Overview of Mackem_Beefy
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Minor corrections awarded following resubmission
Get the minor corrections done and get on with the rest of your life lass!!!
Congratulations and all the best!!!
Wish I could give you another hug.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
second phd
A second PhD is not a good idea for a few reasons.
1) Funding is unlikely for a second PhD, however, I'll admit you may find it easier obtaining funding if the second PhD is in another country.
2) The 'perpetual student' or 'overqualified' tag will reduce your employability. This will apply more to non-academic jobs admittedly, but even academia will question this.
3) You may be denying a place for a new candidate to have a go at a PhD, a very good reason for an academic institute to turn you down.
Aside from this, do you really want to put yourself throught the stresses of another PhD?
Look for a post-doc and you will get the chance to do research without the insane hours needed for write-up.
If you're worried about the number of publications you have, why not look at turning your PhD into papers to send to journal to improve your chances of gaining a post-doc position?
If you get a post-doc, you generally find you're a lot less tense than during PhD. If you were ready to do another PHD, then you are ready for post-doc.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Waiting for examiners verdict (post viva)
Pineapple,
I know I can't do this in person, but metaphorically speaking, masses of hugs to hopefully take the tears away!!! :-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Interpreting Supervisor Feelings
Thank you everyone for your advice. I most definitely wont act on my feelings (even if I wanted to I would be too nervous!) and even if he did have feelings for me I know he wouldn't either (although I have to admit to sometimes wishing that he would...). In a way it's a positive as I'm working hard to impress him, although I do find myself fantasizing which is distracting!
I gather you've a current boyfriend given the above and things aren't as they should be. What is wrong with that relationship that is making you think of your supervisor as an alternative? If so, have I picked upon a second issue?
As previously mentioned, do not get involved with him for the sake of your PhD and your own future. After the PhD, it's up to you as you can then walk away (though also beware job references - yup, another issue to think about). However, it's the here and now you need to consider. If you have problems with a current relationship that makes you think of your supervisor as an alternative, you need to resolve this issue first.
My thoughts are it would be better single and happy, rather than seeing your supervisor as an alternative to a relationship that might have run it's course that might mess up your own future. Apologies if I've on the wrong path.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
P.S. I will admit my own 'crush' had great legs. However, it was born out of her as a person full of empathy being there for me when I was going through a period of bad health. I now see her as a friend who was there when I needed a friend most. Don't confuse empathy with genuine feelings.
Waiting for examiners verdict (post viva)
Thank you :) I'm happy to work on some additional corrections in order to obtain my PhD qualification in the summer. I only hope their not deciding on a more sinister outcome (MPhil or outright fail), although helpfully reassured from this thread this is perhaps unlikely. We shall see.
I sent my compliant to various people very early this morning. A few hours after my compliant, I received a detailed update from the postgraduate office. From the email, the postgraduate office received regular updates and apologies from examiners prior to Christmas but the postgrad office (and my supervisors) failed to keep me in the loop- well, excluding the apology from my supervisor on the final day of last term.
Hopefully 'very soon' means today or in the next few days....
So you did kick their a**ses into gear?
:lol:
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
P.S.: MODS, please give us proper emoticons!!! :-)
Waiting for examiners verdict (post viva)
Good luck from me too. It does sound like you've some corrections to do as regards them correlating their respective reports, but hopefully this will all be behind you in a matter of a couple of moths at most.
I wonder if your threat to complain finally spurred them into giving you a more complete update as to what is happening?
Fingers crossed,
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Interpreting Supervisor Feelings
Yes. She shld not even think for a second of going there .................... She shld ignore all this stuff and focus on her work; anything else is only going to bring trouble. Sounds like a classic case of inappropriate expressions on the part of the supervisor and self-distraction on the part of the supervisee. Hard, I know, if you feel like this, but it spells danger in enormous red letters to someone of advanced years like me.
I've seen stuff like this develop before. More often than not, the 'crush' passes and both move on. It does read as he'll not cross the boundary as long as she doesn't give the signal. I hope for both of them profesionally this does not happen.
Examples: 1) A lecturer became involved with a student on another course while I was doing Masters. He thought the relationship was going somewhere, even to the point he booked a holiday for them both when the Masters ended. She ditched him as soon as she knew she'd passed, leaving him to pick up the pieces and bill for the holiday. He survived the experience, but was moved on quietly by the University a few years later when his contract ended. He was lucky to obtain a new post very quickly.
2) An academic at another University found himself exposed to blackmail when a student found out about his personal affairs. He was 'retired'.
3) I'm fairly sure a senior lecturer on my Masters had previously become involved with a student. In this case, they went on to have a family. However, this happy ever after was the exception rather than the rule.
The above is potentially very messy and I would not advise the opening poster to act on her feelings at least while she still is professionally involved with her supervisor.
--------
I had a crush on one of my own woman lecturers back at Masters, but knew to act would have been folly as most do. I know how it feels.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Interpreting Supervisor Feelings
Others will disagree with me, however, age gaps don't seem to matter so much in academia as I've seen some massive age gaps in relationships I've not seen in the real world. If two people want to be with each other, what the hec (a general rule of thumb I guess I work to is once you're into your mid-to-late-20s, you know what you want and age doesn't matter)? Reading the above, it may be he fancies you too, however, you may be reading more into things in the hope something will happen. Are you absolutely sure you're not misreading a professional closeness with something more that does not actually exist.
However, it is a professional relationship you are supposed to be maintaining with your supervisor. Just suppose something does develop and it doesn't work out? You are there to do a PhD and I can't think of a worse situation than a relationshp failing and both of you trying to pick up the pieces of both his career and your PhD in the aftermath. Can you rely on both you and him to give your best should this happen?
