Congrats Pallas, that's really good to hear :-) Hope you get to celebrate this weekend!

Soarus, don't do yourself down - you ticked their boxes yes, but you also had to stand out academically in the first place to get as far as the competition, and no matter how many boxes you ticked, if they didn't consider you a solid cert to do well they wouldn't be piling oodles of cash on you8-) Well done, please have a drink on me lol when you're celebrating!!

That is brilliant Lucia - really pleased for you!!! What a result!!

Hi, I just want to second what the others have said, please don't worry!! You'll be just fine :-) I'm also coming to the end of my MA and its been more how to keep to the word count without going crazy amounts over than managing to scrape together enough words! You need to break things down a bit - you already know how to structure an essay, so you just need to structure things that bit more - these extended essays tend to end up as being a few essays in one. I know when I did my BA dissertation I literally wrote 4 essays and linked them all as you have the joy of chapters ;-) I'm also doing the same for my MA, I couldn't cope with sitting down and having 20K words to do so I have broken the topic down and am writing what is basically four 5K essays, all linking together. It really is ok as you have so much to say and go into things so much deeper at MA that you end up having no problem fulfilling word counts. Relax and enjoy it 8-)

Brilliant new Lucia :-) Really pleased for you! Do I take it that you have already completed one year of your Phd if you're funded for two years? That is great news!

Wanwan, I'm soooooo sorry :-( I'm glad you can continue, but getting that letter really is the pits. It does sometimes seem so unfair. Not taking anything at all from those who've been successful of course, but the cut in funding this year has meant that so many more really excellent students have been dropped in the brown stuff from a great height :-(

Oh - the AHFF forum is gone - it was there a minute ago - what's happened???

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so pleased for you, that is brilliant news!!!!!!!8-)

Really really sorry to hear that dmHarry - they don't seem to like us panel 4s do they :-( Gutting!!! Really feel for you xxxx

As for the envelope - a nice 'normal' size envelope - the ones that you fold an A4 sheet into 3 to get it into with the details of the AHRC on the back flap - nice - tasteful - with one of those 2nd class preprinted things onto the envelope so they don't have to frank or even lick a stamp! Its a joy to behold - NOT!!!!!!!!!

Omg, this wait is killing me!! Yes I know that I know, but you guys don't and I'm waiting with you til the bitter end lol - I need to let out some cheers - or offer a shoulder - I just hope I don't have to do much of that :-)

Lol at the identities - well, I'm on all 4.... facebook, here, Grad U (but not much) and Alice's too :-) and yep, I have a different name on each of them lol lol lol - well, fb and Alice's are the sameish... I've been wondering who is who as well - I think I've got a few sorted now!!...

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Altogether now - adopt the lotus postion, shut the eyes and chant ohmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :-)

Seriously though - as I said earlier, this is just not on at all :-s How can they justify this - it's causing so much upset, anxiety and concern and, I think it could quite feasibly be argued that it is potentially damaging the prospects of those who are still working for their MA!! How can you concentrate and give it your all when you're so worried and waiting waiting waiting?? It can do nothing other than prey on your mind and that is wrong! Ok, so you get a rejection it throws you completely - I found out last Wednesday and today is the first day I've been able to sit down and get on again - its taken me that long to get my head sorted enough to contemplate it, what happens if you don't hear til a fortnight before submission??? - dragging this out is just so awful. For those of you, and I'm hoping its ALL of you left who get an award even then you're going to be 'distracted' for a few days!!

GoingNuts, that is just absolutely ridiculous!! I can't believe that an organisation as big as the AHRC can't simply generate and send letters (or, as has been said emails!!) as soon as they are generated.
If organisations such as the examining boards can generate tens of thousands of results, all dispatched to arrive simultaneously at schools across the country, and universities can likewise have exam results posted to thousands of students (albeit online in my case) at the exact time to the hour that they predict will be the case, why can't the AHRC with just over 3K letters to generate do a mass mail shot in the couple of days after the decisions are made - get them into envelopes and post together within a week of the results? The only applicants who would miss out are those on the reserve list - they can be informed of that - there must be 50-100 max!
Crazy, crazy, crazy!!! I just feel so badly for all of you :-(

I really feel for you all still waiting - its a total nightmare! :-( I know its no consolation, but it does appear that they are getting them out faster this year than last - but when you consider that its been nearly a month since the decisions were made the fact that they still can't get their backsides into action and get letters out faster is just totally out of order :-s

I've known 5 days now and although I'm still nowhere near happy and in limbo again waiting for the uni this time, at least I'll know as soon as they do!

The thing is, if its positive then you could have missed out on housing or whatever, and just so stressed out and upset by now that yes, it will be wonderful but you're so emotionally exhausted you can't enjoy the moment so much, and if its negative... well, weeks of stress and waiting just to be let down.

I just hope (and I do mean that genuinely) that all of you waiting will get some good news - you deserve it so much and I'm rooting for you all xxxx

Pamplemousse - I'm so very happy for you - well done! That is just brilliant news :-) Relax and enjoy your weekend now.

I do feel for you all still waiting... having said that, feeling like I feel right now I'm not sure what I'd prefer!!

Thanks everyone for your support, it is so appreciated, nobody I don't think can understand what we're going through right now unless they've been there - if one more well meaning member of my family says 'its for the best' or 'never mind, you can't change it' I'm sure I'm going to swing for them!:-s

I spent all of yesterday swaying wildly between being ok, then I'd think of it for a second and break down again. The uni are trying to sort something out for me, but yet again I'm waiting to see what can be done :-( They are brilliant and I'm just so incredibly lucky to have such incredible support from my dept, I just feel really frightened right now that the dream may be over - tescos is calling :$

Still I have to concentrate now on getting the MA finished - i can't even look at it right now - its just too upsettig.

I had mine about 2 mins after posting - I've been rejected - level 3 Panel 4 - I'll post later when I can talk, just too upset to say anything constructive now - feels like its all over

Congratulations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm really really pleased for you :-) that's just brilliant news.