After an R&R in 2011 I have now made it. I have very few corrections. They have given me 3 weeks to do these. They are very minor things (mainly paraphrasing). Don't give up please. If I can get a PhD you can make it too! Persevere! Don't give up. It took me 7 years but I got there in the end. Going out to celebrate now.

Good luck to you all!

Mara Sp.

Quick word to say I have made it. I will be awarded the PhD with minor corrections!

Wow! PhD x2 and living in central London. That must be expensive for your family. Talk to them. They probably don't know the details. You need to tell them how you feel. Honesty helps!

Well, I can definitely sympathise with you, Ganesha. Being somewhere in the middle is also awkward. I am an EU in status. This means that I have no visa to worry about, but it also means that I have money issues to consider (I come from a poor European country), so, I can't stay a student for ever. There were times that I were that {} close to drop out of the course.

I wish you luck and please remember to take one thing at a time. Also, try to maintain your sanity, as this is difficult in our situation. The best day of my life post-viva was the moment I realized that, you know what? I don't care what others think about me. It takes guts to ignore toxic personalities in life. But when we ignore such people, the result is very therapeutic!

Hello Ganesha!

Don't make the situation more difficult than it is. Just approach your supervisor and politely ask him/her for more support. This is what I did. In fact, my supervisor was amazing after the viva. She did everything possible to help me improve my work, even seeing me for long meetings after she was supposed to go home for the day.

No, it s certainly not a matter of nationality. I know at least 4 people in my department who received an R&R and they are British.

By the way, I recently watched a video provided on the website of my university. The video was made this year, and the speaker says that R&R is in fact very common! 'Almost as common as minor corrections nowadays!' That's what he said.

It looks like in the last 4 years or so, things have turned much more difficult for PhD students. This is not my observation, other people have expressed similar thoughts. It was much easier getting a PhD 6 or 10 years ago, before 'theses on the internet' became mandatory. Now, the internet makes it easier for researchers to find and judge a thesis; and naturally, supervisors and examiners do not want to associate themselves with a bad thesis. That is why, in my opinion, we hear about all these R&Rs.

Remember, R&R is an opportunity to improve your work. It's not a punishment. It's a gift. Otherwise, if you associated yourself with a bad thesis, your academic future would be over.

I am not saying that a thesis that requires resubmission is bad. But it is not as good as it should be. Your examiners probably know that you can do better. That's why they challenge you.

Good luck with everything! PM me if you need anything.

Mara Sp.

Well, after plenty of soul searching, you may decide that your willpower means nothing after all. Postdocs don't grow on trees, and jobs are limited out there. Before you panic, take a deep breath and then start applying for anything takes you fancy, from postdocs to your dream job out there, or volunteering abroad for a few months. One of the lessons that I have learned in the 35 years of my life is that nothing ever goes according to plan. It's all a matter of timing.

Just trust yourself and your instincts, and never apply for anything you wouldn't enjoy doing. Otherwise, if it sounds good, go for it!

Good luck!

Very sad, indeed! Are we ready for this??? HhhhMmmmmmmmmmm, I don't think so.

Three words will solve your problem:

You need counselling.

Counselling will make you more confident, less stressed and motivate you.

After the viva. I aim at sending my super some flowers if the results of my resubmission are positive. She likes white roses, I will send her some.

I asked and received a generic reply.

Anyway. I have decided not to be disheartened and find an alternative project to get involved with. Maybe in another country...

After all, the results of my PhD should be out in the following weeks. Hopefully they will be positive, and then I can apply for more projects with more confidence.

I disagree. I do not refer to these facts because I snob people, but because I wish to show you how the project operates. How can you call me snob if you don't know me in person after all?

So, many of you know the story of my R&R.
I don't actively tell people about this, but when they ask me I never hide the truth.

In the last 3 years I have been volunteering at XXXX project abroad. The have not invited me to be there next year, even though they have invited everyone else I know, including people who don't even have a BA. Basically, whoever pays good money, they can take part in the project.

But no. They don't want me to go back. I suspect two things: a) it's because I told them about the R&R last year, or b) it's because I am teaching at a university which is associated with a specific religion. This religion is against the religion of the country of the project... i.e. I am a victim of politics, since the local government will need to approve my licence to volunteer in the project. or c) the project co-ordinator, who absolutely hates me (he hasn't even got a masters degree but he has big money), has made everything possible to kick me out of the project.

Moral of the story....

I don't know... You tell me.

Have a good weekend!