Rexy, starting a PhD at 23 years old is fine and finishing at 27 is absolute fine too. I started mine at 25 and I'm over 30 now and still writing-up! Lots of people get their PhDs by 25/26, but most do not, and usually it's only scientists who finish that early because PhDs are completed within the 3 years (of course, there are exceptions to the rule).

Don't stress about your age.

What have the ethics committee said about your supervisor's suggestiont to changing the wording in your research questions?

This may sound a silly question, but how do you refer to authors in your work (not footnote/endnotes, but in the text)?

Do you use the surname of the author, the full name, or the surname with title i.e., Bloggs, Joe Bloggs, Professor Bloggs.

I've always just referred to authors by their surname, but I've noticed a growing trend to use the surname with title. These latter options do seem to read better.

I'm in law, so there are no hard or fast rules on this...but how about the social scientists? do you have a method? eg. stating full name, then referencing just the surname in all other cites.

======= Date Modified 26 Nov 2008 11:30:45 =======
Check with you uni and funding body to see if you can get additional funding.

Usually none is available. I went beyond my write-up period and luckily got another grant, and had to take out a loan.

EDIT: Just to add...I also know quite a few people who sign onto the dole once they are in their write-up period. Most write-up students are no longer officially full time students (because you aren't paying fees anymore), but are just registered with the uni for the purposes of using email and library facilities, so claiming benefits is legal (of course, you have to show you're looking for work).

To be honest, I think it is a major mistake. The majority of PhD students are now publishing, and will leave with a couple of publications under their belts (even if they are just book reviews). Remember we are increasingly competing with students/academics from other countries that encourage their doctoral students to prolifically publish. However, over here, it's normal just to finish your PhD with 1/2 publications (in social sciences/arts/humanities).

If you can't publish work related to you research, try publishing something else in another area or write-up the proceedings of a conference, or even a book review.

The other option is to publish your PhD work immediately after submission. I remember reading somewhere to use the time between submission and viva to write a publication.

Postgraduate degrees do not use the First, 2.1, 2.2, third classification.

My marking scheme for Masters level is similar to Sneaks':
Pass 50 to 65%
Merit 65 to 70%
Distinction over 70%

So you have a pass...and not a 2.1 or 2.2.

However, if your degree is from outside the UK, a 57% will not necessarily equate to 57% in the UK. You will need to have you qualifications officially converted.

I would advise that before you quit, secure employment.

======= Date Modified 25 Nov 2008 16:12:02 =======
Be ready for the unimaginative but frequently posed qu's:

-Describe your PhD to a lay person

- Describe you PhD in less than 2 mins

- Sum up your PhD in 20 words or less

And other irritating generic questions posed by panel members who haven't bothered reading your work.

Most people with a 2.1 have problems getting funding, but with a 2.2 you'll definitely need a masters and you'll need to achieve a high merit or preferably a distinction.

Generally to get a funded PhD you need:
- A First Class UG degree
- 2.1 UG degree plus Masters at merit/distinction

A masters will open a door for you if you perform very well.

You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Many people doing a PhD have money problems.

The very nature of a PhD means you have signed up to 3-5 years of having no income apart from funding. You have to accept the fact you'll be living on the bread line. Try to find some easy work that will give you a constant (albeit low) income eg. bar work, library work, teaching etc., but don't let the work encroach on your PhD time.

Also don't feel guilty about taking money off your family...if family can provide help, they are usually happy to do so. Most of my PhD friends have had very supportive parents and/or partners who have helped them while they have completed their PhDs in their 20s and 30s.

There isn't anyway of getting over the guilty feeling of leeching off family etc. apart from getting on with your PhD and looking forward to the end result....getting the PhD and a job.

Just wear what you are planning to wear during the actual conference...most people don't change for social events.

I should add it's not just the US that adopt the title 'professor' for entry-level or lower academic ranks..it's not about Americanisation. The title of assistant/associate professor is also given to lower ranked academics in Canada, Hong Kong and many continental European countries.

The lecturer/senior lecturer/reader/professor model is very much a British invention, and only used in a few other Commonwealth countries.

I accept the point about such a model devaluing the Professor status, but one would only be an associate/assistant professor as pointed out, the 'Professor' status is still only granted to those with chairs. But this argument can be applied at the other end of the pecking order too, where lecturer status is often devalued because lecturership status can also be found in FE colleges (but with much less educational training and no research).

Warwick & London Business School have adopted the US model for titles. I'm not entirely sure why they have changed their systems, possibly because they have a lot of international students and they like to be taught by 'profs'.

The Professor title is already being devalued in this country as senior corporate folk are granted visiting professorship titles...and thus are known as 'Professors' despite having no PhD, research record or chair. They do the odd lecture in return for the title.

I'm not fussed about the title, but I can see the title is critical in an international setting. It puts British academics on par with their international counterparts who don't understand the British system.

======= Date Modified 22 Nov 2008 18:03:46 =======
In theory, yes you can do it, but normally you require a good reason for doing so (e.g. long-term illness, pregnancy, family problems etc.). I doubt many institutions would look favourably upon someone taking a year off to do another degree elsewhere.

EDIT: If you do interrupt you don't pay fees, but you will also no longer receive any funding and your university membership may also be put on hold.

A good friend of mine attended Newcastle University and they were very strict with respect to students wanting time off or resitting exams etc.