Hey Aloha
Where are your examiners coming from? Is it far? To be honest it would have been good if your supervisor had emailed/contacted people today to see if they can definitely make it... Is there no way to check on things?

As most people on this site will tell you the variation in quality of supervision is as wide as you can imagine. Style and approach to supervision is often a product of a range of factors (their own experience of supervision as a student, experience as a supervisor, other commitments, knowledge of the subject area, personality - plus a lot more) and some supervisors think that constantly questioning every aspect of a piece of work is good supervision. I, and I think you are the same, do not appreciate that approach. My old supervisor sounds like yours, and I was forced to ask for a new member of staff. My new Sup just let me write the first draft of the whole thesis so they could understand the broader argument then together we pick through the detail. For me its a much better style, although others may not find it so...
The issue is that this *is* the style of supervision you have, and you cannot change the way they do it. What you can do is get more people on board (a co-supervisor?) and see if they are any different. I would just ask you though - is this person senior or a fairly junior member of staff? I tend to find that more junior staff have this style of supervising

Hi again Chris

Just before you run off and try to find a ready-formed project, they are *incredibly* rare in your subject area. You will find the occasional one offered, but it is far more common to formulate your own research proposal in Philosophy/IR.

Sleepy

Hi Chris

First of all, Lara is pretty spot on... a PhD, however passionate you are about the subject still involves doing a lot of boring work, reading stuff you aren't necessarily interested in to clarify one small point, jumping through a lot of hoops and it is not in any way a task where you simply do what is enjoyable for you. However, if you *do* really want to do it, there are a few things to consider. I did an IR MA and use a lot of philosophy in my thesis, so this is very much from a similar position as you'll be in.

1. When do you want to start? Most funding for IR/politics/philosophy runs from a September start. These positions are already advertised right now and have impending deadlines, so chances are you'll have to start September 2010 rather than this coming Sept given you don't have a proposal ready.

2. The best thing to do to get a proposal together (I know its different for science - I'm talking about the disciplines in question here) is to build on something you already know about. What did you do your MA dissertation on? Did you enjoy that? Could you build on/amend this? If not, was there something else that interested you?

3. Get a book on writing a research proposal or get someone to help. When applying for a PhD you'll need references, ideally from your MA, so was there a member of staff you got on well with/took a few modules with that could a) provide a reference; b) give you some pointers on a proposal.

The hardest thing will be to pick a topic. This will most likely change and adapt as you research but you need to do this asap. Once you have that you need to get researching *NOW*. If you go to an interview for funding and say that you "don't have weeks to sit in libraries... I'm working full time" you'll get short shrift. You need to demonstrate passion for the topic before you commence your PhD...

You have a year to get ideas together before you apply for the PhD. If that's what you want to do then I'm afraid it takes priority now. You have to spend what free time you have (and by free time I mean any spare time - don't go to the pub/hang out with friends this weekend, go to the library).

Is your lecturing job in the same place that you are doing your PhD??? If so there are clear Hefce and UCU guidelines on what your dept can reasonably ask you to do. If you have *chosen* to take on a lectureship at different institution whilst still completing your PhD (if for example you didn't get funding, or your funding ran out) the average attitude would be 'tough, you are lucky to get a lectureship, many don't. If you are finding it difficult, take an interruption of study - many people who try to juggle the two have to'

You will generally find that any form of PhD stipend requires a graduate to have 'top grades', those who do not don't get funding - simple as. Furthermore, a condition of most funding is that you do not have funding from another source (ie you cannot receive funding from 2 research councils or from a university and funding council). As such, I do not know - and I would hazard a guess that most people here do not know - what you mean by 'enhanced stipend'.

My dept say 100,000 but frankly they'll be damned lucky to get 80,000 out of me!!! My dissertations at BA and MA levels were both very short and they both got top marks - I'd rather write something short I'm happy with than bong in an extra 10000 for the sake of it.

Speaking personally, I don't think its the case that you didn't try, it is simply clear that you were let down at a number of levels, and that you did not (perhaps) help yourself as much as you could. It seems as though you did not fully organise times and schedules with your supervisors before you went on your fieldwork or otherwise they should not have been away on your return. The issue is that part of being an independent researcher (especially for a PhD) is being able to structure your work with and around your supervisor... this is what people are looking for. Yes, it was a blip, but a fairly significant one in the eyes of potential PhD places.

Sadly, the option left to you is to explain the situation, but more importantly, to explain how you have now rectified those errors. Unfortunately academia leaves very little room for 'blips', it is far too competitive for that.

