Most PhD students are neither rich nor funny; thus outruling the qualities most highly rated by the weak gender.

I wouldn't go that far. I merely asked for a picture to allow my fellow male forum users to pre-select. The second stage of selection would possibly take any other characteristics into consideration, although secondary in the realities of life, if we are all honest. They become more important after a while but I think it is important to admit that looks do play a role.

By the way, do you really want one of these PhD university geeks as a new boyfriend? Perhaps this forum is not the most suitable place to begin the search...

can you post a link to a photograph, please?

Cheers

"i am not so sure about having to know more about a specific topic than the students do."

Sorry, but I disagree. Being a facilitator is only possible if one knows enough about a subject. You can't be a good educator if you have no clue about the subject. That's because you don't know where you want to lead the students towards, so I think both is necessary: the ability to teach and the subject knowledge.

Questions don't generate data. The research student generates data in order to address questions. -- Logical flaw

I agree.

I've been teaching in lot during my PhD and I have to say that most of it was extremely low quality. That's because they asked me to teach subjects I knew less about than the students. Of course, some research-related lectures were interesting but 80% were crap. Students are not stupid so of course they realised that I hadn't got a clue.

I know from my own experience that some universities in this country sell degrees, the whole lecture/seminar/tutorial business is more or less a farce. One day, the whole system will collapse as other countries begin to offer more value for less money and UK universities should better think about their self-complacency.

It sucks big time to be doing a PhD. This doesn't mean a PhD sucks. Just the act of doing one sucks, IMO. The happiest day in my life was when it was awarded and I left the university building for the last time, saying to myself: F*** off, you bunch of weirdos. It was like being released from prison. No joke. But that's just my experience, I'm sure there are the odd ones out there who love the act of doing a PhD as it suits their lifestyle.

Congratulations!

That's definitely an achievement worth celebrating

Chris is correct. There is nothing else to say. It's hell. Please shut down the forum, everything has been said about this fantastic degree.

Personally, I dislike posters.

But if you search the forum, you will find a number of threads about this subject as it has been subject to sometimes lively debates on here. You don't need to open a new thread on this.

Check Amazon.

There are many books such as "how to survive your viva".

Some of them are useful.

Other than that, know your thesis.

what happened? did they give you a distinction?

I agree. But sometimes I ask myself what value does the highschool provide in this country? A Levels and GSCE to test the student's ability to study at university level?

Why don't they learn how to study at university level why they are at school. What are they being prepared for at school. Sorry to say this, but I think the system in the UK sucks, big time. First year students arrive at university and some of them don't belong there and clearly haven't got a clue. But it's not them to be blamed. I blame the Blair Ex-government, for increasing university student numbers without thinking about the consequences.

It's been a long day and I think the winter depression has taken over my brain, so please excuse my negativity.

"overall, i do think that the key thing you need to teach first year students is "how to study", that is, how to read, how to argue a point, how to write an essay, how to find stuff in the library, etc. this is not easy. "

That's an interesting point, Shani.
I completely agree and yet I'm asking myself if this is not a big waste of the lecturer's and students time.

If the students need one year to learn how to study, how can they have enough time to actually start learning something relevant? Also, with the UK system and a full-time Bachelor often only being three years of study, I wonder how much value they can gain from such a degree.

It's not in all universities in the UK, but quite frankly, what is happening in some institutions is a joke.

Rarely seen so much crap advice than on this thread.

Holidays are extremely important. Only with a fresh mind and soul one can produce the best results. Without a number of very long breaks (6 weeks) over the summer and two weeks holiday at Christmas and 2 weeks skiing at Easter time I probably wouldn't have completed my PhD and ended up in a mental health unit. All this crap about "PhD students have no holidays" will only make you sick or ill, and no intelligent supervisor would seriously demand it from a student.