======= Date Modified 16 Dec 2009 12:07:49 =======
mm can i have some (wait for it I can't spell) feffernussen - those little icing covered ginger biscuit things mmmmm

ah ha

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pfeffern%C3%BCsse

hmm now bovril. My mum and dad pretty much took me off beef about 5 years before the BSE crisis broke. I was brought up in the country in the middle of farms and there were rumblings amongst the farmers that perhaps feeding cows other cows, maybe wasn't working out so well. THey still don't eat beef and I only eat organic good quality steak etc. - so would have to say a big no to bovril, or anything similar e.g. oxo, bisto etc.

I feel for you Apple. My supervisor is lovely, but we meet very rarely, about once every 6 months for a proper meeting, although she is always available on email. I think I do prefer to work quite independently. The problem is, she says my writing is very good, but I know whenever I give her anything, she doesn't actually read it through. I am dreading the day when she turns round and says, "well I've actually read this properly now - and its awful".

I also have the issue that she doens't help out methodologically - she has designed an analysis technique, yet I have to learn how to use it from her book, rather than herself. And I also struggle, in that she knows so little about my project, when she does offer advice, it tends to be wrong and lead me down the wrong path, she just doesn't know what I am doing! - this has got me into trouble twice, losing me several months of work each time, so I am now just ignoring her and doing what I think is right, because that, in the end has always been what she thinks I should have done, even though she shot it down when I first mentioned it. :-s

I have no real tips on how to get around this. I am hoping just to finishe the data collection, write it all up and then give it to someone else who will read through it for me and spot the holes.

I have walked the dog - in the snow! (snowman)(snowman)(snowman)(snowman)(snowman)

Now for a nice big cup of tea and onwards - to the transcriptions!

sounds like you have been very productive bluebird! You must get past the perfectionist thing though. I know someone who finished their thesis about 2 years ago now and STILL hasn't submitted because he is tweaking things and his supervisor is going crazy with it. It was completely finished but he just won't let go.

Today

- face the bitter cold and take dog for a walk
- transcribe the remaining interiews (2 and a half) - COME ON SNEAKS YOU CAN DO THIS!! - seems to be a mental block like the little devil on my shoulder telling me NOT to finish the transcriptions.

every single person I have found who hates marmite hates it for one reason. THey spread it too thick! Like jam!?? Its meant to be spread really really thinly and then its lovely, otherwise its like eathing my rabbit's salt lick on toast.

i thought marmite was yeast extract or something - so surely if its whatever micro/.asdj sfkjhsf waste, then so is bread and beer cos they need yeast too?? - not a biologist so don't kill me

hi jinkim, I just thought I would share my experiences last night. I cried over a microwave and iron :-( I think its just getting stressful near to xmas and everything is getting too much. We moved in to my mother in laws house - leaving our old house empty, but with most of our furniture in. Her microwave and iron both broke, so we brought ours up for her to borrow. She has broken the microwave and ruined the iron, so it doesn't work anymore (I think she must have ironed on VERY hot, with no water in it or something). And now it comes time for us to move out and she has bought herself a new microwave and iron and told me I can have mine back! Just to put this in perspective, I have NO money, her husband brings in £400k, yes £400k a year. So we are left to try and afford a new microwave and iron just before xmas and I just completely lost it (in a very english way in my own room haha).

It could be that your sup wants to put you in at the deep end - so you get used to working independently. I think if I hadn't done my masters and jumped straight from undergrad I would have struggled with methodology etc. so it might be worth sitting in on a few MSc research methods modules from another course. I think supervision ranges, but I have supervisor meetings about once every 6 months and email if I come into problems. I am a very independent worker though. I know my supervisor gets really stressed when she has to supervise MSc projects because the students need so much help. Maybe you can ask your sup for some references for good books which will hint to him/her that you are struggling a bit.

i haven't this year cos I'm lazy, but my sup has already phoned me to say she has left a present in my office to pick up :-)

you could always apply for a quant economics project and then actually do what you want when you have the cash!

I would say its best to phone the main supervisor. Emails get opened - put to oneside and then get lost in the long list of things. My sup gets about 40 emails a day at a minimum, so phone would be better. Also, my sup says she likes to see people are keen enough to contact her by phone.

go get the (tree) jinkim - well done for doing so much! I reckon you will wipe the floor with it tomorrow. I'm half way through an hour long interview and he's gone into a rant so must get typing! (gift)

I think if his behaviour is that bad you should definitely speak to your supervisor. Realistically he is doing it because he is probably doing it to counteract his own low confidence, or worries about his project. I have found with people like this - the best way to approach it, is to recommend some 'development', suggest to your supervisor that you are concerned with his interpersonal style and methods of communication and teamwork and think he really needs some feedback on it and maybe some feedback about 'appropriate behaviour at work'. THat will probably get the 'sexual harrassment' alarm bells ringing in your sups head - and will hopefully get some action! - maybe an email, with his sup CCd?

It could be he thinks this is absolutely normal - in which case he needs a kick up the bum.

well done algae! You put me to shame. I haven't started the transcription yet - just been day dreaming and posting on here :$

I must run and do it NOW! its the other halfs bday tomorrow, so I am basically losing tomorrow, thus and friday to moving and an excited 26 (more like 7) year old.