Hey!

The Head of Politics and Communications (Jon Tonge) is a mate of mine. Absolutely fantastic guy, love him to bits. But, Missspacey is right, Politics and Communications is one of the prime candidates for the chop, and Jon has already got options lined up so i get the impression he thinks it'll definitely happen. You might start a PhD there and then lose your dept..!

Hey, is it Liverpool Uni (not John Moores or Hope)? If so, you should know that they are considering some major restructuring at the moment and are planning to close down a number of departments... what subject will you be in?

Hey!
I know proper lecturers who show films in lecture-time rather than 'lecturing'. In fact this year one of them couldn't get the video to work so just cancelled the class. The students may not necessarily see the value in it, so it would be worth allocating other formal time to discussion; or, even better, posing questions for them to think about whilst watching it

As far as I know it is not allowed (I have had friends prevented from undertaking a PGCert concurrently with PhD), although I know people who have gotten away with it. My supervisor, for example, did a PGCE in the final year of his PhD to get extra funding (although that was the late 70s!).

Hmmm, I agree, these are huge inconveniences, hardly atrocities!

When I began I was allocated a supervisor with 4 other PhD students. To date 2 of those students have dropped out; 2 are in their 5th years (both full-time funded students), and I swapped supervisor. The woman never gave proper feedback, just grammar and spelling (and her's was worse). Every meeting was an existential crisis about the meaning and place of my PhD; which is important but a product of the research as well as what guides it. She constantly deferred to another member of staff who disagreed with my work - not because he had read and offered critique he just didn't like my analytical framework. The final straw was when she invited me to a conference in the US and then at the last minute moved to a different hotel and didn't speak to me all week; despite knowing it was my first ever conference (and the biggest one in my field).

I was gutted when this happened, I felt it was all my fault and I didn't know what to do. I tried to speak with her about this, she refused until eventually I said I thought she was unsuitable as my supervisor and she said the problem was that I could not take criticism (my current Sup does not seem to think this). It was a friend (a Prof) at another Uni who said to me one thing:

"It is the Supervisor's job to get you a PhD, even if you have a personality that makes Mussolini seem bashful, they have to work with you. But it is your job to do the work not theirs, in whatever conditions you are in. And remember we are all flawed..."

Yes, crap happens, most PhD experiences meet big problems (not methodologically, I mean work issues), but that is not and cannot be an excuse not to do well. It is your responsibility to do the work, the supervisor just shapes it into a PhD. If they aren't doing that - move on. If you don't like your conditions, do something about it, stop whinging, and for God's sake it is not an 'atrocity'.

Hi Manuk

The comments seems fairly straightforward. They are submitting your application for ESRC funding, that's it.

Hi Touchstone

You don't mention where you are originally from or why exactly you have not been successful in finding a PhD place (it would be helpful if we knew this)

I think MissSpacey's comment is two-fold: 1, given that Zachary1 is married with a child, giving up a salary to live on a PhD studentship is a delicate step. What would happen if his wife lost her job - I doubt they'd be able to survive on PhD money.
2, we all hope the economy will improve in the next few years, but if not then giving up a job for the unbelievable uncertainty of post-PhD life is a tough call.

Saying that 30 is absolutely not 'late' to start a PhD, and you'll probably have more self-confidence and direction that some of your younger colleagues. Pragmatically Zachary1 I'd say if you are fairly confident that your partner's job is secure, and or you have savings/family that can help out if absolutely necessary, ignore that aspect. Your decision should be made on how much you want to do a PhD (not how much you want a phd, but how much you want to do the research it involves).

Good advice all; but I stupidly got myself an iPhone, which means I check my emails every 2 minutes, and should a student want me to check their work / or should the Dear Leader (my sup) get in touch, then I'm afraid drinkies with friends go out the window!

How about research into Botany Bay, in Chorley? You wouldn't need to collect materials from different places, as you can find everything you need under one roof, so not too much travelling; its role in the local retail environment is fundamental (being right next to the motorway), so you can look at the economic aspects of Botany (Bay). Sounds perfect all round!!!

(Apologies to all of you who have never lived in the North West and have absolutely no idea what I'm ranting on about!)

http://www.botanybay.co.uk/shopping.shtml

Well God forbid doing a PhD would inconvenience you in any way! If you can't think of your own topic, and feel that doing basic research is a bit too strenuous, you don't have much chance.

XJR your post does seem rather out of context. Every person I know perceives flaws with their work or industry and this is all the more acute in the public sector such as healthcare and education. The attitude of "if you don't like it leave" is pretty immature, how would anything reform or improve if that were the case. Sexually harrassed in the workplace? Institutional racism? If you don't like it leave. Yes BHC is negative but hurrah for that - optimistic people are bloody annoying!

And on a final note BHC's points about the marketisation of education, particularly HE are massively expanding areas of academic research - particularly in political theory and political sociology - especially using Lefebvre

Not only does this post sadden me (editing a book at the moment and even more cramped for time than usual - makes it all seem even more pointless); but, the English is actually p*ss-poor. No way on earth would I allow people with bad grammar to publish in my name...

Shanmugum I think you are scum for running such an operation, but if you're going to do it, at least do it properly!

A friend of mine did chemistry at the School of Oriental and African Studies and really recommended it. Well it had something to do with chemicals...

In my (not statistically backed up in any way) opinion, the working classes (whoever the hell they are any more - again definition is needed) are not debt-averse. My parents are from what would be perceived as a "working class" background (dad a labourer in a warehouse, now unemployed; mum a shop assistant); and yet they had no hesitation in encouraging me to become indebted to afford a university education - or my brother.

Secondly; given the fact that the more prestigious universities rarely take students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, well as defined by postcode (Oxford 9%; Cambridge 9%; all 19 Russell group below 25% and 17 of those below their own targets http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/oxbridge-colleges-fail-to-attract-workingclass-students-576302.html; ) is it really fair to have students from a "working class" background, who went for example to an ex-poly (often berated on these boards) competing for PostGrad funding with a Cambridge grad? I know that the Research Council I'm linked to, would not even consider it to be competition...