Is it essential you change supervisor as well as topic? Is there also a problem with your current supervisor? Perhaps it would be easier to stay with your current sup and discuss other project angles or directions to make it more appealing to you.

When I started, I had very little interest in my topic too, but I persisted with it because changing just didn't occur to me. Now, I find it interesting, but if I had a choice of any project in the world, I still wouldn't choose it. It may sound a bit unemotional and harsh, but in some ways, I see my PhD as a means to an end.

Sorry, more to say...

I know size doesn't matter - in fact, there is a famous example in my faculty of a guy getting his PhD in molecular biology with a 42 page thesis! I understand it was well done, just really really concise. 42 pages...I could submit now!

Other thing that bothers me is my supervisor said not to update my intro/lit review from when it was written when I started my PhD. He said it should be snapshot of the knowledge of my area at time when I started. Any new data from other researchers published since I started should be discussed in the final discussion of my thesis only. Other students seem to write a whole new intro/lit review at the end of their PhD and include all current literature...like my 70 page friend is doing. Sorry for this waffle, but I would appreciate other science peoples comments on thesis size and structure.

What are you doing for an intro, Tina? When you say intro, lit review are they separate sections? Mine is: abstract (very brief summary of thesis), intro (which is the lit review), then launch into first results chapter with a methods section in there.

I find deciding how you will structure the whole thesis is a big decision and I have changed my mind numerous times. Hardest decision was should I have a separate methods chapter or put small methods section in each chapter? I went with latter. Sorry this is getting confusing and not really helping you at all, but I just wonder what others are doing.

Worried about my intro/lit review too. Friend of mine doing her PhD at another uni is currently writing her thesis and her intro/lit review is 70 pages, but mine is only 20 pages.

My final discussion at the end will be about 2500 words (that is "normal" for my area - I was shocked when I found that out - so short). Like Ann, I have a separate discussion at the end of each chapter (separate to my results section) and those discussions are about 2500 words each. A whole chapter is about 7000 words (without references/figures), but a couple are actually published articles, so are concisely written and contain no unnecessary data.

DJWicked might be able to shed some light for you...that is if she isn't sailing off into the sunset with the lovely Sam!

Or Ann - she's been there and done that so she should help you.

Why am I telling you this? They can answer for themselves. I'll shut up now and do some work *pulls head in*.

Oh, Claudia and chrisrolinski, that ruined my impression of you. I didn't want to know what you look like, but as soon as you gave the addresses, I couldn't resist...but now I wish I had. Bye bye secrets and anonymity. Sob.

Groan...dodgy reference lists in undergraduate assignments. And they always reference their lecture notes. Aaaaahhhhh!!! It infuriates me.

Is he hot?

...yes, you must...and soon. It is the only thing to do.

Coming into summer here at the moment. Yay! Already had a 37 degree day last week. Show me the summer!!!!

Out of curiosity, just had my first look at pimpthatsnack - what a classic site! Love it, although it does make me want to bake artery-hardening sweetie treats.

katq, I am no PCR expert (far from it). But if I have a PCR that doesn't work the first time, I always try temperature, Mg etc gradients before I try different primers. If you have taken this into account already, ignore my advice and try other primers. Good luck, and have a beer for me when you get product!

LOL at BurgerKing. That is just plain wrong! Supervisors and PhD students are two separate species and there should be no kinky attempts at inter-species breeding or canoodling!

Do it yourself jojo, then you get that fantastic post-presentation high afterwards. That feeling is better than a couple of glasses of champagne.