These are the kind of things I agonise over for months, maybe years. I get all guilty and twisted up inside. However, I think that's just neuroticism for you, I think you are probably over estimating the degree to which other people are interested. They probably just shrug and say 'oh well' and forget all about it, but in your mind you imagine them holding a full on conference just to talk about how you aren't going. Don't overthink it, they are probably far more concerned with themselves.

Make it up to your friend at a later date.

In terms of dress, I know I do try to dress a bit smarter when I'm at uni, although to be fair, anything is smarter than my joggers and hoody combo I wear when working from home. It has been made very clear to me that I also need to dress smart e.g. the kind of stuff you see in the work section of next, when i have 'student contact' i.e. lecturing, tutoring etc.

Not sure about the London boundary. But you don't get taxed on your stipend. You do get taxed on any earnings outside of the stipend, but only after you have earnt over about £5k.

Some of the things on your list seem out of order, e.g. comments about physio appointments.

But some of them just indicate that your sups are concerned about you not taking on too much. points 9 and 10 suggest they want to protect you from being swamped with research that isn't related to your PhD or being pressured by third parties to get work done which may not be strictly relevant to your PhD.

Maybe they've supervised others who have spent years trying to complete and want to make sure you treat it as a 9-5 job, which it is really, so you get it through on time.

I've had 2 peices of cracker wheat stuff, like riveta for a snack, with extra low fat philidelphia. Just had jacket potatoe for lunch, but now feeling really sleepy. Going to take the dog out for another walk. Can't seem to get on with work today!

Well done algaequeen!

I have faced facts today and have started afresh. Since losing 2 stone last year my wii fit informs me this morning that I have put back on 12 pounds - these need to go! I have convinced my hubby to join me in my diet (although I did notice he sneaked a wispa gold out of the house this morning). So I'm aiming to eat my 5 a day, eat a bigger meal at lunchtime, and a smaller one in the evening. I also want to eat about 1200 kcals a day and do some cardio.

So far today..

I've had 200kcal bowl of shredded wheat bitesize
taken a vitamin tablet
had a cup of roobois tea.
walked the dog for 20 mins

Problem is, I ate breakfast at 6am and now I'm STARVING. Any ideas?

sounds like me, although my funding is soon to run out, but I am not near completion. My sup seems to be similar except she does offer very direct advice i.e. tells me I have to change stuff. But unfortunately she does this based on her skim read of my work. Recently this has meant she has written comments like "need to write about xyz" at the top of paragraphs all the way through my work - but if she had actually READ the paragraph she would know I have talked about xyz - very frustrating!

This has been very much on my mind. Up until recently I have been adamant, that although I will have kids cos my hubby wants them, I would do it just to please him and I would look after them but have no emotional attachement - I'm the youngest in my family and I've never held a baby or really even seen one up close! And it seems to me that my dog is far cuter than any child - and more clever, she can sit, beg, spin, shake your hand(paw), lie down, fetch, bark on command etc etc. Babies can't even hold their heads up.

But, I got married last year and my 20 year old sister in law has just announced an unplanned pregnany (its a bit of a scandel in the family :p ) which has made me think I should be thinking about a family. I don't think I should think about it though until I am officially a Dr. - I know many people who are on their 7-8th year of writing up because they had babies mid-way. So I am using it as motivation to get the damn thing handed in.

At the mo I am more annoyed by the fact that all my friends who didn't do PhDs are earning A LOT of money whilst I'm a rubbish stipend that is due to finish in October. There are NO academic jobs in my field at the mo. This leaves me with basically having to do temping and get an office admin job in my area, my field is quite specific and a bit too 'fancy' for any of the industry in my local region. So basically I'm going off to find a job that I could have done probably without A levels. The wage will probably be less than my stipend. I feel like its all a complete waste and if I had gone on to be a consultant like everyone else me and my hubby could be living the high life with nice holidays and doing up our house how we wanted, rather than having to botch everything and get it done for cheap.

I hope by now the whole forum knows my feelings on houmous. :-s

mine is baked Coeur de Lion Pié D'angloys cheese, that has a 'hint of honey' in it - but I also add honey on the top and then eat it with breadsticks :$

I also have an obsession for iced fingers - basically a bread roll with a load of icing on top :$

the worst thing is that I think the leggings fashion is the first time I have experienced fashion coming around again - which means I am old. When i was about 9 i distinctly remember leggings being very fashionable, with pixie boots and people wore big t-shirts with a belt around the waist, sound familiar??

Is it me or have you noticed that all your friends who graduated at the same time as you are on huge salaries and you are facing a minimum wage job down the local supermarket when your funding runs out?

ah, maybe she's hoping to push out some publications then and wants you to do the actual doing of the research so the method is correct? I'd ask to be on the publications if you are doing all the work!

yes, I often find myself overthinking things, spending hours trying to understand it and then just realising 'oh was that all!'. I also think this is to blame for the 'sound bite' nature of how science and academic work is reported.

I have a problem with these jeggings/jeans tucked in boots type fashions. I always feel too scared to go with it when they first appear. in the case of leggings/jeggings I think that tbh anyone over a size 6 looks like a complete idiot. but then I get a surge of confidence and by then, these items are so 'fashionable' that I know if I did give in and buy some then by the next day it would be totally out of fashion, although I think 'fashion' is defined by 'something that is not worn by sneaks' and unfashionable is defined as 'worn by sneaks'. :-(

I have exactly the same problem, and I also would like ideas that keep the kcals down. I have gone through scrambled egg on toast, cheese toast and warmed up evening meals e.g. lasagne but now stuck