaviour in the house. A couple of my academic files with ambiguous titles were also shown to be accessed..hence my suspicions.

Anyway, thanks again.

Hello...bit of a tricky one,

My SD card went missing out of my wallet, turning up two hours later. The person who claimed to have found it, has,I fear, accessed it and copied documents from it. To check, I put the card in my laptop, and a number of the Word files and one Jpeg were shown to be accessed at 00.00 on 29 July 2014 in the Properties tab.The SD card was sitting on my desk at that time, so that was impossible. However, I reset the time and date on my laptop, and it was possible to access a file with a falsified date and time stamp on the laptop, with little trouble. About 20 files were showing the aforementioned odd time and date stamp, so I am very suspicious. If what I suspect, has happened, can the identity of the computer that accessed the files be traced via the forensic file data or the SD card? Does the SD and or files in question even hold that sort of forensic data? Can meta data be just wrong???

Any help /suggestions hugely appreciated!

Thanks,
Lizzie

I didn't get sent the final questionnaire for this....

When are you hoping to start??

I think the first task is to get the green light from potential supervisors, they you will have to formally apply. On the application form (UK PhDs), you will be asked how you will fund it and if you are looking for funding, to confirm what funding applications you are making. Each uni should have info on funding applications, etc., unless you are applying to a programme with funding already secured. I think it is entirely your choice as to what you tell potential supervisors re funding, but it will be explicit on you formal application, either way. Although I'm sure you're already aware AHRC open funding, Uni scholarship competitions, etc usually open in the Autumn and are decided early Spring. A few carry on later, but not many...

Good luck.

And how about contacting the secretary of a regional NUT (national union of teachers) or NASUWT devision. If the are willing, they will be able to forward to their mailing list with your details for returns...

What kind of questionnaire are you designing? And what field are you in?

Could you use 'How do you think / feel ..... influences ....?'

So so sorry you have had this experience Bevcha. I am so pleased you at not physically injured but it is traumatic, and horribly unsettling.

I did my first degree in London and was mugged one evening in my final term, when I was walking from the tube station to home. It was very frightening, they hit my head and they took my things-in broad day light (!!) but as you say-the police said they only wanted my mobile and cash. It shook me up and I didn't feel safe for about two months. But, if it is any consolation, this feeling does pass - I carried on living in London for another year.

Please just be kind to yourself, don't pressure yourself to jump straight back into work, and when you do take it slowly if you can..do some relaxing things and talk to a councillor about it if you need to. I hope you se feeling a little bettr. Take good care.
Lizzie

Thanks!! I'm thrilled but also yet to secure funding so things are uncertain but I am very eager to get started..

You're very welcome. I was very nervous before my studentship interview and my disastrous first answer didn't help. But once we got past that, I was just focused on my research and experience, which took over from the nervousness! Good prep is invaluable and it sounds as though you are already doing that!

Let us know how you get on and all the best again!
Lizzie :)

Hi and welcome!

I am at a similar stage to you - applying for PhD's. I have made four applications (2 successful, 2 pending), I am a humanities bod, applying with my own research proposal - I mention this as I believe it has been important in interview and where my interview experience may differ from that of an advertised project.

Although I was offered my places without interview, I have been interviewed for a PhD studentship. My panel consisted of the Dean of the College, Head of Postgraduate Research for my faculty, and Chair of my faculty.. the interview was not a whisker over twenty minutes as they were interviewing all day, and all week!!

Their first question was 'what original knowledge will your project contribute to your field?' I had no answer. Upon reflection, I think the ideal answer would have been along the lines of whose work I was familiar with and would build upon, but that still wouldn't have answered their question!! I was then questioned about my suitability for my proposed research ie previous research experience, interaction with the subject matter and source material, which led into questions of methodology, and again, my experience with that methodology, especially throughout my Masters. Finally, they asked about my ability to be able to complete the work within three years. And that was it.

