Hi KB - like the others have said, you are certainly not taking the easy option out, doing a PhD is difficult in itself without additional academic responsibilities and a long-term health condition. You have managed brilliantly so far with what comes across as quite a high teaching load, publications, conferences etc, but as you said the side effects of the medication you are on can be unpredictable and quite bad, and so you are working around them as best you can. I suppose you are coming to the end of your PhD as well now so it is even more important than before not to take on too much and stress yourself out.

I'm sure that other students have their teaching responsibilities reduced for all sorts of reasons, probably often less serious than yours so I wouldn't feel bad, I think your supervisor is just looking out for you - I'm sure she doesn't think you're taking the easy way out at all!

Take care, Nx

I would quite like Judith Butler (social philosopher and academic) to be my supervisor - I read a lot of her work and she is a bit of an academic goddess in my field, she has her own little groupies who follow her. She might irritate me a bit as well though - some of her work is a bit self-referential at times.

The psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan - read a lot of his work as well and it can be quite difficult and inaccessible so would be better to have a conversation with him.

Slavoj Zizek - philosopher, very quirky.

Simon Cowell - think he would be good on the career progression front, and if I ever impressed him that would be a huge confidence boost!

Just letting you know that I emailed my supervisor and he was fine about it, completely supported my decision and said that he was happy to look over the chapter before I submit it, even though he isn't supervising me with my dissertation. So I was worrying for no real reason.

How are you doing now Prettypolicy?

Did you have a horse before you started your PhD Buzzy? I'm a bit nervous of juggling my full time PhD, part time job, and horse on DIY livery but hopefully I'll manage when the time comes, looking into getting a sharer for him as well.

Nxx

Well done - good luck with your viva....but don't think about that for the next few days! Nx

Hi Sue - I don't think I can give you any good advice as I haven't started my PhD yet, let alone had an academic interview! But I just wanted to wish you luck - hope it goes well for you!

Nxx

I can come along pretty much whenever really, but I am starting a new job soon and will be working until 8pm 2 days of the week, will let you know the days that will be soon - will be great to meet more people!

Nx

Thank you for the replies, I'll email them tonight when I get back from the stables. There isn't really anything they can say as my lead supervisor has approved it, and I am self-funding so that isn't a problem. All the administrative side is taken care of as well so I'm not creating any extra work for them.

Buzzy - I didn't actually tell my supervisor about my injury until I was able to drive etc again, I was working from home at the time on my dissertation as term had finished and so I wasn't missing any taught sessions. But when I saw him I told him and he was sympathetic, my ankle is still suite swollen so I have something to show for it! Also I think he was quite disturbed by how I did it, I was knocked over and trampled on by a horse so most non-horsy people are surprised I didn't come off worse! I'm sorry you had a harder time with your injury.

Nx

I had a meeting with my MSc dissertation supervisor last week, he is going to be the lead supervisor for my PhD but I am mainly going to be supervised by two other academics, who I get on well with. I was going to submit my MSc dissertation in early September and start my PhD in October, but I decided with him to submit my dissertation in early December instead, starting my PhD in January. This was decided because I have had a few setbacks this summer - I fractured my ankle and had to do quite a lot of overtime at work as well due to problems with another member of staff. Therefore I didn't have the time I wanted to have for my dissertation - I wanted it to lead on properly to my PhD, therefore I wanted it to be of a really high standard, I spent a long time drafting and re-drafting my PhD proposal and was really pleased with it at the end, I wanted my dissertation to be of the same standard.

The other students on my MSc course are all handing their dissertations in in December as well even though they aren't doing PhDs afterwards, apparently only one student has handed her dissertation in in September before.

Another reason for submitting in December is that my supervisor wants me to try to publish a chapter (8k words) in a new journal, so in a way he is giving me more time so that I can do that in December before I start my PhD. I'm really looking forward to trying this, I've figured that it's better to start my PhD a bit later with a potential publication and a better quality dissertation than nothing.

I'm sure I've made the right decision and I've spoken to the research administrator, who is supportive as well. I was going to tell my other supervisors last week but they were both on leave, so I've decided to email them this week. I'm just scared of doing it, which sounds really pathetic I know. Its just that they've both been so helpful with my proposal and they've said they're really looking forward to working with me, I don't want to annoy them before I've even started. I guess in the grand scheme of things three months isn't long at all, has anyone else had experience of this? Am I worrying for no real reason?

