that really sucks! Especially as it wasn't even your fault!

i agree, amd i'm sure they don't actually reduce the amout of washing up you have to do. certain things have to be hand washed anyway, and glasses and things seem to get watermarks and scratched! grr

had a disaster of a week, first i dropped my lowest passage numbered cells accidently in the liquid nitrogen and then i discovered that my other my cells had become infected! so went home and cried, felt like a silly girl and that i'm not cut out for a PhD after all....and maybe i'll go and be a hairdresser (always fancied that) but perhaps that would be worse, i could cause lots of accidents with scissors!

Rags Wright, hmm not so good! hehe

hehe great name!

how cute! congratulations on becoming a daddy to 7!

I also live with my boyfriend who owns the house and he's not doing a PhD. Our lodgers cover part of the mortgage and we split whatever is left. I think it can be tricky and he's very understanding, and would pay for more if i let him. But i feel bad especially since he pays council tax and i don't have to, and he won't let me contribute when i offered. It's a difficult one, but i think things need to be fair otherwise you end up resenting each other. Good luck

well not so exciting but my name is sarah and where i used to work there were 2 sarahs. They called ther one called sar and i was called rah!

thanks guys, I guess another part of the reason that i'm feeling a bit stressed is that my supervisor is away and so I can't get reassurance from him right now, plus i'm sure he'll have expected me to have made some progress when he gets back, but so far, still waiting!

thanks, i hate to complain because i am very happy with my PhD and lab etc. I just really feel like i should be doing more, and worry that I'm falling behind!

I would just like some reassurance really.....
I am 9 months into my PhD, have a great supervisor and am very enthusiastic about my work. However, things seem to be moving very slowly, i feel like i'm always waiting for sometihng/ someone, cells to grow and things to be delivered. I've just found out that something i've ordered has been delayed another week, leaving me with nothing to do until it arrives!! grr I've read sooo much and written and am really chomping at the bit to get some more experiments done. But find myself waiting and spending my time wasting itme! Is it slow for anyone else too?

I stayed in the same city, but am doing my PhD at a research institute. I am still officially registered at the same university as i did my undergraduate. I can see the benefits of moving around but at the same time, i like it here and do get a whole different experience compared to my undergraduate days. However, uni friends mostly have moved away now, so make sure that that isn't a reson for staying!
I think it depends on the individual again, and since i am getting married next year, i can't see myself moving away, and will hope to do a postdoc in the same city too!

hi tricky
I really like Norwich, although can be a bit quiet at times, i think the city has everything you need and you can just hop in the car for half an hour and be at beautiful seasides! I would recommend joining clubs and trying to get a bit of a social life, the institute is small and friendly and i think it is great, but sadly there isn't much social life. My email is [email protected] if you want any more info, or just to discuss it some more!

@ tricky
he's the head of phytochemicals and health, Sue Fairweather-Tait is the head of Micronutrients.

I don't know your department personally (even though it's a small place!). Are you moving here from far away?

hi Tricky! I work in the Micronutrients department