======= Date Modified 27 May 2009 08:53:36 =======
Hmm....that's a tall order and whether it is possible depends on how quickly you can assimilate your research notes. I tend to research and write together so I can't really say if it's possible to just write-up 3000 words a day, but I'm pretty sure it is. I do remember writing my Master's thesis (obviously not PhD quality) in 2/3 days from rough research notes. You'll simply have to glue your bum to your desk chair, and switch off all distractions.

You'll probably make lots of mistakes, so set an hour aside each day to re-read what you've written.

I'm actually attempting a similar feat of 15,000 words in two weeks, but with a lot of research unfinished.

Edit: just to add, why does it have to be 25,000 words?

======= Date Modified 21 May 2009 22:57:22 =======
No irony Matt. At the uni I worked at, faculty would have all that info. on their online CVs. I found it all very old-fashioned, and made them remove some of my info.

(I should say, my comment should read 'also' not 'always'...obviously it's not something that's done everywhere).

The Germans and Austrians are really nosy with job applications - so much for EU discrimination laws - they always want to know your age, martial status, and sometimes even what mutter und vater do for a living.

(lol@sleepyhead).

======= Date Modified 21 May 2009 04:05:01 =======
I have to agree and disagree with you XJR. In absolute terms, certainly academics are well-paid i.e. compared to bus drivers, factory shift-workers etc., but if we take the reasoning its logical conclusion - we can equally say that no UK worker has any right to complain about their pay compared to workers in say Sub-Saharan Africa. In relative terms i.e. comparing academic pay to that of our professional counter-parts, academic pay is for the most part poor.

You quote "Professors on average took home more than lawyers and solicitors" but this something of a strawman argument....of course professors (the top layer of the academic profession) will fair well compared to the 'lawyers and solicitors' as a collective whole, but let's take a more realistic professional comparison e.g. a professor versus a law partner or QC, or an senior lecturer versus a 5 yr PQE solicitor....suddenly salary differences become very apparent.

The Times Higher quote also raises the issue that academics have 35 days leave, but what about the hours an average academic works? I would bet good money that academics have some of the longest working weeks compared to other professional sectors, and any liberal holiday leave policy is totally wiped out by longer hours worked. Most professions have some sort of policy regarding working hours eg. paying overtime, time in lieu or a bonus scheme, but academics are expected to work consistently long hours without any additional remuneration. Another issue is benefits-in-kind - academics don't really get any - whereas their counterparts in the private sector will have a list of perks, most prominently health insurance.

An average academic who thinks they're getting a good pay deal is lying to themself, because they simply are not - for the time and investment in their careers (and opportunity lost) they are not well rewarded.

As you say XJR, in absolute terms, academics don't get crap pay and there is no justification for academics whining about being on the poverty line, but in many disciplines academics are poorly paid in relative terms compared to their civil service or private sector counterparts. And I'm afraid there are facts that do reflect this poor pay....we only need to consider the UK brain drain, or fact some departments have recruit over 50% of non-UK national staff (there is nothing wrong with this, but it reflects the fact that uni's cannot get UK applicants because they've gone elsewhere), and let's not forget the strike actions over recent years.

As said before, one goes into academia for the love of it.


(Sry long rant!!)

Florence, given your flatmate's comments, it would seem the green-eyed monster is at work here.

I am intending to straggle the academic-industry divide purely because academic pay in the UK is abysmal with the cost of living. Most of the people I know who have done PhDs have moved successfully into very good private sector jobs, and very few have remained in academia (despite our PhD being the standard academic type). Those who remain in academia will supplement their income with private work.

The whole postdoc regimes seems very unfair to me - in my field we don't have postdocs but move straight into a lecturer post.

I support the argument to introduce a market economy into academia where academic salaries are more reflective of one's counterparts in the private sector.

I use Word 2007, and downloaded an add-in from the MS website, and everything converts brilliantly into PDFs. Once downloaded, you'll find the option in 'Save As'.
Try this: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=f1fc413c-6d89-4f15-991b-63b07ba5f2e5&displaylang=en

I remember with my older Word program, I had to use a freebie Word-to-PDF convertor...see here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/word/HA011683331033.aspx (PhDbug, this link may help with a PDF-to-Word conversion).

As a student you can buy MS Office 2007 for 30-odd quid, so it might be wise to just get latest MS Word that allows the conversion, rather than using a third-party convertor.

To be honest, you'd be very lucky to get funding with just a undergraduate degree at 2.1.

It always worth trying if deadlines are still open.

I got a 2.1 from a RG, and I just scrapped under a distinction in my Masters at another RG uni. I got offered PhDs at everywhere I applied and got funding.

I was told that my research proposal was most important.

It seems that over the past 5 years, more and more students are getting Firsts, so maybe it is more important to have a First class or very high 2.1.

Second supervisors are generally just appointed in case your first supervisor leaves the university - if you actually get supervision from them, it's a big bonus. I know many people who have never met their 2nd supervisor, so I wouldn't be too concerned about his qualifications. Of course, things differ by university and disciplines.

Generally, a responsible department will not allow faculty to supervise until they have a good few years of experience under their belts.

This issue of not having a contract is a poor excuse for not being paid. You have a verbal contract with them (i.e. you agreed to work and you were told you'd get paid), and you can easily prove the work you have done. My brother had a same sort of problem with a very high profile university - he ultimately had to threaten them with legal action before the HR dept. coughed up about £6k of outstanding money.

Contact your HoD or whoever took you on, and ask them to confirm the work you have already done, and then send a formal letter to HR requesting pay. If you don't have any luck, as Zelda says, you have to kick up a fuss...you can't simply get screwed over like this.

...better change your PhD then.

======= Date Modified 17 May 2009 15:01:14 =======
Destiny, you're not at any more of a 'disadvantage' compared to the vast majority of people applying for a PhD - ie. most having just completed a Masters at Merit or Distinction, and no relevant work experience. This should be enough to get you in a very good university for a PhD, and given that you are willing to self-fund (and let them know that), then I'm sure many department will be very happy to have you.

Your success will boil down to the quality of your research proposal.

I wouldn't recommend referring to yourself as a 'mature' student; in uni terms, anyone over the age of 21 is a 'mature student'.

Thanks for advice - having looked around it seems a 22 inch rather than 20 inch is needed to do the job.

I found a good 22 inch with a 1680x1050 resolution on Ebuyer, the screen also pivots to portrait mode which looks very good tool for reading documents.

Hey guys,

Can anyone tell me what's the best size screen for viewing two-pages on MS Word. I like working with two pages on the screen so I get a better idea of the structure/flow of my work, but the words are so tiny!

I'm currently using a non-wide screen bog-standard 16inch monitor, that keeps fading on me and giving me a headache!

I've seen a few 20 inch widescreens for just over £100...but I'm not sure they'll be any good.

Thanks!