I guess the above questions could apply to any subject, but also that the first is perhaps irrelevant if they are advertising the project! I guess if a PI has already been allocated, perhaps they will ask you about her/his past research, which seems like a reasonable substitute. Oh - I had also researched the different research groups within the faculty in which I would complete my PhD, and although I wasn't asked directly about them, there was a positive response from the interviewers when I mentioned them and the wider research community etc!!

I don't know how helpful the above is. But in any case, huge luck!
Lizzie

Hi!

I have been making PhD applications, two of which are pending decision, the other two have been successful (which I am thrilled and stunned about). The two successful applications are at Russell Group institutions, and each supervisor respectively, is an excellent match. However, I have not got funding. Neither places were advertised with funding, funding competitions for internal university funding were separate applications, as was the consortium research council funding. I applied for the internal university funding while making the PhD applications however did not have a confirmed PhD place while the funding applications were being assessed. One of the institutions advertised AHRC consortium funding, but I didn't apply for it.

Although I am preparing for worst case scenario, ie having to defer my place and apply to the conventional funding competitions next year (including research council), having exhausted all obvious options ie the Wolfson Foundation, I was wondering if anyone had been successful in obtaining Humanities funding from any other source than university administered, research council or employer funding??

As the title suggests - I am aware this is a bit of a long shot!

Thanks,
Lizzie

...or second and third year, as many undergraduate degrees are three years. This is the exception at Oxbridge, where all years of the undergraduate degree contributes towards the final 'grade'.

It took over a year from the aforementioned meeting during my Masters, and my first email to an academic asking if they would consider reading my research proposal. Happily, they provisionally agreed to supervise it and only then did I make a formal application to the university which included CV, my background, references, purpose of study statement, etc. From my experience, I get the feeling that the research is the thing ie if an academic states they welcome PhD research enquirers, the first major hurdle is to clarify that their research is compatible with your own and secondly that they are willing to supervise and that can only really be gained via a research proposal. Your prior academic experience, especially with apt research methodology etc, will be evident in your research proposal. And, if provisional supervision is indicated, then in your formal application, you can offer your full background, CV etc which will be complemented by references and a good argument in your purpose of study statement as to why that uni, supervisor, research community etc is compatible with you and your work.

But as I said, these are only my thoughts and understanding of the process based upon my experience applying for a humanities PhD and may not stand in other fields of research, especially if research in those fields are structured differently..
I wish you luck in your search!
Lizzie

Ah, thanks for clarifying.

I am only speaking subjectively from my application experience, so again, I am unsure if the following will be that helpful or app;y to the sciences. However, when I was establishing potential supervisors, if an academic did not explicitly state on their uni biog / research pages that they welcomed enquirers from potential PhD students in x areas of research, I presumed they were not looking to supervise at PhD level. Indeed, a small number of very senior academics from my previous faculty were no longer offering PhD supervision thus did not publicly offer it.

Before I developed my research proposal, I wrote to two potential supervisors, detailing areas of research I wanted to explore, my background and my reasons for wanting to pursue research, etc - the emails were pretty long! I got a reply from one, asking me to write back when I had a research proposal and the other did not reply. I then realized I wasn't anywhere near ready to apply for a PhD, and embarked upon a Masters in research (I am not suggesting you are in the same position) however my point is that a potential supervisors needed a full proposal in order to establish whether they would be prepared to consider me as a PhD candidate. This issue was further highlighted while I was doing my Masters: I spoke to an academic in my faculty, and I thought I was going to 'talk through' PhD research options, I was sorely mistaken - the meeting was extremely short and I was advised to be clear on my proposed research and develop my research proposal before any further discussion took place. Once I had done this, I was invited to submit my draft research proposal for feedback - so again, I was expected to be very clear on my proposed research before approaching an academic with it. I found my Masters gave me all the tools I needed to develop a detailed and succinct research proposal, as well as shaping my research and giving me relevant research experience.

Textilus is good for i-devices (pad and phone, not sure if it works of ipod etc)! The limited version holds 7 documents and converts to Word very well, but you can upgrade for 69p I think, and the document number is unlimited...