Hi again - is that for an MPhil programme or a PhD? Either way, at our uni you are registered first as an mphil/PhD student and in the second year you are upgraded to full PhD candidate status if you have progressed well enough. It seems to be a fairly normal situation these days - initially you register provisionally and then later on you are upgraded but only if your work is up to standard. From what you've said it would be likely that this would be the case, but its no bad thing, it means that people who find that they aren't cut out for this don't show as failed PhDs and that the uni can spot problems early on.

I'm doing my PhD at the same uni I did my BA and my MA and with the same supervisor too! For me it was a no-brainer, my sup is the leading expert in the field, I know him well, I know the admin, I know the system and I'm comfortable there. For me there would have been no point changing unis as the supervision could only by definition be poorer in some respects. I don't think its looked down on in any way, this is all to do with the project and the supervision rather than the colour of the gown - obviously there are a few institutions we'd all scream in horror at lol, but so long as its a respected one why move? That was my reasoning :-)

Hi again, I have to agree 100% with what Kizzy has said, read that paperwork or the website rules thoroughly and I seriously would contact your new supervisor to discuss it with them as if you get your new job it would be ongoing while you are their student. A fully funded PhD is a totally different animal work-wise to a self funded one and they are paying you a stipend so that you work full time on your PhD - that's the whole point of funding, its to release you from the stress of funding your own living expenses and fees (in theory!!!) As I said, I work as an RA in the dept (my sup is running the project) and so I have flexibility - if he says you need to do x, y and z on your PhD quickly, then he'll tell my line manager that I'll need a couple of weeks off lol! BUT...... a few times I've worked extra hours in a week to make up for hours I've missed through sickness or whatever and the grad director has sent emails to my manager asking why I've gone over the 10 hours and warning her that I am in no way allowed to go over those 10 hours. She's then had to produce evidence that in week ending x I only worked 5 hours so its to make up for that - but she still gets warned off - it really is that strict!
I'm linked losely to the social sciences and have many friends in that area and although you aren't tied to a lab in the same way that you would be doing a science degree you still have a lot of extra stuff to do, things that need time taken out - don't tie yourself up too much or you're going to be spinning plates furiously with a real risk of the lot coming crashing down

We have a very similar system to the one Bilbobaggins mentions. Every six months we have our 'board' where we have to write a paper and are then grilled on it by 3 academics (including our supervisor). Sometimes the questions they ask are bizarre lol! Its very hard going, quite frightening in some ways - you just never know what's coming, but I guess good grounding for the horror that is the viva. Its to ensure that we're writing and on track - its also totally nervewracking as our upgrades and continued study rest on a six monthly assessment. so far I've been ok and they've gone well (the last one was agony) but I know of people who've had to resubmit and eventually leave.... never good. But a good idea all the same - no chance of slacking off and then having to rush at the end lol!

Only four out of 18 of us showed up for our MA graduation! Was really nice though all the same and yes, the pimms!!!! Its the essential part of a graduation party :-) I never drink it any other time but it was there.... so was the wine on tap.... oh dear..... I don't remember getting tipsy after BA graduation but don't remember much about the aftermath of the MA ;-)

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Hope you have a wonderful day - it is a bit odd when you've finished so long before the ceremony - it was like that with my MA - was told my result in Dec and it felt strange 'graduating' - not like the rush of the BA lol. It will be great to get your gown, hood and funny hat on though :-) They are putting up the marquees on campus for our graduations next week and i'm so hoping that maybe in a couple of years it will be me again! Very jealous :-)

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Hi, I'd also worry about burnout but as all the others have said this depends entirely on what the nature of your PhD is. I work 10 hours a week as an RA (two days, 5 hours a day) and it kills sometimes. I find it hard to get going again on those days when I get home as its pretty stressful and tight deadlines and I find that I'm working 7 days a week - 5 days on the PhD, 2 days on RA. I'm not allowed to teach as I'm only allowed to do 10 hours a week (including teaching) and tbh at this point I'm glad that even though I was offered a post my sup put his foot down for me to do that and the RA work and refused permission. I do need to get teaching experience but it's likely to be end of 3rd year stuff which is a shame, but then you can't do everything or your PhD suffers and so do you.

edited to say I've just noticed that you're funded (missed that bit - skim reading - sorry!) in which case its unlikely you'll be given permission. Depending on who provides your funding its normally a max of 10 hours a week - more often 6 hours. I really wouldn't risk doing it without your sup's permission - not wise at all!

