Most countries have special visas for students that have different (laxer) standards. Also if you get accepted onto a course, the university will usually help with the visa application. However you will need enough money to financially support yourself for the entire period.

What are you getting out of the year in industry? I don't think you will gain that much other than a year of life experience. You can learn most lab techniques with a small bit of effort and there is no guarantee working in industry will give you the relevant lab experience. PhD application processes look more for ability than experience, as they can teach what you need. So if you want to do a PhD, I would apply now rather than gaining experience beforehand.

Also, if you want a gap year, take a gap year

PS: Experimental Chemical Engineer

What topic interests you? Generally I think you have more motivation to study a topic you are genuinely interested in.

It is doable.

With the constant doctor shortages you will most likely find a job afterwards. Most supervisor would love to get a hard working PhD student with a track record like yourself. You can find an already funded project that interests you or you can apply for funding yourself. The only problem I see is do you want 3 years of poor pay and long hours? It is a big commitment and do you really want to quit a good job for the student life? If so there should be no problem.

Hi amyg,

I know it can be stressful seeing someone publish work very similar to your own but it is very common. Yours doesn't sound that serious as it is only 1 out of 3 results which still leaves 2 completely novel results. If you still do the overlapping research, you are confirming their results or contradicting them which you can link with your other work. Your thesis does not need to be 100% novel and even the smallest change in methodology or results can be considered novel anyway. Your supervisor will know far more than us but stuff like this happens all the time and nothing to worry about.

That said, there is a guy in my department who 6 months from the end got completely gazumped. Another group published a paper that used the same materials, methods, modelling technique and application as him, however in far more depth. It was way too late to change project and he is dreading his viva. If you were like that I would worry but you should be fine if you talk with your supervisor.

If you feel nervous keep the small-talk at the start of the conversation going for as along as possible. I find small talk makes me relate to the person and like them thus I feel more comfortable. At the start ask them side questions to get them talking, again to humanise them. I have dealt with social anxiety before and the easiest way way for me is to build a personal relationship.

It is definitely an interview but not a super stringent one. I think they will accept you if you are anyway competent, so don't worry to much.

Do you have your work supervisor's initial support in writing? If so make them justify why they changed their mind and show you can't be pushed around. Officially request reduced working hours to do lab work or ask for a compromise option. I just wouldn't let them kill your PhD options on a whim.

I am doing mostly experimental engineering and I might be biased but raw data is king. Raw data gives you more options and you can analyse it as you see you see fit. If your analysis is wrong you don't have to start again as you have raw data. You just need to chose the experimental method correctly and do it correctly. In my opinion modelling and review based papers are a bit more subjective that can be more easily criticised. Not saying they are bad but a paper of reviews and models of others people data might not be easier in the long run.

Hi Tamecat,

You done really well to get so far! Don't give up now. I would keep pushing your graduate support team or graduate school for an answer. This is an awkward situation for them and they will try to ignore you until absolutely necessary. So keep pestering them as you are 100% in the right to ask to meet or communicate with your supervisors.

I think you can only try. It might be a bit iffy if you don't have a student ID but if you turn up they won't turn you away. I honestly haven't met a post-doc at any societies but don't see anything wrong.

Though there might be some researcher/lecturer activities you can do. At my uni there is Chemistry lecturers 5 side football team (they actually have 2 teams) as well as an environmental science running group and a ping-pong WhatsApp group. I got invited to all 3 without trying. If you drop some hints with younger members of staff you might find some unofficial groups.

What is the field?

I am in engineering and I put all my supervisors on my posters, usually they haven't seen the poster. I agree it would be a bit rude to leave them off but I bet it depends on the field.

You shouldn't worry, you have a 6 month post doc which is better than most. I know a surprising number of people who had no job after their PhD or were so desperate they got awful jobs. You have time to publish more papers and then attend conferences to network for a better posting. As the others have said you can start looking now and I would consider it your main priority, after papers of course.

I am sorry no one else has answered this. I applied for a fully funded role in engineering, so what I say might be wrong.

Getting the funding is the harder than getting accepted for a PhD. The PhD application will probably be a formality, ie do you meet the entry requirements and have a realistic research project? Having people interested in being your supervisor is a good sign and they can guide you if there is an interview.

Your university might have some information on what they expect a critical review to include. I would have a quick search as some universities expect different things.

Otherwise, a critical review should critique the logic, methods and findings of a piece of work. Ie is their methodology slightly flawed which might skew results or did they ignore important concepts/literature to find the answer they want. You could probably critique each section individually and in depth, to complete part one. Then part 2 is making connections between your comments on different sections, to give an overall summary.

Hope that helps

Congrats on minor corrections! It must such a relief.

I wouldn't worry. Justify your original reasons for using sulphuric acid and then say why you choose not to investigate other acids. I think you just need to acknowledge that he might be right but that his is also missing the point.