i'm pretty sure the NT don't do a student discount. I worked for them for two years about four years ago and they didn't then. I would join if they did do a discount so unless they have changed recently I think you were lucky to get a special offer.

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Whenever you buy anything always ask for a student discount as there are lots of places that don't make it clear. For example when I was travelling round the country for my research I often ate at Little Chefs as they do a 25% discount but the majority of staff didn't know about it and I often had to show them how to find it on the till or get them to call the manager or even head office!
Definitely get a railcard. You can't get National Trust membership but English Heritage do a student card if you are interested in that.
New Look, Peacocks and Matalan also do (but I think you have to apply for a special card from Matalan rather than just showing your student card). Loads of other high street stores do, so it is just a case of asking when you get to the till.

Also just remembered Partners/Ryman which is great for stationery.

I think you would better off asking the OU themselves about this. Good luck. I've always wanted to teach with the OU but haven't been successful so far and their recruitment procedures have got much stricter recently in that they only usually advertise to existing tutors. Occasionally the posts will be advertised to new staff so I'm keping my fingers crossed something will come up.

I've found myself in the same situation. My funding finished in April and since then I have been working and have hardly done any PhD work. I'm not earning enough money to keep going either so I am looking for other work so I really don't know how I am going to finish my PhD. The work I do have means I have to travel a lot and although it is not completely full-time, I am so knackered the rest of the time that I just can't motivate myself to work. I don't see how the situation can change though. Well apart from asking my dad to fund me through the next year but I'm in my 40s and I don't want to have to rely on him and he probably wouldn't agree - he has loads of money but I hate asking him because he makes such a big deal out of it and makes me feel like a failure when I have to ask.

Well done!

Depending on who you are funded by there are rules on how much extra paid work you can take on. I was funded by the AHRC and there was a limit to six hours a week but this didn't include teaching. You need to check what the rules are and also think about how much time you will need to spend on your PhD and don't forget to factor in some time for relaxing and socialising as you will need that to keep sane!

I wear a silver chain and pendant everyday and don't take it off in the shower. It is still fairly bright but has a little bit of tarnish around the edges but not so you would really notice and not enough for me to think it needs cleaning yet.

I'm not sleeping great but that could be to do with partner snoring! But I think I know what you mean Satchi. I'm also lying in too much. I have freelance work and at the moment I don't have to go out for this so I have a whole week at home and I'm just not getting up till late morning/early lunchtime and not actually doing very much when I do get up. I also don't have a great appetite - I am eating but at strange hours when I feel a bit hungry but I am trying to lose weight so that's good!

I went part time in my last six months so although I have done three years my submissiob date has now been extended. I have a structure to my thesis and have written my three main chapters to varying standards. I have also written the methodology section and various introductory sections. There isn't any real new information to be included. What they want is a complete thesis even if it isn't of submission quality so they can see the whole thing all together - there were some concerns about how things fitted together although my supervisor was fine with it. The intention is then to work on the weak areas to bring them up to a higher academic standard ready for submission.

You can produce your own cards if you have something like Publisher on your computer. I've always done that and as even given the job of producing cards for everyone on the research project I was working on. The advantage is that you can tinker around with what you want before you print off any larger numbers.

Also, regarding age, I'm in my early 40s and I never feel old at conferences. I don't know what area you are in and it may be different in humanities where I am but I even actually feel quite young sometimes as there are PhD students and academics in their 40s, 50s and 60s. Life experience always counts as well - in my experience, this is especially true at conference dinners and social events when often the older delegates have more to talk about once everyone has relaxed a bit and moves on from talking about research! (wine often helps here!)

I was at a conference last week and it was quite interesting to compare the awe the 22-year-old next to me had for one of her professors and the actual professor who was chatting to me on the other side, with me in the middle. It reminded me of that Ronnie Barker, Ronnie Corbett, John Cleese sketch about knowing one's place. Except that it made me think how I was once that 22-year-old and maybe one-day will be that professor(!) and how we get confidence as we progress, either by aging, becoming more experienced in work or by becoming more learned.

I need to have a draft of my thesis by my next panel in September. I will still have another 18 months before it has to be submitted although I would hope to do it before then. I've not done any work for a few months as I have had to do paid work to pay the bills etc. However, I now come to a point where I really have to do something. I have written quite a bit to varying standards and am in the process of printing off everything I have done to get an idea of where the gaps are. I know the whole thing will need working on when the draft is done so I'm not so bothered on it all being perfect - if that was the case I'd be looking to submit! But I just wondered if anyone else had any tips or advice on preparing a draft like this.

I tend to agree with Goodboy!

From my point of view these figures don't seem to be echoed in the real world. Most of my friends have at least an undergraduate degree and most are in their 40s but I don't know anyone who earns more than £30,000.

http://www.lovemoney.com/news/manage-your-finances/the-best-and-worstpaying-university-degrees-3981.aspx

Good Luck, by the way!

I know how you feel, I spent ages aplying for a job yesterday and have just realised I forgot to complete the equal opportunities bit at the end.
I agree about re-using previous applications though. I'm not taking as long as I had been doing for applications as I am now cutting and pasting relevant bits and tinkering around with supporting statements to adapt them for the specific vacancy.