I'm in the middle of my first year and trying to develop a good proposal for the end of the year. Although my supervisor is brilliant, he isn't an expert on the actual area of my research. There is an expert in a different university in the country, and she has actually suggested that research in this area be carried out! I really want to contact her or even meet sometime for a little while to discuss some specific ideas.

Has anyone tried 'cold calling' academics before? How did it go? :-)

WWTBAM is a guilty wind-down pleasure of mine.. :)

My supervisor got genuinely really annoyed with me last week because I took the last drop of milk for my coffee.. didn't speak to me all day! :p

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My uni has access to the first journal, but only from 2004!

A huge amount of the data that I'm gathering for my PhD is through interviews and I carried out a good few for a final year project last year. It gets much, much easier to spot good opportunities with experience, believe me! :) I know how annoying it is right now, but it'll come easier..

I'm on a uni PhD studentship (Ireland though, not UK). I'm at absolutely no advantage over non-funded students in terms of the supervision I get - that varies by department, not funding. I tutor a large number of first year students. I'm on a structured graduate education programme, but all research students here are, and have work to work about a 50 hour week to get all my assignments/research done to deadline.

Good luck! Let us know how you get on xx

I understand! My supervisor is so good to me, but he does have his sulky moments too!

Thanks KB, makes me feel a lot better :)

Had my 1st year proposal presentation today and it went ok until two members of the department (both with a reputation for being tough and everyone prays that they won't go to their seminars) pointed out two gaps I had. Problem is, the way that they phrased the comments was abrupt and just damn right mean in front of everyone.. in fact, one of the comments was very critical and would have been better to have sent in an email and not in front of the whole department! (Grrr, adademics..) Do these overly-critical academics get a high from making new grad students feel really bad about themselves?! :(

I know that more experienced students might tell me to just toughen up and get on with it, but I'm really upset about it and just feel like I'm not good enough after it. My supervisor and HOD were being extra nice to me after it, probably because they knew that I was upset about the whole thing. Think my supervisor thought that I was going to cry on the way back over to the department -which I did later! :(

Anyone else ever have a similar experience? It's really disheartening after working so hard over the last 6 months on a proposal..

'Social research methods' by Bryman (2008) is really good!

A question for some of you more experienced PhD students - anyone know how many words would generally go into a 15 minute talk? Have to present on my research proposal in a week and just planning out.. would 2,500 be about right or would that be too long?

Thanks :)

Congratulations!! :) x

Again I guess it depends on the discipline itself, but I tend to put in between 50-60 hours a week and I'm on a 4 year programme. Work approx a 9 hour day during the week and a full day at the weekend (usually Sunday), and maybe a few hours on Saturday too..

I know that both my department and the university graduate office willing provide funding (budget permitted) to presenting students once year.. #

Claire