urgh, that's tough. I went for an exact same interview process with the internal candidate getting it recently - sounds VERY similar.

I would have no idea on questions on topic resolution. Do you have an online moodle type thing - I know some of the lecturers use that to talk to students rather than email? Although sounds like a dodgy lot of feedback - like they desperately trying to find something to pin their decision on. All I know from interviews is never say what you'd actually do, just say what they want to hear.

interviews are stupid things though - well interviewers are, you often have to say the exact phrase they have on their sheet to get a tick against that category. They could have wanted you to say something like "I would investigate whether it was true" or something LAME like that???

Anyway sounds like a stitch up - I'm sure you'll fly through the next one! (up)

allo everyone!

I'm doing RA work again today so..

Goal 1: track down the right data set and create scores

oh sorry KB - had a long day of training yesterday and my brain was/is fried. I think a lot of consultants can be like that. My one informed me of my degenerative spine by bringing around 10 junior doctors and saying "patient X - has degenerative ....." got me to stand up, walk a bit and then said some more mumbo jumbo and walked off Didn't even speak to me!

He does look like a very fat Mario though, so I win!

What are we all doing for Christmas???

I'm working most of the holidays and then spending the actual day at my father in laws - might get in some SPSS work while I'm there as it may be more entertaining 8-)

urgh I hate GPs, they can be complete idiots. Maybe he heard you are doing a PhD and realised you'll be a proper dr and his title is just honorary?

I'd do as others have said, lodge a complaint and in the meantime suss out a sympathetic GP and then stick to them like glue.

======= Date Modified 11 Dec 2010 20:11:25 =======
hey wal, thanks for the offer, I was a bit scared it might mess my office 2010 licence though. I have instead created a beautiful :-x excel gannt chart - you should see the colours! :-x

Anyway, I've forced myself to do the work I put down for today on the chart -and I've just finished it! I'm so pleased with myself :-) :-)

Only another month of freaky work craziness to do and apparently according to 'the chart' I'll have a draft thesis! I'm sure it will all go out the window at some point but feels good at this current moment to have actually finished 2000 words towards my thesis :-)

its tricky - I have a lot of literature and some needs to be scrapped - it all depends on what my final study argues as to what I include - it could go 1 of 3 (or more ways) and it can't all be included. It all comes down to being consistent with the theoretical approach I'm taking and the stance I'm using. If I wander into other stances then it will mean another 20k+ of lit review (there is A LOT out there!).

I'm making a plan today and structure it all around some deadlines. It seems so huge!

has anyone got any idea of any software I can use to plan out multiple timescales/goals?

It seems to be people who've never been to uni that argue along those lines though, those who think degrees are worthless, because they've done better with their experience. i'm not even sure if that type of career path is even open to people any more!?

They're all suggesting that if a degree is an investment in their future they should pay and because you don't pay up front it doesn't stop anyone from doing a degree. hmm

======= Date Modified 10 Dec 2010 12:52:07 =======
8-) double posting again!

I'm on another forum and I'm very much in the minority there. They're all saying that students are idiots and that 'a degree is worth paying for and it won't put people off' and that it will stop people doing 'worthless' degrees. :-s

I'm just SO glad I got my BSc and MSc out of the way before they did this with the fees!

wooooo congratulations!!!!!!!

Thanks for the suggestions. I know I need to start setting myself deadlines. I was thinking back to my MSc and how much work you *can* do if you have a deadline!

In terms of structure - I'm a bit stuck. I need to get my 3rd study written up before I start the lit review IMO (I;ve got a load of literature written, but I need to restructure so it argues a point, rather than just blocks of writing) so I know where the story is going. But the third study has got stalled - I gave my intro, method and results to sup, but she hasn't bothered to read it.

I'm getting on wiht the method (as in the overall methods chapter), but I'm getting so sick of having bits here and bits there and no wad of paper to say 'that's done'.

I'm using 3 days a week to do the RA work with sup - so I'm not really doing that much over, its just taking it out of me - it is a lot of work, so I'm working 3 long days and its all data stuff at the mo so I'm sitting here with a headache from looking at SPSS all day mon-weds this week.

I suppose I need to sit down and draw up a mahoosive list of things to do and proposed deadlines.