Jojo - I am sorry to hear of your problems. And I will respond for I disagree with these above and especiallly the last sentence here.

For all matters of clarification - I am an international Student working in the heart of London in a dept with just a sprinkiling of international people (non Eu I mean). I do not know from where your statistics are coming but I would like to share my individual experiences in this country. In a word - phenomenal. It has been intellectually liberating, socially lovely, surrounded by warm people, so forth.,

For instance, I work on two European projects where I am the *only* non-EU person, and the youngest. I have been sp swept away with the warmth, support and applause of these scholars/researchers from the UK and across the EU, that I have never till date noticed the fact that my origins are different from their's.

This is anecdotal evidence if you will, and I work with British children, in London so all my contacts, gatekeeprs, participants, are all all Brits.

I have - and I say this with honesty, warmth and satisfaction - not found one shred of unfriendliness ever since I stepped into this country. That includes this forum.

I felt obliged to come up and point out to you that generalising on 'this country;' is unfair , and no, I am not 'one of them' as you put it.

And another striking observation? 'one of them', 'you and us' - these terms I have in the last 3 yrs only ever heard from those who have come from the outside, and my fear of hearing them from 'The Brits' will perhaps one day materialise but till date it has only been support (friends), opportunities (profs), networks (projects) and affection, encouragement and facilitation (my very very Brit supervisor).


Final disagreement: noone on this thread is doing an 'us and them' here. Do note that, and do recognise that in extending your observations to 'this country' you are being unfair.

@ESKA: an old, fat used up bag???

Without even getting into whether the target of this remark is old or fat, how can someone say such a thing to another human being, especially someone who is older to them? I sound like a goody goody perhaps but I was really shocked to read this!

No, I think Draco-Lucius-Snape (actors I mean) are all positively sexy....

But not as 12 yr old Draco lol...

I found Cedric diggory (Cant remember names sorry) too goody goody.... but I quite liked one of the Voldemorts too...

Ok I'm clearly a slytherin and joining the dark side.

Give me a Harry Potter nudge in the morning and I shall sit down and write volumes.

Ok, shut up PhD bug and go attend the seminar.

Confessions.

1. I am like Eska in terms of washing up. Sorry, but true. Could be worse even in times of pressure.
2. I leave dirty pots and pans out there for eternity, for I *hate* running water.
3. I need to sleep with my head on the red striped side of the pillow and not the white and red.
4. I need to refresh my inbox at a frequency that I shall not disclose in public.
5. I begin every second sentence I speak (and hence write) with a 'So' or 'Ok'
6. I speak so fast that sometimes not only can others not understand me but I scare myself at the incomprehenibility of it all.

7. I cannot disconect the email till 2 secs before I leave the house. So dress, pack, bag on back, lights, taps, check email, disconeect internet, rush out of the door.

Wow you guys have lots of targets short term!!! :-) I feel scared to be accountable short term, hence my weird weekly or monthly agendas!
It was a good day today - lots planned and done, brill meeting with sup on our joint project, tons of new ideas, lots of intellectual connections and then a nice evening out.

Will call it a day now and check in Thurs perhaps!

night night!

I think u need to use interlibrary loan services or get a membership to the Senate house library or others for throughout the PhD these things will keep happenieng and you need some other strategy to access these...

Fascinating!!

Inspired by my wonderful colleague here (yes Wally, it's you) I thought it'd be good for us to contribute to a quotes bank! Source them from great people, little people, things you heard on the tube, things you read on a newspaper s'one else was reading, things you remember from a film you watched 15 years ago.....anything...

One thing - at the start put in ** the nature of the quote - inspirational/for times of distress/healing/just funny/totally random etc!

Let the bank begin!!

Bug

Ok, so here's my to do list for the week ahead (will revisit next Sunday)

1. Complete the archives search for the journals decided on.
2. Do the corss searches of the databases decided
3. Endnote, abstract copy paste, soft file all relevant
4. Get directions/feedback from above and reformulate if need be
5. Do the second job
6. Prep teaching and teach
7. Complete the first essay for the PG Cert that I have started and schedule a teaching obsv
8. Write abstracts for conf for Jan sub
9. Write abstract for conf for Feb sub
10. Make chapter deadline plan for supervision
11. Formulate plan for chap 5 for supervision
12. Once archives for acad search done hit policy search by 5th ish...

Hmm, Ok, that looks enough for a week I think :-)

Lovely to have you on here Java :-) Good good... we are growing in numbers and can keep each other accountable!

I'm taking the weekend off/easy (!) and am creating a hopefully positive distance between my PhD and self by focusing on research project till Xmas. Then 2010, am traveling every month, and sometimes 3 times a month combining project meetings in countreis across Europe and conferences (ooh!!)

So, yes, need accountability for wrok but also rest/food/play :-(

Welcome aboard Swettcha and Stressed! Yes Swettcha, a 3 yr project needs you to be on your toes all the time and of course best if you don't need to work a lot. Stressed, I am confident the upgrade for you is a formality! Take it is a two in one opportunity - one, to have a satisfying intellectual conversation on a topic thatr's dear to you, and two, a great opportunity for feedback from 3 academics!

And if things go well (which I know they will) also, a chance to impress them and feel good with the positive feedback!

Bug

Delighted to see 3 colleagues on board already!!! :-) @Eska - I think the best way to deal with what you are referring to is to just let it be!

So - my usage of this space is more likely to be weekly at the 'planned' level of things, for I have another 'problem' if you will. I do know, I need to be a little less accountable for the work and a little more ref food/rest/play. This is actually a serious thing, for the combo of no money and lots of ambition and hence lots of paid and phd work plus presenting etc has slightly disrupted the balance.

I have just completed my fieldwork, which I am told is very early but I think just on course for a 3 yr Phd. (I do absolutely have to submit July 2011). I am taking a 'break' frm the intellectual demands of this all over December, to immerse myself in one of my projects, research a related but different area and return to this all in Jan, post a visit home and post a conference!


Goals over week ahead: to complete the database and journal specific search for the project I said. To have Endnoted all stuff I think useful. To have stored all PDFs, pasted all absrtacts and quick read all articles and copied pasted quotes etc. To start moving towards the non acad lit by the end of the week ahead.


Ok, this is good!!

======= Date Modified 28 55 2009 20:55:58 =======
Hi fellow second year PhDers,

Fancy a thread for us? Some of us might be looking at a 3 yr finish and some mightn't. Some of us might just be doing the thesis, some not. Some may be FT some PT. you get my drift.. whatever be our timeframes, commitments, financial situations, it's a good idea perhaps to keep an eye on the clock, the quality/quantity of work, ideas for the future etc on a second yr accountability thread?

I guess we could use it like a daily/weekly/monthly thing, whoever chooses what suits them. Personally I would find a daily too intrusive, others may not. So let us diversify and sign up to this?

Who all are in 2nd yr now? Me, stressed, emmaki (not sure...), loads of others I think as well.

What say?:-)

Wal, I have questions too, but ones that I fear are way too banal for this room :-)

Why do traffic lights always go red for pedestrians when I reach the crossing?

When I write why do repeated words fall below each other on a MS Word line? I.e. if two successive sentences have the word 'good' in it twice, why does the second 'good' always fall under the first one, it doesnt happen for many others, and drives me nuts!!

What happens if I am lying on the grass and an insect enters my ear and lays eggs in my brain?

Why do I feel hungry immediately after I have eaten a meal?

WTF do you mean by 'servcing'????? This is not a site that provides a free service to any tom dick or harry that comes and demands help. It is a self support group of phd students. oh gosh.