What languages can you speak?

Congragulations on getting a PhD offer!

I am not an expert in visas or European bureaucracy but can you get the swiss visa first then deal with the french permit? If you do get delayed, your supervisor should be understanding as it is a legitimate problem that is outside your control. Once you know all the facts I would tell your supervisor that this they may be a problem and fore warn them.

I am assuming that you are in the UK. How are you funding your PhD? Generally PhDs are funded by the supervisor writing a grant for a specific project and then advertising for that project. Applying for a PhD that way is much like applying for a job and no research proposal required but you don't choose the project. I would say most PhDs are funded this way (I may be wrong and hopefully someone corrects me).

Alternatively, you can get funding yourself through a research council. It is a lot more competitive but you can write your own proposal on your own idea. You will need the support of a university but most lecturers are more than happy to accept you. You can email lecturers directly saying you want to work in their filed/area, a vague of general direction. After which (if they reply) you can send them a draft proposal and talk with them about it. They would not appreciate a list of random ideas, they want to see some enthusiasm and effort. The first email should be about showing an interest followed by a serious conversation.

Having a publication is very good on your application! The 2:1 doesn't matter as you have 10 years experience and should make you a strong candidate on paper. I hope I have answered the right question and goodluck.

There is someone in my office with three kids doing a PhD and has several publications. The kids are between 3-7 and she works around there school/nursery with her husband doing the morning school run and she does the evening one. She usually does 7am-2pm and her supervisor lets her work around the kids. Most PhDs have flexible working so you definitely manage the time.

I would say aim for 40 hours a week. As pm133 says, a PhD can be all encompassing but you I feel you can do a PhD in that time you are actually productive and don't waste time procrastinating all day, like me.

monkiaa, it does get better. It can seem like a dark hole but there is light at the end of the tunnel. Please call a suicide helpline or talk with a counsellor or talk with a random stranger and it will feel better. Talking about problems helps self actualise them and become more manageable. Hopefully it isn't the end.

Hi guys,

I cheekily submitted an abstract to a local conference in a very loosely related field, hoping for at best a presentation. The problem is I got accepted for a conference paper when I don't have much data yet (I will have it for the conference but not the paper deadline). The deadline is in a few weeks and my supervisor doesn't want me to do a paper at that conference anyway, she didn't know they accepted papers.

It just feels a bit disingenuous to turn down a paper opportunity and ask for a poster instead. Is this common or am I being rude?

Yourself?

Congragulations on passing! I am no where near submitting but the corrections don't need to be perfect. I know at my university, as long as you did the corrections as asked they have to accept it. It is not in anyone's interest to keep the cycle going so just do the bare minimum and submit.

The link is broken or not there. Otherwise I will do it

Leaving your PhD won't make you radioactive. As TudorQueen said you don't need to mention it an interview and even then saying that you wanted a more practical project. Being in a different field and university also helps you have less chance of awkward encounters.

If you really want to finish the PhD, buckle down and do good work. Your relationship with your supervisors has broken down and repairing that will be difficult. If you are internally funded or funded through your supervisors grants, moving university/supervisors isn't an option. So you need to start producing work independently and get feedback form other sources. Go to internal or small conferences or talk with other lecturers. Show some commitment and hard work and your supervisors might be more helpful.

Acknowledge them. It is just acknowledgements and you gain nothing by ignoring them but annoy them by not. Every thesis acknowledges the supervisors and they at least tried to help. They might not have been perfect but the acknowledgements is not the place to vent your frustration.

Age doesn't matter during PhD applications and your grades also don't matter that much either. Sure they look at your academic performance but coming top of your class doesn't guarantee a PhD. Academics want to see potential alongside ability and sometimes they will take people with awful grades who show amazing potential. You sound like you are focusing on your past success and not what you can accomplish.

Also as pm133 said; filed, institution, funding type would help in giving advice.

Thanks for sharing it is good to hear positive stories about a viva for once!

Can we get a moderator to stop these spam posts?