Hmmm. Sad but true, the country where this post was written hasn't more than a couple of universities that are connected to journals, and with the exception of a few prestigious universities have no access to international conferences/resources/journals etc...internet searching tools, access, but more importantly the right supervision is often lacking..

Hence, many ambitious youngsters leave once and for all. The greater tragedy is that those (women) with family commitments find it especially hard to get involved in a PhD. Talk of hidden social attitudes bla bla...

I'd give this person the benefit of the doubt because as soon as I read this post I could place my finger on some underlying problems that I know have plagued at least 6 women I know. May also be a case of laxity in which case all of you guys have been absolutely correct! But there may just be some socio-cultural (and hence educational) issues goign on here which OP has not quite been able to translate for us...

Hi!

This is for current first years as well as those who have been through it. For the end of first year review/upgrade process, those of you who are submitting/have had to submit a near 10,000 word document (in the form of a proposal usually), what sections did you make sure you had?

There are departmentl guidelines, and this greatly varies from individual to individual, but any insights on the structure?

Also when you are asked to provide a work plan, what all do you usually provide in this?

best

Bug

A certain Bug is rolling on the floor with a stitch in her sides and thinks this is the coolest forum ever!;-)8-):p(up)

Moderators, just a suggestion....perhaps when you chop this crappy post above off the boards, you may wish to retain bits of it with a scathing comment...just so people can see what it was like, or else it shows nothing but "removed by moderator"....

Maybe 250 people are not buying any of this crap.... it could just be a phony post trying to steal people's money...

What worries me by the names of the engineering journals mentioned, that there may be an engineering grad or MTech behind this....oh dear.

This post has completely depressed me. So many junk posts come up on here, and I remember that person trying to promote some essay selling MBA site, but this one just sickened me. I was thinking of the huge amt of efforts and dedication we put in as PhD students to perfect everything we write, and then, to see this...

Why should it be too personal to say a word of thanks to your dissertation supervisor? Isn't that what the acknowledgements section is for? Unless it means something different...i.e. the acknowledgements blurb in a research paper or something, in which case too it is not inappropriate to thank someone, but more perhaps on the lines of their "valuable comments on some of the ideas in this paper"...but if it is a school dissertation, thanking the sup is more than appropriate.

Not a single word do I have... Just waiting for the moderators, can't even bear to look at this!

This is my all time favourite thread now :-)

The best is Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, I am convinced the train trip to hogwarts from kings cross is just to fool the muggles, Hogwarts is located somewhere near our suburbia...

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======= Date Modified 03 Apr 2009 14:41:07 =======

A completely obfuscating, thoroughly confusing and perhaps even pointless question.

To start off.. 'schools' would mean?

'best' in what?

What analysis?

For what purpose?

Unfortunately I am reminded of the great plague.....

======= Date Modified 01 Apr 2009 20:43:23 =======
Hi
yes, international students comprise the bulk of many instituions in the Western academy. However note that US schools operate on a different pattern completely. You application is usually to be completed by the fall of the previous year, i.e. you are too late now to apply for 2009 entry. Most schools start their PhD programmes in the Fall. Second, in the UK finding a specific supervisor is most crucial. in order to get in. In the US, your Statement of Purpose (usually not a research proposal, like in the UK)( sees you in/out, depending on the fit with the programme and faculty (rather than specific supervisor), though it always helps to identify and correspond with people you'd likely work with. In the UK you start a thesis directly (usually preceded for some by some coursework) but in the US you go through 2 yrs of coursework and after that you formally "propose" your thesis, select a Dissertation Advisor and a committee from any other dept or university who you can (apparently) freely hire and fire. Full Funding with a 20 hr/week teaching load in the US is almost always assured if you get a PhD place, regrettably the converse is not true for the UK.

Just in case, I write from having applied to 7 univs, 5 in the US and 2 in the UK over 2007-08, for a 08-09 PhD, leaving 6 applications well done, carefully followed and received acceptances for, and just the one left poorly applied for, right till the last moment (as late as the end of June the year I joined).

And it is this last one in the UK, which I finally accepted.

best.

Mousse is his printer temp out of order or something similar? Bcos unless it is that, I just CAN'T for my life believe a univ prof hasn't a printer!!!!!! Tell me, so how does he do his own admin work, printing for his research, projects, writing, anything at all?!

Does he print it all at school and lug it home? Or does he complete all work and school and only read from the screen at home?

I know that isn't quite the point but I am totally saucer-eyed after hearing an academic who supervises PHDs has no printer.