Why are you looking at employment legislation? Just have them freelance and invoice you for their time.

I had this same problem with a German text, but decided the cost was too prohibitive to warrant the translation. I was later told I wasn't expected to disseminate foreign texts into my PhD (unless they are absolutely crucial texts).

I also had a shorter document that I needed to translating, and phoned the languages department in the university and asked them to find someone who would be willing to do a translation job. Someone got back and was happy to help (in the mean time I had muddled through with my rusty French). If I needed to hire someone, I would have got the PhD/postgrad administrator in the languages department to do a mail shot to postgrad german students. They are less likely to do a crap job if you go via the university.

Aren't we being naive here?? If powerhouse corporations like Tesco and Asda (Walmart) really wanted to open *all* the time, I'm quite sure it wouldn't take too long for their lawyers and powerful lobbying to push through new regulations. It's quite probable that it's not economically sound for them to open on Sunday evenings or Bank Holidays, and there is little public demand for greater opening hours anyway. Even takeaways don't stay open all thru the night due to lack of demand - finding a 24/7 takeaway in London is v. difficult.

My local supermarket was open 24/7 but reduced their hours to 10pm closing times because they don't get enough customers coming through the doors at ungodly hours. I now have the inconvenience of driving up a motorway to find my nearest 24/7 Tesco - now that inconvenience isn't imposed on me by government regulation, but by economic forces.

Mode

======= Date Modified 26 Aug 2008 16:05:54 =======
Hi, your choice will depend on your current knowledge base i.e., do you need an additional one year taught course before moving onto a PhD. The expense varies depending on your choice of university - if you want to go to LSE, budget around £20k. For other places, budget around £12-15k. If you are living at home, you really only need about £8k.

======= Date Modified 26 Aug 2008 16:23:50 =======

There is always somewhere open on Bank Holidays now - I make good use of Tesco's online store locator to find a smaller Tesco (ie. less than 3000 sq ft) that's open 24/7. It's very helpful at 3am when one can't sleep and the prospect of chocolate becomes very appealing. The only is problem is that most are located on the outskirts of towns, so a car is often necessary.

If I recall correctly, we can thank B&Q and European law for our current limited Sunday opening hours. Remember the days when Sunday was about sport, visiting the old relatives, or sitting in front of the TV watching a dodgy BBC Dicken's adaptation....ahh.

Personally, I think we have quite enough time to do shopping and the hours are far more liberal than the vast majority of other European countries who have a very strict no-no policy for Sunday shopping.

Swantje, I agree with what you say (at least in theory anyway).
However, the notion of going into a department everyday is pretty much a fruitless endeavour unless you are part of a busy science department or on a leafy campus where students do use the facilities on a daily basis. I'm in Central London and research students rarely visit the department unless they have meeting or are teaching. Otherwise, there is no point attending on a daily basis as you won't see anyone...academics will only come in for specific purposes (lectures/meeting/or do-not-disturb time) and PG rooms are normally empty or Masters students will be chit-chatting or checking email between lectures. Staff never venture into the PG rooms, so there is little or no chance of valuable networking.

I started with intentions of attending seminars/conferences and showing my face etc. but it turned out to be a waste of time and a lot of money. This greatly contrasted with my time in a continental European university department!

======= Date Modified 22 Aug 2008 23:12:09 =======

Dzinxy, I also stay away from my uni. Most notably, because I'm provided with absolutely no office space. I think if you have an office, you should be seen a few days a week. But otherwise, no. I never use the university library or go to my department - most people wouldn't know who I am.

The last time I used the facilities of my 'international recognised research library' I was very glad I'm not stuck in the position where I find myself using library facilities as my study base. The place stunk to high heaven and was over-crowded with masters students checking emails and playing on computers (no work going on!). It was so bleak and scruffy that the experience eliminated any guilt I hold about not integrating myself into my university's 'vibrant research community'. :p

I often wonder if I should show my face, but unless an appointment is made with a particular academic, then no one will know I'm there anyway.

The average completion time in the UK is 27 year's old (which contrasts greatly with most other countries). I find science PhDs complete a lot earlier than humanities/soc science/law PhD students....normally because the former have a more structured PhD experience and more commonly achieve immediate entry to a PhD course from undergraduate study (obviously this isn't the experience of everyone).

If there was an average for just humanities/soc sciences/law/business, I would hazard a guess that completion is more round the late 20s/early30s mark. In my field, I know of no one who got their PhD under the age of 27. So an awful lot depends on your particular discipline.

With respect to children, most professional women have kids in their 30s now, so I don't why PhD completion age should cause much of a problem. I know a few women who have had children before embarking on their PhDs and then made good use of the childcare facilities offered at the university (although I walked passed UCL's nursery the other day, and I wouldn't leave a young child there!), and then many who are putting children off til mid/late 30s as they want to establish a career. As long as you don't have a child mid-way through the PhD...it's not problematic.

Rankings for PhDs don't exist, as far as I'm aware.

You'd be better consulting the rankings for your particular subject.

The THES publishes a world rankings for universities (but not based on PhD programmes).

With regard to the Geneva questions - consult the website and admissions contacts.

Admission to a PhD programme does not take long (usually between 1-2 months).

Bristol and Birkbeck are both excellent universities, with great law departments. Bristol is particularly highly-regarded.

If you are doing a PhD - you need not concern yourself with the quality of the teaching in the dept - as you won't be getting any. :-)

I can sympathise, Mira. I often fall into this spiral of non-productivity. I'm currently writing-up with a looming deadline, and I'm finding it very hard to get my work done. I'm more focused on failing, worrying about getting a job after I submit, and paying off student loans etc., than actually focusing on my work.

I can only suggest that you create an artificial deadline and set yourself one particular task, and just try to get it done come hell or high water. This is what I have done for this week: get 10,000 words done.

Also, I find procrastination needs a crutch - may it be the TV, surfing the web, talking on the phone etc. So cut off those distractions and suddenly your left with nothing but your work (unless you have kids...which you can't switch off).

I found this lecture to be helpful for general time management tips (it's mentioned in the accountability thread on this forum):
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5784740380335567758

...I ran out of word count.

With respect to money, the best option will be to obtain a full-time PhD with funding, rather than a part-time without (and juggling a job).