Thanks for reading, Nxx

Hi - I'm only finishing my MSc at the moment (start PhD in Jan 2011) but I'm in a similar area to you I think, I study psychosocial studies in a very liberal academic department, and so I have always had feminist theory drummed into me. I would say that I generally agreed with it and I would consider myself to be a feminist, however sometimes I don't think I am as liberal as I should be if I am going to fit in to my department. Like I don't necessarily see the point of Queer theory - theoretically I think it is very interesting, but practically it is quite futile; in my opinion living with no sense of boundaries or dichotomies, namely gender, is quite self-indulgent and ridiculous. Its ideas like that which make me slighly ambivalent about my subject sometimes - I want to work with real people with real problems rather than those who just seem to rebel for the sake of it - people who are too concerned with their identities need to look outside of themselves I think.

Sorry for ranting - but does that make any sense?
Nx

Hi Pylo - welcome to the forum. I'm sorry to hear about the difficult time you have come through, well done for managing to carry on with your research so well.

From what you've said about your (ex?) boyfriend, he sounds like a lovely guy who really cares about the relationship he has with you, I think that if he wanted to break up properly rather than have a short break from the relationship (what it sounds like to me), then you wouldn't still be friends with him. I think it's really difficult to stay friends with an ex when there is no possibility of a reconciliation - genrally that doesn't happen unless you are going to get back together at some point.

I think that there is such thing as bad timing, however that is dependant on how it is dealt with. It sounds as if he has tried to overcome the issue but can't manage to finish his PhD as well as be in a relationship, I don't think it was an easy decision for him to make which shows how much he cares about you. I have been in a similar position with a guy I was seeing but then we didn't stay friends and I met someone else quite quickly, despite not really getting over him. As we live in the same area we see each other around occasionally but we aren't going to get back together as we are both in new relationships now. This was nearly four months ago. However I think that the relationship you have with your boyfriend is much stronger than the relationship that I was in, I think that if you can stay friends with him (and it sounds like you can/are), then there is real potential for a second relationship to happen and work. Hopefully this will make you stronger as a couple in the future.

I think the best thing for you to do now is to put the idea of getting back together out of your mind, don't force it, and just be there for him as a friend when he needs the support. And don't be afraid to ask him for support sometimes as well, he's clearly a supportive person. Just enjoy the friendship and see what happens.

Hope that makes sense and has helped, good luck, Nx

I'm always in London so if anyone's coming to London and wants coffee or whatever please pm me - it would be good to have a bigger meeting as well, if we can organise it.

Is anyone else based around Sussex - that's where my uni is so I'm there quite often as well.

Nx

Oh Sneaks that does sound rather exhausting!

I've been lazy recently but working quite a lot at the salon so need to get into academic-mode again, have done some writing this morning and want to get a bit more done, then going to the gym this afternoon so I'm not tempted to have a nap! Then going to see my horse then read this evening!

Have a lovely day everyone, Nx

I've never tried working while drinking, but well done for being in the office on a Saturday night! I was meant to be working but haven't done that much unfortunately, I seem to be tired all the time at the moment. And I have be up for work early tomorrow morning so should get an early night.

I'm surprised that you're able to get into your uni offices at this time at the weekend, or are you in an office somewhere else?

I was a lazy cow and didn't get either of my goals done yesterday - so doing them today instead, was meant to be going to a party tonight but think I'll be staying in now!

Sneaks - I keep my horse in Surrey, I live in SW London so it's not too far, takes me 15 mins to drive to the stables with no traffic. I think it would be a bit difficult to get him into central London (!) - I can always show you a photo on my phone! He is lovely, I wasn't able to ride him for 5/6 weeks due to retraining him (longstanding behavioural issues) and rode him for the first time again yesterday, was so lovely and I nearly cried!

Have a lovely day everyone.

Nx

Congratulations and well done Claudia - I haven't even started my PhD yet but it's still inspiring to hear good news about submissions and passed vivas. Enjoy a little break now and good luck with your viva!

Nx