Thanks for the quick replies, I agree I probably don't have much to worry about, I hope to do a bit better this semester anyway and they all seem really enthusiastic about me staying on for a PhD, my supervisor is already talking about putting me onto a teaching course at the beginning which I am really looking forward to. I am self funding so ultimately it is money for them and there isn't that element of competition there, hopefully I will be ok.

I think I'll just send a quick email to the director anyway to let her know about the progress I have made with my application and to ask her about the Masters requirements, just to put my mind at rest. I was really open about my grades and performance when I had my interview (wasn't aware it was an interview until the end!) and she was really kind and supportive about it, she seemed to just want students with good first degrees and Masters degrees. It will be a big relief to get it all in writing though.

Thanks, Nx

The thing is I don't have it in writing yet, but I have had the interview and they said I just need to submit a formal application "to protect the student". It was really informal as I have been there for four years already, but I was told that I had definitely been accepted. They don't ask for a Masters as part of the entry requirements, but they strongly advise having one and don't generally accept those who don't. In the entry requirements it just states a Masters, not a specific grade.

I didn't know you could get postgrad halls, I'm sure you can't where I am as we had a PGCE student living with us in halls when we were noisy first years!

I start my PhD this year and will be living with my parents, I'm self funded and simply cannot afford to move out unfortunately, if I manage to get funding for next year I will definitely move out, so that I am closer to uni, at the moment I live 60 miles away and go in 2/3 times a week (completing my MSc there now). I find it ok living at home, I have everything I need and it's easy in terms of getting my washing done and having food in the house, but I'd love it if it was quieter, they are becoming more understanding though!

I'm getting a bit more stressed out with my MSc work than usual at the moment, it's a busy time of year and although I am enjoying it, I will be relieved when there is only my dissertation to go, I am looking forward to focusing on one thing and I really like the topic that I have chosen.

I'm thinking hypothetically though, as I have been accepted to start a PhD (full-time) in the same department, starting in September, approximately three weeks after I hand in my dissertation. Therefore, I won't know my MSc grade until I am about two months into my PhD, obviously starting as a MPhil. After a first class UG degree, I am on a low merit now. I think my tutors thought I could have done better, but when I was completing last semester's work I had a lot of family stress with illness and a close bereavement, I still suffer from depression and take medication, my tutors have all been very supportive. I hope to bring this up a bit to a mid merit, and the director of postgrad research said that a merit was fine for PhD study.

But what would happen if I only got a pass for my MSc, or at worse, failed it? Would I be asked to stop doing my PhD and retake my Masters? I'm probably just being a bit silly, but I've been thinking about this for a while and don't really want to ask my tutors!

Thanks, Natassia xx

I write everything by hand apart from 'actual writing', like essays and presentations, which go straight on the computer, however I do draft sentences and short paragraphs by hand. I have quite neat, quick handwriting so can jot my ideas down as quickly as I think of them and I have always made a lot of notes in classes, my tutors often comment on it, in a good way I think! I always write on journal articles and make notes from book chapters, I think that makes me a slower reader than most other people but it helps me to engage better, especially when it's difficult.

I have to do a lot of reflective writing as well and it's quite personal sometimes, so could never do that on the computer as I would be missing out so much of it, handwriting is far more personal.

Fantastic Jinkim - well done!! :-)

Sounds like it all went pretty perfectly, will you be graduating this summer? Nxx

Thanks for the replies - it's interesting to find out about other people's work patterns, I don't feel so out of sync with everyone else now!

I think the trouble is I have to fit my work in around everything else, although I always prioritise my MSc work I work part time according to shifts, which are 2 mornings a week and all day Sunday, so I'm working in the afternoons then. I also have to see to my horse twice a day and those times can't really be changed much. I get 2 days working from home a week generally, but will be more once the taught part of my MSc is over in 2 1/2 weeks (has gone crazily quickly!). So I generally work every evening, unless I have had a really busy day at uni and I am exhausted, and I try to go out one night a week as well. I love my working from home days though, less pressure really.

Now I feel quite perky still but if I went to bed now I would be able to sleep, but I think I can get a bit of writing done so will do that, nothing too difficult though. I'm wondering whether working late is affecting the quality of my sleep though. I exercise once a day riding the horse and that really helps me to focus, if I've exercised in the morning I find I'm less likely to need to sleep in the afternoon. I'd like to be able to give up caffeine, and probably should reduce my sugar intake as well, but I like the taste of coffee and have a sweet tooth so that may be difficult! I may be a bit anaemic as well again though, I have had that before so do need to keep an eye on my iron intake. Despite that, I do eat quite healthily and don't skip breakfast, I will try to eat more little and often though, I think blood sugar levels could play a part here. I have read before that it's quite normal to feel tired late in the afternoon as well, it doesn't seem to be just me anyway.

