Piglet - are you Aussie, or English in Oz? I noticed that, over the past few years, academics from my dept and other associated depts at the old University (Sheffield) have been leaving for Australia en masse - seems to be the new US. I've heard it's somewhat more relaxed there, and there are far less of the problems that we have here. So where would I find Australian PhDs advertised?

Only problem is that I would rather be a bit nearer home...

First snowdrops? Where exactly is your PhD, Juno?

All well and good Keehaa, but if you apply for, say, four PhDs, you're going to be spending £400, which is no small amount of money.

Unless your supervisor receives a delivery notice when you read the email, jsut pretend there's a server error, computer failure, RSI from too much typing, etc.

I'm the Pro Vice chancellor of Belford. Stop dissing it.

I've been in touch with a member of staff in a department where I'm going to apply for a PhD, and they said I need my CV and the names and addresses of two referees, and they use these to shortlist applicants for interview. For some, but not all, applications in the past, I've had to enclose a covering letter. Do you think I should include one this time, or just supply the CV and referees' details as requested?

Ground states of beefburgers? McFlurry dynamics?

Seriously though, the best guy for the viva is the Weetos professor. He's a cool guy.

Pea, is your PhD to do with the study of pavement cafes?

Apparently, if you get Ronald Mc Donald and Colonel Sanders as your external examiners, you've got a big problem.

You can be a research assistant without a PhD - I know several people in this position. Generally, they either have a master's degree, or got a first in the bachelor's degree, or are using the research assistant route to getting a PhD. In fact, out of the RA's I've met, the vast majority didn't have a PhD at all.

"Call me a softy but I think some of you people are being extremely harsh on this guy! So you disagree with the way he has phrased his distress. Fine, state that but some of you really do seem to have gone over the top." (Lady P)

I quite agree - some posts of this forum have, of late, become a little harsh to say the least. Just because someone is feeling crap doesn't mean people have to slag him/her off about it.

Gremlin, don't forget that in the US, the population is five times as large, so there should be ten Oxbridge unis for our two. Also, I would presume more students take science that they do here.

Is your institute actually Burger King?

Hey Ellie (I presume that's your name),

Indeed you can apply for multiple PhDs at the same time. In fact, if you are certain you want to do a PhD, it would probably be a bit silly not to, assuming there's a few you are interested in. Some application forms may ask about other unis/projects applied for. People on here sometimes ask whether it's best to say what else you're in for, or keep quiet. Personally, I think that, as long as the range of projects isn't huge, tell the truth - after all, if you're the best applicant, they won't reject you just because you've applied for other projects. They may, however, want somekind of assurance that, if you accept their place, you won't then take another. Whether this in enforcible is another question...

If you apply for one, and then leave others until you get a final decision, you may miss the boat on other projects you like the look of, so apply for what you want, and good luck!

I guess the relevant question here is, what do you mean by wanting to "kill yourself". Do you actually want to commit suicide? Or is it an expression of your frustration and feelings of disheartenment and disenchantment?