hi again R4BIA,
thanks for your response!
I do agree with pixie, having read her post. Yeah, how bout giving it a go then, the 3 month postdoc :-)

what do you think, is the impression of academia of people who did their bachelor degree, masters degree AND phd at the same university?

I remember during my first degree, there was a lecturer who did everything in one university. I have to admit, ok, I didn't think she was very smart or knowledgeable.

In the UK I have a friend who also did this, never went anywhere else, and to me he seemed like someone who was "stagnant" because he didnt really know about other universities. BUT the nice thing for him was that he worked in the university as a research assistant, then he became a lecturer and now hes a senior lecturer. All in the same place. It really worked for him. He has a career now, a permanent position--and people like me..I did my degrees in different universities---haha I am still jobless.

love satchi

hi R4BIA,
welcome to the Forum!
Why is it not a good idea to do a postdoc in the same institution?
I don't have any experience about postdoc stuff so I think I can learn something here.

I haven't been able to find a post doc position or research assistant position (up till now I haven't been able to get a job, part time or full time etc.) so if it were me, I would take up the offer because it's only 3 months, plus the joint project sounds promising. If this would minimise visa problems, it would be a bonus for me. But this is only me, do I sound desperate :-)

maybe if you can let me know why doing a postdoc in the same university does more harm. I like my supervisor but she doesn't have any postdoc opportunities at the moment, other wise I would apply, we work well togehter too. just too bad.

love satchi

hmmmm........but I guess this will work in the long term?

love satchi

hi andyspeak
welcome to the forum! It looks like we haven't got any members who have experience of new institutions in India, neither have I. If I had the opportunity to work in India I would take it because I love India. If I could pick somewhere to go besides India it would also be Thailand or Indonesia.

Oh yes have you looked at China? In July I met a retired English-language teacher on the train. He told me that he has a teaching contract up to 2014, and has already been receiving offers to teach English beyond 2014! If you're willing to travel a bit further, chances are there will be a lucky university to take you, who knows?

Good luck with your job search--and do let us know how you do

love satchi

hi janine
I think thats a great idea!!!

love satchi

I failed the hazard perceptions part by 2 points!!! To be very honest, when I watched the driving videos, I started feeling nauseous like I was getting motion-sickness.

14 clips one after the one is too long for me, and my head started to hurt a lot.

I will have to do this again!!!! Has anyone failed before?? Any tips for getting past the hazard perceptions part??? (the 50 multiple choice questions are ok)

love satchi

hi Pitseleh
don't be discouraged by the way things are now! I don't know how much data you need to write your thesis---but it looks like you are ok (from your latest post here).

Just sharing with you--my first supervisor (from my 1st degree days) for my final year project once told me that when he was doing his phd at East Anglia, he had no results for more than 2 years. He was stuck in the lab with nothing until suddenly 6 months from the finishing date, he got some results and suddenly things started speeding up for him.

You'll be ok. There are days when things are ok and when things don't seem to be ok, hang in there.

love satchi

hi socpol
thanks for your response! Obviously I am not a paramedic but here is another example of a lectureship vacancy which does not need a phd.

love satchi

hi TreeofLife
I think it also depends who you get as your supervisor. I did my phd in a very relaxed environment (in the UK) but this was very different for my colleague. In her department she was expected to write lab reports everyday, update her lab-book everyday, read 20 papers a week and her supervisor even CHECKED her lab attendance! He expected her to show up exactly at 9am and only leave at 5pm or stay later. He did not even approve of her going back to her country for a short visit, of course he could not stop her (it's her right for a holiday) he wrote about this during her progress report (we didn't expect this, we did think it was really petty of him). How she complained to us (our circle of friends!), but of course she put up with all this, she had to finish the phd.

My supervisor is British and her supervisor is of different nationality (better not say).
My supervisor left me to do my work as long as I handed in to her and attended meetings (whenever necessary), but my colleague's supervisor was like a Gestapo officer.

Looking back, my colleague did finish earlier than me (!!!!) so maybe this was also good after all.

love satchi

hi Janine that is a great idea! I don't see how they can turn you down, I'm sure you will get the science technician post :-)

I received a letter from UWS today (the rejection I was telling you earlier about), wow it took so long for them to send it. Never mind.

love satchi

hi crystalmm
I don't buy women's magazines because there are too many advertisements and loads of stuff I can't afford *LOL*

nice survey and best of luck
love satchi

hi janineG and Swetchha
thanks for sharing, Janine have you found other applications to go for?

Swetccha it would be really nice if you were offered a job which is located near where you live with your family---that would be ideal! True we don't need a phd to be a housewife.
Since this thread started---now-- I feel that I am at peace with myself. I still look at jobs.ac.uk but I no longer have the feeling of despair (that I previously had) anymore. I think I have got over it.

love satchi

hi starsgoblue
WOW You have an impressive phd record -- "two peer-reviewed pubs, a forthcoming book chapter, have organised (and won funding for) two conferences, done lots of presentations both at home and abroad.."

And congratulations on your upcoming freelance writing job! That's EXCELLENT!

My funding ended also in September--2 years ago--I still haven't been able to find a decent paying job--and I am supported by my bf (at least one of us HAS a job!), we are ok.

I hope your feelings of "failure" will go away somehow, or rather, and maybe you will be able to cope with these feelings. Please don't take them seriously, because they are only conjured up by your mind which is always calculating, weighing, working etc.

You are NOT a failure! See how much you have achieved!!!

Here's answering your 3 questions:

- How bad is it to finish the phd in 3.5/even 4 years?

ANSWER: NOT BAD AT ALL. I know a guy who did a phd in 8 YEARS. Mine will be finished in 5 YEARS (also counting viva so it makes 5 years)--and why--because I spent so long waiting for things to happen---ethics approval, supervisor to actually read what I've written etc.

- How can I jig myself up?

ANSWER: Be kind to yourself--also remember there are other who have taken LONGER, or even dropped out of their phd. Don't look at "time" because if you measure up everything with time, you will never be happy.

- Is it worth it? Really?

ANSWER: YES it's worth it--despite all the frustration--worth it because you have come this far, you have done so well all this time---so don't let any "feelings" of failure pull you down BECAUSE YOU ARE SO MUCH BETTER than what your feelings say--so ignore those feelings, see them floating around, and don't get dragged into it!!!

love satchi

hi Swetchha
I'm sure you will find something. Do you think that you might get higher chances with EU jobs instead of jobs in UK?
Maybe a job in Spain... :-)

Or a job with the UN?! They could post you to Switzerland--or New York!

but then again if you really got a job outside the UK, what about your boyfriend?
Would you take it? he's so nice isn't he

At this moment--now that I think about it, yes I think I can be content being a housewife.
:-) I don't know if I will change my mind tomorrow, but for now housewife is ok :-)

love satchi

hi socpol
nice to hear from you, many thanks for posting!

Since you are already a qualified SW---and almost at the end of your SW phd, you will definitely have high chances of landing a lecturer postition in social work/health and social care (if you decide to apply to some lucky university!)! Thats great.

I did see advertisements that said it was "desirable to have a postgraduate qualification", desirable but NOT essential, otherwise I wouldn't have posted about this earlier.

I tried to find it, a position was advertised on jobs.ac.uk but I couldn't locate it today, the ad has expired.

They were looking for social workers who want to teach--and are willing or interested in working towards a masters or phd...so that is not the same as already having a phd without having SW qualifications.

So it seems better to start off with having SW qualifications/work/training :-)

thanks again
love satchi