The supervisors WERE there before the university, debating which came first, the chicken or the egg. Astonished, the university builders decided that was the place to build a university, and invented red bricks and built the structure up around them. Later, when the debate widened to DNA and molecules, plateglass was fitted into the red brick structures. Latterly, new universities began to appear alongside the red brick and the plateglass, which will doubtless tempt future generations with questions on which came first, red brick or plate glass?

Esprsso

Glad to hear that the Flowers paradigm is helpful--it works, it really really does! I think just having a process or method to shape how you go through the nessary stages of writing--from the madman creative part to the picky proof reading of footnotes and citations, and everything in between is so helpful!

I would be interested to hear how you get on with it.

And the bass guitar sounds like a great idea as well.

Taco Bell

shreds airplane ticket to the UK

good thing its an e ticket!

Aren't those typically the things you take into consideration in deciding to pursue a PhD? I would suspect that you can find relevant journals and other publications that would provide you with information. Why would you want to do a PhD if you are not familiar with the subject matter and do not want to research the current issues?

ahhh!!! that should have read relationship ENDED as PhD started....

I had an important relationship begin as my PhD started. There were the usual feelings of upset, hurt, etc. that go with the end of a relationship, and that made it really hard to get the PhD off the ground. It also drove home how events outside of the PhD could really impact it--and made me do some priority setting. I have dated here and there, but really avoided a relationship since being in the PhD, thinking that from a cost/benefit analysis, it would be best to just get the PhD DONE as best as I can, and then find that special partner and relationship...once I have the PhD I have it, but relationships are a bit less permanent potentially then that. My thinking is that those close to you should honour your priority if they care about you--love is unselfish...if someone is fighting for attention with a PhD, then their emotion is not love, its something else.

Cheers, Sassy, much appreciated.

I think things will be fine once I get across the pond...saying goodbye is hard, and everything is in a giant jumble trying to sort it, bin it, store it or move it...but I have travelled back and forth to the UK a lot with distance learning, and always WANTED to do this...the reality is a bit daunting but I am sure it will be right, and of course it is such a relief to hear that the UK has McDonalds and Starbucks! But what about Pizza Hut and KFC--the very best of what America has to offer????

YIKES...what the rest of the post should be is...
that...

Some supervisors were there even before the university! I think that when they went to build some universities, the supervisor was there and they just built the university up around him/her/them.

Which came first, the PhD student or the supervisor???

I had similar challenges when/while doing my PhD distance learning--somehow the lack of visibility of the university seemed to make people think the work was not real either. I just explained to colleagues, friends, family, etc. that study time was protected time and came ahead of things like house cleaning, grocery shopping, etc ( as I was working at the time as well). One friend struggled to understand why I would not return her mobile calls whilst I was in the library.

I finally took the stand with people--this is the way it is, like it or lump it, deal with it-=-if you care about me you will be supportive of my goals--if not, I haven't the time. Some people got it and others did not.

I had similar challenges when/while doing my PhD distance learning--somehow the lack of visibility of the university seemed to make people think the work was not real either. I just explained to colleagues, friends, family, etc. that study time was protected time and came ahead of things like house cleaning, grocery shopping, etc ( as I was working at the time as well). One friend struggled to understand why I would not return her mobile calls whilst I was in the library.

Thanks, Shani, this very helpful and good advise! I think just having a few familiar objects from "home" will help make the new place more like home. I am going to take your advise!

Cheers
Olivia

Its probably not only a matter of hours, but how effectively or productively you use your hours. The way that universities seem to set up PhD work areas seems so counter productive--cramming people into the same small space...how can people work like that?There should be quiet spacious well lit private work spaces for PhD students---not something like a typing pool from 1927.