Just do it. Send an email or phone up.
Cambridge may well be one of the best universities in the world but these are real people working there and they might not be as difficult to approach as you expect. Some are quite friendly, other's aren't. That's basically the same everywhere.

First time I met this professor from Oxford a few years ago I was scared but then it turned out I knew more than him!

I think it's just unprofessional.

Definitely, sending an email wont do any harm. In the worst case, he wont reply but I'm sure he will. Academics usually feel honoured if someone else is interested in their own narrow area of research...

In my opinion, it is actually quite useful to think long and hard whether a PhD is the right decision. Being put off would be, after all, a good thing in case a PhD wasn't the right thing to do. If that makes sense.

Talking to former lecturers could possibly be problematic as some of them are depressed in their profession but naturally unlikely to admit it to themselves - or to prospective PhD students. Not all of them, of course, but some clearly are.

Actually, I wish I would have thought very long and hard before I put my name on the application form nearly four years ago. I was lucky to get through it but I paid a high price. Lucky escape but I was nearly trapped.

If you feel, however, that a PhD and a lecturing position is all you want in life and if you are aware of the demands, then pleas ignore what I said. Because I can only speak from my own narrow perspective which does not represent the majority of current or former PhD students.

thanks for answering. I'll think about it and apologise for now to all users on this thread for any perceived rudeness

I'm not English. I just live here. You can probably guess, as I'm generally more direct and not as polite as the British.

Give me a ring if you find a laboratory in the UK

England.
Age shouldn't be a problem. I compensate it through my maturity

Dear Corinne,

I hope we are still friends?

Why, do you want to marry me? I'm 26

No, there aren't any supervisors on this forum.

I'm just a humble man expressing my opinion.

Sorry to sound rude, but this is the third time you state your request. One of the reasons why you possibly get unsatisfactory responses is the fact that your problem can be solved by a simple Google search for universities.

Mark Ronson "Version" (Album)

...and DJWickid?

Perhaps we missed the gradual change and a different generation has already taken over the forum?

We belong to a lost generation. Even my only anchor of stability in this unstable world disappears in front of my eyes.

I think chrisrolinski summarised it spot on.

It's hell. For every success you go through at least three periods of pain and depression.

I can't believe how bitter I sound.

yes, Piglet was the name.

Where is Anon_German?