At a guess, you're a second year PhD student. If you do decide to make some sort of move, at least wait until the PhD is finished with first. Then talk to him and decide what happens. But don't endanger you PhD and professional future before it's even begun.
One comment that does make me laugh is him warning you about being wary of other professors at conferences. They're so wrapped up in their subjects I don't think I'd give that a second thought. It's more likely that if anything is going to happen, it'll be between the younger post-docs and / or PhD students with no ties and are still single once they hit the bar in an evening. ;-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
I have 5 universities on the file - which one is the best?
You might want to see if you look at the individual league tables for subject areas first as University teaching delivery can vary from subject to subject.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/series/university-guide-2013-subjects
Southampton look the best from these tables of the Universities you mention.
It also depends heavily on the student to do the work, a point missed all too often.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Waiting for examiners verdict (post viva)
Okay, fair enough Pineapple. It's nearly 6 months since resubmission and you need to move on with your life. This situation is clearly stopping you from doing that so complaining is now the right thing to do.
Three months maximum is all reassessment of a resubmission should reasonably take. Remember the OIA expects you to have taken all reasonable steps (internal complaints procedure) before involving them.
You'll at least remind them you're still hanging around.
All the best,
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Waiting for examiners verdict (post viva)
Fingers crossed it's good news and it's SOON.
You should add 'infinite patience' to the skills section of your CV.
ROFL!!!
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Second PhD?
Financially, I guess it would keep the wolves from the door for another 3 years. However, your selection for a funded position would probably be hampered by you already having a PhD in the same rough area. You are denying someone else a chance when funding is stretched. (If unfunded, you'd have no problems I guess, but that's not what you're asking.)
I know from this forum that other people have come back to a second PhD in a different area sometime after their first, so it's not impossible. But as much as I actually enjoyed my PhD, I would not want to put myself through the pressures and long hours for a second time.
You might only be able to obtain short-term or basic, menial work at the moment, but that's better than nothing. You should be looking to move on with your life. To echo what others have said, if you want to improve your employability then you should look at what journal publications you can strangle out of your current PhD.
The continual or professional student you are risking becoming is more common in Europe and especially Germany where it's not seen necessarily in quite as bad a light. However, overloading yourself with qualifications in most countries will ultimately damage your employability, especially if escape into the real world is your plan B.
Because of ill health years ago, I ended up doing a second Masters as I thought I'd failed my first. I ended up with both and explaining to a real world employer I was was not an intentional continual student was quite a task in itself.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Help with choosing a suitable PhD
Connor,
Take a look at my blog about PhDs, which should probably answer your questions. In a European or British PhD, a taught component is not normal unless a technical weakness of the candidate needs to be addressed. It is all about research of a single topic to produce new findings and an original contribution to your chosen field of knowledge. You will have two or three supervisors to give you basic guidance, with an examination comittee of two examiners, one internal to the Univeristy and one external from another University against which you have to defend your PhD thesis. A third examiner may rarely be appointed if specific subject knowledge is required to examine the candidate. The examiners are appointed by the University, normally at the suggestion of your supervisors.
http://www.wearthesis.talktalk.net
There are now 4 year combinations as Smoobles says, which may follow a 1+3 model of a year of Masters or equivalent level teaching then then three years of research in your chosen topic.
The North American 'Graduate School' model may be what you're thinking about, where you might start off in classes to give you the necessary skills before you move onto an original research component later. There wil be a couple of advisors (effectively supervisors) with an exam comittee of several members with at least one external to the University against which you have to defend your dissertation or thesis. The candidate has moe influence in the American model I believe as to who the examiners will be (who should be familiar with the candidate's field of study).
If someone can be more precise about the American model, by all means correct me.
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Maintaining relationships whilst doing ethnographic fieldwork??
Pjlu,
You give sound advice and what you say represents a definitie way forward.
Alice,
As I said in my opening post, you and your partner really need to talk about what is to happen if the fieldwork is an essential part of your PhD. Pjlu has made some sound suggestions about how the two of you could remain together. You are talking about just a year after which you have the rest of your lives together if your relationship is as serious as you suggest.
By thinking about forgoing the fieldwork for a relationship you say is serious, are you questioning subconciously the strength of that relationship by doubting whether it would last the year? As Pjlu says, arrange times you could take turns to travel to see each other. That time with you where you are doing your fieldwork may be an eyeopener and education for your partner too. :-)
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
Maintaining relationships whilst doing ethnographic fieldwork??
I'm a first year PhD student studying development and am currently planning how long/ what type of fieldwork to conduct in east africa. My supervisor is really pushing for me to do ethnographic fieldwork, which I supported a few months ago but now I'm in a serious relationship and worried about how to balance the two. I don't think many relationships could stand a year apart! Does anyone else have experience doing long-term qualitative research? Can you understand a culture without doing ethnographic research? Have you brought a partner with you? Any advice or experiences would be great, as unfortunately not a lot of people at my university do development studies so don't understand!
Thanks.
All I can really say is have you discussed all this with your partner? Will your partner go with you? Will your partner wait until this phase of your studies is finished? These are questions you know you will have to ask.
I don't think anyone here can really answer your question except for you and your partner. To be blunt, if you have to make a choice between your partner and your studies, which will it be?
I know the above is an obvious question and probably not what you want to hear, however, if you can't commit to the required work necessary because of the relationship or any other reason you need to look at whether continuing with the PhD is a viable option. Perhaps you should let someone else have a go who can commit to the required work identified.
Apologies for being brutally honest,
Ian (Mackem_Beefy)
