coffee...coffee, and more coffee. If that doesn't work, coffee and chocolate. repeat until desired effect attained

Well, nice to know I'm not alone!- have done exactly the same as pinkneurone- had a lengthy 'family' break (although in my case it was a 'single parent dragging up 2 kids' kind of 'break'!) My PhD feels like bliss compared to this. When it get's tough, I just remember what it's like being stuck at home with the rug-rats 24/7!! maybe I'm a lousy mother but I'd really rather be in the lab!

Hi there, what a great post! you are sooo right. seems to me that the title 'Dr' gives many persuing a PhD a need to be recognised and respected jut because they haven't spent 4 years on a vauxall production line.

At the end of the day, very few jobs demand a PhD- i don't knw the figures exactly but know absloutely that htere are far more PhD graduates then there are post doc positions in academia. My computer has goe really funny now (ribena in keyboard, seriously.I'll have to deal with the culprit)
best wished beacsue actually can't type anymore, it s just not wrkng

Hi there, what a great post! you are sooo right. seems to me that the title 'Dr' gives many persuing a PhD a need to be recognised and respected jut because they haven't spent 4 years on a vauxall production line.

At the end of the day, very few jobs demand a PhD- i don't knw the figures exactly but know absloutely that htere are far more PhD graduates then there are post doc positions in academia. My computer has goe really funny now (ribena in keyboard, seriously.I'll have to deal with the culprit)
best wished beacsue actually can't type anymore, it s just not wrkng

Oh sorry forgot to mention that I'm 10 years ahead of you, age isn't an issue (rightly so)- it's ability that always counts but you are still young and have ability too so you should really be fine.

..continued....but anyway, it's a lengthy saga not appropriate to now, but I definitely think you are better off as a PhD student. Finanancially your bursary is tax free, which i the ame as a reearch asistant alary which is taxe an then you are only doing your PhD part time. Please excue my evere dylexia and the fact that my daughter has poured ribena into the keyboard so most of the keys now stick even when I have spent ages working out which are the right ones

Hi there, blue sky. I don't know if this will help you at all, but I have been in a very similar pedicament, it was awful, and I had no support at the time which made the decision I had to take rather difficult.

I had a job, after I graduated with a first, purely because I was 'head hunted' by a 'friend' (ah ha) of my male supervisor. Result= she got a very keen PhD student for free (ie not funded by their already overspent grant)

To cut a long story short, my 'supervisor' did anything but meet that description, wasted 3 years of my young (keen sceintist) life and when I stood up to her insistance that my job suddenly involved doing nasty, painful and frankly non viable experiments on mice, she withered but then pestered my elderly parents by phone to et me to come back!!

To Jojo- I'm not moderating anything! or even trying to!! I have the same right to sit about and procrastinate (as opposed to writing or reading anything) as anyone else!

Hi Rogueacademic- I'm new to this site, (hello everyone by the way) and I'm glad not to have been on the receiving end of your last comment which I think is unkind, if not meant humourously (and even then a bit dodgy!) Most posters on this site seem to be really supportive so this comment stiks out like a sore thumb really. In times of stress, don't we all mis-type smoething?

Dear RogueAcademic, you normally offer such sound, useful advice, as a new member I had a good opinion of you as someone with integrity, whoe advice I'd take seriouly if (and probably when) I'd seek it. However I'm afraid that I find your last comment on this thread churlish to say the least. Why say that? It's not supportive nor considerate. I'd be very hurt to receive that comment and you have to bear in ind that many posters here are not using their first langauge, or are tired/stressed or both. If you can interpret what's being said, there is no need to get the red pen out on the message. I hope you don't ever respond to me like that, I'd be quite upset.

eeek, thats like how long is a piece of string? not meaning to be critial, but could you post some more info?

Be prepared to talk (in detail) about your final year project, and also, when asked about your projected career as a post doc, don't tell them you plan to become an accountant...even if you do. Don't worry- I had an interview last month..4 of them on the 'panel' (yikes) stiff competition and I thought I had no chance being up against recent graduates (of which I am not one!!) I had to really dust off the brain cells when it came to answering questions on my final year project (my old uni library have 'sub archived it!!'...What this means is that it'd take an archeological dig to unearth it, so had to forget any chance of a quick recap!) But they will ask you this, definitely. Breath slowly if ou feel nerves starting to over some you and, if they really do at first, it's really really fine to say "excuse me if I appear nervous but this application is really important to me". They'll appreciate the honesty and won't mark you down for it. Really good luck

Aw, thanks! I'm really keen to get the lab work started and think it's cool to feel excited at the prospect of doing a PhD- there's a long hard slog ahead so enthusiasm is vital! Disillusionment and cynicism will undoubtably kick in at some point- but keeping those at bay is key to success I feel

Hi Pink Fluff- I'm going to be based in the Biological Chemistry group at the University of Sheffield- my project is to examine the possible influence of 2 magnesium ions in the active site of RNAse HII on substrate binding/overall rate of catalysis, so involves lots of reaction kinetics. The data manipulation is quite complex and I have really needed this book firstly to understand what the heck I was going to be doing but also to be able to understand other peoples work. There are more advanced texts but I think it's good to stick to this one at first. Warwick has such a great reputation for biological sciences research reputation, I hope you'll really enjoy it. Best wishes!

Hi Pink Fluff- know what you mean about feeling a bit over faced by Stats books in bookshops! I'd recommend you start with Practical Statistics for Environmental and Biological Sciences by John Townsend. I think the paper back version is about £20. Obviously you'll be doing a lot of reading to start with (I have a large pile I'm plodding through) but to be able to read it critically, you absolutely have to understand the analyses applied to the data- dipping into this book is a great way to gain an understanding of this- and therefore the quality of the research. Hope this helps.