I find it hard to believe that a PhD in medical physics would be suitable for a job in astrophysics, but hey, what do I know. Skills, especially technical and experimental skills are generally transferable.

Got to agree with Hyp - that's not enough to socialise. I think you are in a tough place (London) at a tough age (our age!).

Oh Olivia I am feeling so much the same. My problem isn't homesickness but child-sickness. And I know what you mean about the academic work - it's such a treadmill and people go at it as if it really means something but actually it doesn't - it's just stuff that people do. Which is fine, if you like doing it - but I wonder if I can possibly compete and put enough into it. I just don't know if I want it badly enough - not when I have a young child at home.

I haven't given myself permission to quite - afterall - this is my second go! But being so unsure about what I will do afterwards is making it hard to feel really motivated to finish.

Oh definitely - I am in a similar position. It's hard to feel enthusiastic when your results are disappoointing. We just have to do as others have said. I will outline why I think it was a valid project in the first place, given the outcome, and part of my thesis will be a proposal for a better project design (which hopefully will become a funding propoal). Relaly, this happens all the time with experimental project. But I know that still makes it tough when it happens to you - I'm pretty frustrated myself trying wade through the tangled mess of my data and produce something meaningful.

This so common as to be normal in science PhDs - especially lab-based projects. Don't worry about it. Your viva will be testing that you fully understand and have an informed opinion about the work. I used to be in a similar field and have friends who are now supervisors for lab-based projects and we have talked about this very thing. It's usually just not feasible for students using such expensive stuff to completely dsign their own projects - generally they carve out a piece of a larger ongoing team effort.

This is a major headache. My finding runs out in Oct but there is no hope of me submitting before Xmas (very optimistically). My husband can support me - but my grant pays my daughter's daycare fees and I wil need that time even more when the money runs out to pay for it!

Also - your supervisor does not grade your thesis - your examiners do that.

Finding that there is no provision for research costs is, alas, fairly common (happened to me **complaincomplain**) but this is worse as you had the funds to start with. You clearly don't have a very good relationship with your supervisor if you haven't been able to talk about why this is happening. There MUST be someone you can go to - a graduate tutor or admin person to talk this over.

I think it is a good idea to talk to him first. I don't really see how you can carry on in this situation if your costs very large. I am paying my research costs from my gtrant and it is a major headache (and I am pretty furious about it).

Do you have a Board of Graduate Studies or similar admin office/person that you can complain to? The issue of suddenly having to bear your own research costs is a serious one and you should not be expected to accept that. Got to run...

I have come across this kind of supervisor several times through friends and it is a tough situation (always science topics). You are unlikely to reform them single-handedly, but you must stand your ground calmly but firmly because they will keep pushing you further and further. I bet there have already been complaints made - unfortunately, in my experience, there is little accountability for behaviour in academia.

I think your concerns are valid and it's important that your PhD is your own project. My understanding is that there is a very definite limit to the colaboration allowed in a PHD. Certainly by the end of your first year you should know which bit you can carve off as your own. Lab projects tend to be colloborative - but your PhD should be an identifiable subproject. As long as that is the case - it doesn't matter whether many procedures are actually shared.

My impression is that self-funding, (all or part) is quite common in the arts and humanities fields as funding is so scarce. I certainly know quite a few. I have noticed, however, that self-funded students sometimes suffer from the lack of structure and deadlines that funding bodies impose and can drift on when a funded student would be under strict orders to submit. Just something to keep in mind.

Ben - I really think average is fine. I'm sure most students could do a PhD is they were motivated and disciplined enough - and could get funding.

Yes that's normal - the more senior the supervisor the less hands-on they are likely to be. All the mrc labs are pretty good and well-kitted out. Sounds like you can't really go wrong with either one. Do you prefer either place to live?

Well that is extremely close to the choice I faced (and X has just gone back to oxbridge - but the 'other place'). Personally, I think if you do a good PhD with good publications you will do just fine at either place. But definitely meet them and/or find out how they are as supervisors to help with your decision. Just a note - when you have a big name supervisor, usually all you get is the name - they have no time/motivation to actually supervise you.

It is a tough choice if you are offered both. Personally - I think would choose the project that most motivated me.