I think that most academic people would understand the difference between a honorary doctorate and a "normal" one. i.e. nobody with a honorary doctorate and no further merits is going to steal a PhD job (wether in academia or industry) to a truly commited candidate with a real PhD. Of course some honorary doctorates are awarded to people with a really strong research background, but probably the honorary doctorate would be their least considered merit when applying for a job etc.

Hi antonymous, some online application forms offer the possibility to include a "statement of purpose" which is more or less like a cover letter.

Other online application forms require that you sent separately by post some supporting documents - the cover letter could be one of them, just check the documents you're requested to submit or ask the admissions office if you're not sure.

There are free machine translation services on the net - Babelfish (http://babelfish.altavista.com/) is perhaps the best known. However I wouldn't recommend them, perhaps it would come in handy if you are trying to get a general idea of the paper but if you really need to use it as one of your main references you will find that in the automatic translation there are many sentences which don't make any sense or which are misleading.

But reading academic articles in a foreign language is much more easier than most people believe (well in my opinion)! A bit difficult at the beginning but soon you will be familiar with the specialistic vocabulary of your field plus the style of academic articles is not terribly obscure. It's much more easier to read an academic article in a field you know well in a foreign language than to read say a novel for teenagers or a gossip magazine in this same foreign language.

I would finish my PhD but perhaps would modify slightly my research topic to include field research in exotic countries!

Thank you for your answers - I do go for a walk of 60-90 minutes every day as I've been doing for years.

As for my social life, it is still a bit poor. I've moved to the UK after almost 2 years in Germany (I'm originally from Spain) and I knew virtually nobody in my new environment. So it's a bit difficult for me to go and see my family, boyfriend or friends since they are hundreds of miles away! However I do hope to meet new people through joining music ensembles, attending PhD events, etc.

I'm only 4 weeks into my PhD and it seems I have become PhD-addicted! I spend about 10 or 12 hours at University (or archives or libraries) every day and about 90% if this time is spent reading or doing something related to my research. I even go to the library and read on Saturdays and Sundays!

It's not that my department or my supervisor forces me to do so (I'm in the Humanities and don't have a schedule), it's rather that when I start to read a book or an article I tend to move towards another book or article related to it and just can't stop (don't know if that makes any sense).

The fact is, while I do enjoy the time I spend researching, at the end of the week I am TERRIBLY TIRED and although I did start other activities (joining a choir, attending English lessons, non-academic writing; I do some communication freelance work as well) that doesn't seem to help me being more recovering. I don't think I can sustain this way of life for 3 months, let alone for 3 years!

Is that normal when you are starting a PhD? Help much appreciated!

Happy birthday! And don't work too hard today!

In one of the universities I applied to, I was told that I could do a MA "by research" and immediately afterwards, start a PhD which might last only for 2 years (so I would have spent 3 years doing a MA + PhD). However I don't think this is common and anyway you would have to work very hard and do a good MA thesis to be able to convert it into a PhD thesis in 2 years.

I think so, once I saw advertised at jobs.ac.uk an AHRC scholarship for a PhD iat 2 unis at the same time, Reading and Royal Holloway. I don't know if at the end you would get a Reading or a University of London degree though.

I have just started, but in my first meeting with my supervisor he said that even if I spent some months (say until the middle of the academic year) refining my topic, it would be perfectly ok and I would be able to finish my PhD in 3-3,5 years as initially proposed. So I don't think your situation is really desperate!

I read a press article about that just last week. Can't remember the name of the newspaper or magazine though...

He has just recorded some of John Downland's songs and has been assisted by a Classical-trained luthist from Bosnia (I think). In the interview he commented that Downland's songs are just like 3-minute pop songs and that's why he felt confident about recording them.

I don't think it is that easy at all. Most universities include only the minimal requirements, which is usually an undergraduate degree, possibly with 2:1 or above. But above these minimal requirements the sky is the limit, and a lot of applicants will have a masters, or experience, or publications etc. It depends on your subject and on your university, but most scholarships are highly competitive.

Yes, there are not really many opportunities for EU students. You can apply for a Research Council scholarship but they will only pay your fees, not your living costs. I would try for University- or department-specific scholarships. However, this is a though job because there aren't standards, you will have to select the universities or departments you are interested in and navigate their "funding" sections.

Sometimes the decission to study part-time comes from the financial situation of the student: i.e. if you don't have a scholarship which pays your fees and living expenses, you will probably find part-time fees (which in some universities are not one half, but 1/3 or even less of FT fees) more affordable and you will have more spare time for working and thus covering your living expenses. Plus some universities allow you to submit your thesis after only 4 years (not 6) of PT studies, so in this regard you cand end up finishing only slightly slowlier than a FT student (theoretically 3 years, but frequently 3,5 or more) and saving a lot of money in tuition fees.

I think that some students (mostly mature students) do their PhD part-time because they have good jobs they don't want to quit (even if they have a scholarship, they would probably have to accommodate to a worse living standard) or they have a family, which is of course very demanding.

No, it has nothing to do with my university or department - I had been doing some casual freelance work in translation/communication for years and thought that if I got some more while doing my PhD it could pay my living costs (my scholarships covers only my tuition fees).

Being in a Humanities subject and hence not having regular hours also helps to combine both things.