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Most Academics are Sick People
R

I have not myself ever come across it. However, I do not dispute that it may happen, just as it does in the work place. I dont think that is really proof though (a bit like WMD, beleiving they may exist does not mean that they do exist)

I was looking more for some explanation to back up what you say, i.e. relate these stories. Otherwise it is very hard for people who have not seen it to understand it. For example I have known students who thought they could do whatever they liked, wanted to research this or that. Of course this was not what the supervisor wanted them to do that. They fall out and things deteriate. They were undergrads, so were not really in a position to do what they want (heck, I dont think a lot of postdocs do what they want). In this case, they really should have done what the super said and I have little sympathy for them.

Most Academics are Sick People
R

What? How is that proof. I am merely pointing out that there are two sides to every story. Your supervisor is your boss. Just like in a real job. If you shout and throw stuff at your supervisor, no matter how good you are (or think you are), or indeed how right you are, you are not going to have a good relationship and the super will make life difficult. The same is true in a real job. No matter if you are right or not, if you go against your boss, or if you shout or throw stuff at them, you will find it very hard to carry on under him in that company.

If you are saying you messed up an experiment and now life is hard then maybe you have a case.

Most Academics are Sick People
R

What truth? You have made a statement but have provided no examples or information to support your case. For all we know there may have been a lot more to the story than you are letting on here. The student may be just as much to blame. Also, I dont think you can state that it is truth. Have you performed some sort of nationwide survey? I would guess a lot of academic want to keep in with the next gen of students, so in the future they can collaberate etc. You never know where your student may end up.

While there may be academics out there who may do that, there are probably a lot who wouldnt. Also, in the land of real work, I beleive that this sort of thing happens as well. Yet I doubt you would state that every boss is out to destroy the careers of their employees (Or maybe you would).

Who here lives in halls?
R

I live in halls, had the choice of moving to a house but felt it would be easier to stay in halls. After all, the student bar is nearly on my doorstep, and the canteen means I dont have to cook for myself (though I do have to pay someone else to do it for me). Ahh, what a life. Maybe I should never give up being a student.

no significant results
R

Maybe the results are not significant. Not as exciting as positive results, but negative results are still results. I beleive that is fine for a PhD.

Is there obvious trends? Do you see say a decrease in a response but it is not significant? You can still discuss that. Its still a decrease. After all, all statistics do is give a probability that what you are seeing is a real change. They dont in themselves prove (or disprove) anything. They just add weight to your argument (though admitadly quite a bit, and usually required for publication). You could then discuss how you would go about confirming the result is true, or how to imporve the method, or collect more samples etc.

How many PhD places did everyone apply for?
R

Depends if it is sicence or hummanities. If hummanties then obviously you need to have a good propsoal as MistaG says, and so number is prob less important than quality of proposal.

If science you will probably only be responding to projects thought up by others, so in this case you can apply to as many that interest you. Sciences tend to have a lot of PhD places, so you could conceivible apply to lots before finding one you like/getting accepted. Of course you still need to demostrate that you are motivated and interested in the subject.

Late PhD refusals/responses- your experience
R

i guess you were probably a reserve as well then if they took that long. Maybe they offered to someone but if they didnt take it, you were next. Perhaps that person took a long time to decide.

Other possibilities include departmental people fighting over who gets the funding. It may have taken them that long to agree who was going to get what funding (if it was uni funding). After all, you may have been one of the best students, but a more important professor wanted a student and so they had to fight over the funding and the more important professor won. I doubt they want to tell you this is happening so they wait for it to be resolved. The other people may have lost the fight earlier.

Still, rude not to at least inform you of what is happening.

Everything's gone so quiet..
R

We could bump a hundred threads. That would help fill the gap.

Off topic: Forum roll call
R

Im still here, its just that once the really old threads started appearing and two pages of threads were updated within hours (or minutes) rather than days, I lost the will to read most of them, never mind reply. Some of us have to work to get a PhD (well at least pretend by having excel on the screen, not this forum all the time ).

Glad you missed me.

Where is Stu?
R

Brainpower? Everyone just seems to be typing the names of Greek Islands.

Ok, so from previous posts it not Crete, Lesbos(lesvos), Rhodes, Limnos, Samos, Kos, Corfu, Zakynthos/Zanti, Naxo, Amorgos, andros, Felegandros, Khios, Skiathos, Thassos.

From your clue, mykonos. Keas capital is nothing like Kea, same with Milos. That ruled out a few more. Prob not Ios as Capital is called Nora. Not Kythnos as capital is called Hora.

Is it Astypalea? Also know as Stampalia or Astropalia. Capital Astypalia?

Proverbial spanner in the works
R

The only concern is time. How long will it take to do all the repairs? Will the morgage people wait around if it will take 6 months (from report to complete fix)? Structural stuff may take a while to fix.

May as well get the seller to do the survey and go from there. Though I would pressure sooner rather than later. Then see where you stand. Get a quote on how long the repairs will take, and the cost (if there are any). Then you have to decide to take the risk and buy at reduced cost and you do the repairs or if the repairs wont take long get the seller to do them.

Proverbial spanner in the works
R

How about this for a crazy idea. Move out of your current house and head off. Rent. Get tennants into your current house and have them pay the morgatage (and your rent if you can, depends on rent rates in your area).

I wonder if you could use this income to help support a future morgatage. Then you could have two houses. Though being a landlord can be a lot of work (depending on the condition of the house).

Anyway, probably not what you want to do (or maybe a good idea). Just a wacky idea.

Where is Stu?
R

LOL to 404.

Naxos?

Proverbial spanner in the works
R

The problem with renting is that sylvester will probably have to reapply for the morgatge. This will based on the PhD stipend, so will cause a lot of problems for getting a new morgatage.

Was your friend a single PhD student Sixkitten? If so, then maybe there is hope yet. How did she get a morgatge without getting parental help?

You would need to have the money to perform the repairs, otherwise you may have bigger problems when you do come to repair them or when you come to sell. Also, you prob wont want to be building a house and doing a PhD. Maybe you could change topics. Investigate the relaitionship between builder tea breaks and work done.

Proverbial spanner in the works
R

If you can stand living in a caravan.