Nxx

Thanks Dan, I think that's the right way of looking at it, like now I'm really wide awake and working well, but I want to try to get to bed by 12. I would just like to have a bit more control over my power napping, and I really wouldn't want to do it more than once a day. I suppose I get about 6 hours sleep a night so that 45 mins during the day is my way of getting more sleep. I think that if I didn't have to get up early for the horse/work in the morning I would be much more of a night-time worker, but I try to stop by 1am at the latest.

Due to living a long way away from my university and having commitments at home, I do most of my MSc work from home, I go into university twice a week generally. I have always done this and generally it works for me, I will be doing this when I start my PhD later this year as well.

The main problem that I have always had, and that appears to be getting worse lately, is that I feel really sleepy at certain times of day. If I have been to work in the salon until 12, like today and Thursday it will be about 3pm before I go to the horse at 5ish, if I have the day off it will be at about 1pm. I feel like I need to sleep and it's almost uncontrollable, I go to have a quick lie down and I generally sleep for about 45 mins, get up feeling a bit groggy, have a coffee then I'm ok, in fact better and more productive.

I tend to work quite late nights, particularly at busier times and I have to get up early in the morning to see to my horse so I guess it could be my body's way of making up for it. If I'm out or at university I feel a little tired aound 2pm, but just have a coffee and I'm fine. I probably drink too much coffee/tea, but I drink a lot of water as well.

I really want to stop having these power naps though, as they make me feel guilty and lazy, and they're becoming harder to avoid, it's like I know when I'm going to get really sleepy and worry about it.

Does anyone else have this problem, or have any suggestions about alleviating it??

Thanks, Natassia xx

I knew it was coming up but didn't know it was so soon. I really hope it has gone well for you Jinkim, hopefully we'll see some good news posted on here soon! xxx

I was at work in the salon all day, then went to do the horse quickly so enjoyed the sunshine then, then home to work at 8pm, determined to finish this presentation tonight that I'm doing on Wednesday...can't see myself getting much of a tan at this rate! And my brother's packing for a week's holiday in Portugal, leaving tomorrow - lucky undergraduates getting a summer holiday!

Fantastic, congratulations! Looking forward to hearing more about your viva experience.

Thanks AQ - that is exactly what I am doing. I sent him a quick text yesterday afternoon that didn't really warrant a reply, just letting him know that I was there for him if he wanted and apologising for some things that I said that he may have found insensitive, he may not have done but I thought a lot about our conversation afterwards, and realised that I may have been a bit snappy at times. I feel so bad for thinking he was seeing someone else, I now really know that he's not that kind of guy, basically not what I'm used to! I know texting isn't the best way of communicating but he would have been at work then, and at least he could just read it, no pressure to respond.

I hope that things do work themselves out, but for the moment I am extra-busy with my MSc so throwing myself into that even more than usual, he didn't want me to worry so that I could focus on my work anyway, bless him. I was moping and over-thinking things for a couple of days but feeling ok now, still miss having him around though which is quite pathetic really. Nxx

Good luck Cakeman - I hope we have some good news on Saturday! Nx

Thank you for all the replies, he is a really nice and genuine guy, I really do think he is trying to protect me rather than keep a secret from me - from what he's said it's more his friends' problems that he has got caught up in rather than his own problems, if that makes sense. He has been depressed before, a few years ago and it took him a while to get over that stage in his life; he said that he can feel himself slipping into that situation again and so he clearly needs help. At the moment he just wants to do that himself, but he does have plenty of people around, myself included, who are there for him. He is exceptionally loyal to his friends which I think is a lovely quality, but it seems to have backfired a bit now.

He said that he'd call me this week and I haven't heard anything yet, but it's only been 2 days, I think that if I don't hear anything by Sunday I'll give him a quick call to see how he is. I don't want to hassle him or to put any pressure on him, but I want him to know that I am still thinking of him. He didn't want any of this to happen between us, so I think we should still keep in contact. I'm starting to find it a little easier myself but I still miss him and I am worried about him.

Thanks again, Natassia x