Just to affirm what the other posters have said - ideally you should have spoken to your Head of Dept when you felt you were not getting the support you needed, especially in light of your dyslexia. However, I know this is easier said than done, many PhD students have trouble doing this, nevermind at Masters level. Unfortunately for PhDs universities do look at your independent research projects, and look for maturity and ideas there. The fact you didn't act to change supervisors may go against you.

Saying that, I think the best option would be to brush up on those areas you know are perhaps not as strong (getting more detail in there) and demonstrating to potential supervisors that you have worked on that. Unfortunately you will need to learn to write an excellent cover letter, as this is your best chance to get onto a funded PhD. However, most university careers departments will help you with this - or perhaps a former lecturer can if you were close to any of them. Careers services are normally available 1-2 years after you graduate.

Hello all!
As many of you know from my posts on hear over the past year or so, I've never been particularly happy with the University where I am doing my PhD. I changed my whole supervisory team almost a year ago as my previous supervisors were impossible to get hold of/did not give appropriate feedback (spelling and grammar only) and generally did not know enough about my area. Although this was difficult at first, I now get on fine with my old supervisor, we teach together and have a good working relationship. I also have a much better supervisor who is much more experienced, and I am happy with him
There were also issues regarding teaching (I am a GTA and this was a requirement of my funding). The previous Head of Dept was awful - senior staff also had problems with him - he had no organisational capabilities and expected me to teach on a course with a member of staff who had repeatedly made inappropriate advances towards me including in front of other staff, and on a subject I knew nothing about (we are a multidisciplinary dept and this was the academic discipline I have not done since GCSE!). He was replaced last year by my current Supervisor who was made Head of Dept, and gave me much more suitable teaching, although there have still been some more general issues (see the thread I started last week on rubbish office staff!)
Anyway, last week my supervisor/Head of Dept asked me whether I would like to stay as a part-time teaching next academic year. My funding runs out this summer, as it is the end of my 3rd year, and he has had some excellent reports from students about my teaching so thinks it would be great if I stayed on (although payment will be by hour, not the 'salaried' rate I get now. Has anyone done this?? My worry is that although I love teaching, the issues that go with it are mega-stress!!! Would I be better to get a little part-time office job which won't look as good on my CV but might actually be better for the whole thesis writing thing I'm meant to be doing!!!

Thanks, Sleepy

PS, I am due to submit November (on schedule) so would only be expected to teach for the one semester next year...

Decided to go in to uni tomorrow (even though I'm not meant to be driving). If they post the essay to me, and then I return it it'll take a week, this way the student can get it back tomorrow - which given they have already been waiting 6 weeks is fairly necessary. I just hope no-one sees me, all these needle marks make me look like a complete smackhead, and although I can wear long sleeves I can't exactly wear gloves indoors.
Will tell the Head of Dept though that I am really unhappy at the situation - he's the only member of staff I have told that I am not very well - and I want him to talk to this other tutor, and I want an apology from her.
- Get the biopsy results in 3 weeks. Consultant seems very positive its treatable, so that's good. But doesn't my body know I am in my third year and very very busy!?!? Its so rude to start breaking down already, I'm only 27!:-s

Its pretty easy really to spot a plagiarism - changes in writing patterns within a piece of work, phrasing, terminology... why do you ask?

I should also say that I have already marked over 60 essays and did so within the timescales (including a number of plagiarisms) as I knew this medical treatment was coming. Had the other member of staff informed me earlier, I would have happily marked the work.

Hi everyone!
As part of my studentship I have to teach at Uni, which I actually really enjoy, apart from the fact that some of the staff are absolutely incompetent! My dept has a general deadline for all essays which was 5th December. The dept has a policy that all essays that are unproblematic (so not bad practice, plagiarism or late) are returned within 2 weeks, if there are problems the essay should be returned within 4 weeks. I have always stuck to this rigidly as I know how many of my students rely on feedback.
Today I received an email from the School Office to say that an essay that should have been give to me to mark was given to a part-time member of staff. The essay was submitted on 12th Dec, so a week late, but the other member of staff only informed the school office today (rather than as soon as she realised that she should not have it). I seriously think she should be spoken to about this
Anyway, the office have now asked if I can go into uni to mark this essay asap. Whilst I normally would do this, I spent the whole of yesterday having biopsies and all this morning and early afternoon having blood tests taken (bloods are always traumatic for me, they always have to try 5/6 places before they can draw), and I have needlemarks all over my hands and arms. Although I don't want to let the student whose essay it is down (they have already been messed about by this other member of staff), I think it is really out of order to expect me to come in given the circumstances - and the fact this was caused by a different member of staff (and a school office mistake!).

Research council funding can be tough to get - but normally any university that accepts your application will assist you in refining the project to appeal to the research council. Obviously though you would need a clear research proposal - and more often than not a first (although people with lower grades do still get the award - there are loads of people on here who have done precisely that!)