I haven't got the heating on but I wish I did! It seems like us students are a cold blooded lot lol. I live in the South East too but the last couple of days have been chilly - we live right on the coast (can see the sea) and it tends to be much cooler than inland - I hate the cold - I was shivering earlier and felt rough so thought maybe I had a temperature, grabbed the thermometer and I was clinically hypothermic - what's that about??? Its July for heaven's sake! I'm stuggling to get my temp up to 36C! Having said that... heating... what's heating? We have no central heating to speak of and only a couple of open fires and some ridiculously small radiators - add that to a timber frame and you FREEZE! I'm so dreading the winter again :-( Oh, and I'm another for electric blankets lol ;-)

On the monthly payments, I'm not sure it works out that much cheaper, but at least you know what you're going to have to pay rather than nasty bills. If at the end of the year you're in credit its either paid back if its enough or simply carried over and your payments drop. I've paid this way for years as there's nothign worse than a stonking great bill just after Christmas!

The stipends here sound wonderful!!! I'm on a scholarship (well, two) and have my fees paid but my scholarships pay a total of just under £6k a year! I also work part time as an RA which pays me slightly less than £6k so I'm getting there lol, but I know that full time RA or RO in our uni pays between £25-31K at which point I'll consider myself very well off! I think that sometimes you have to just start low and work up, but you have far more experience in some ways having done the PhD - its swings and roundabouts I guess. No point looking at what others are earning and trying to catch up with them - it may be that they have a ceiling that is lower than yours, but if not you've had the experience of doing the PhD :-)

I can't help out with valium but I could send you a brown paper bag to breath into :-) I haven't heard of anyone failing their phd due to typos :-) Good job really or we'd all be up that well known sticky brown creek without a paddle - now BREATHE!!!!!

Lmao Satchi :-)

Yes SM, we don't tell fibs about these things :-) Perfectly true - 3 years PhD and 1 year completion - some don't need the completion year, most do.

Cambridge I'm sure is good too but there's more to this than that - its about maintaining your professional integrity and making a good name for yourself rather than upsetting senior academics at this stage in your career which could well happen if you don't tell the whole truth or if you are seen to be unreliable or not committed. You know that's not the case, but its how it could well look.

That's terrible!!! The trouble is, that if its in the inventory and its not there then when you move out you will be billed for the bed! As the others have said get some advice, then go for it - if its there in writing he cannot withold it from you - and in my experience agents are the agents of satan rather than houses ;-) Don't let this go, you need it secured, you need a bed, but don't stop paying your rent, certainly not without advice, that is always asking for trouble :-/

It sounds perfectly reasonable to me to be spending out a third of your income on rent and utilities - flipping cheap actually! I spend a FAR larger proportion of mine (but then I have 3 kids and a husband and need a house). Our rent doesn't include our utilities/council tax/water etc etc etc - I hate to say it but you'll have to get used to it - that's life....

OMG that's fast!!!! I thought you'd have a couple of months - hey Chris, better sooner than later, get it over with, be Dr Chrisrolinski and spend the summer lounging in the sun rather than re-reading the thesis for the millionenth time ;-)

DanB - you always have to rub it in that you're a Belford graduate - you think that makes you better than the rest of us - huh? huh? :p Just cos you can now do origami while shearing a sheep - well I'm going to do a degree in chicken whispering!