Sounds like a nightmare and I'd have been so angry too! It seems its something most of us have to deal with - this idea that we sit around all day and do bugger all, then write a few pages. As for her comments on the MA!!! WTF????? I worked harder in my MA than I've ever worked before or since if I'm honest lol. Hanging up 3 pieces of clothing? Wish I'd done that MA...... what utter bs! No MA awarded is for something like that.

Well done for keeping your cool as long as you did!

I've just tried via my uni and went straight in without any problems... maybe your institution has changed their settings?

I've just started my 3rd year (well officially will next week lol) and I'm preparing my first paper for publication, I'm hoping it will be published either this autumn or in the spring. There is nothing else in the pipeline right now for 'proper' academic journals although I have been asked to write a paper for publication in an organisation's journal next summer (with the possiblity of writing one a year for them for 4 years....) but then that was part of the agreement for an award they gave me - ie they get a copy of the finished thesis and I also write an article for them.

As everyone else has said a lot depends on the discipline but its certainly not uncommon to not publish at all during your PhD or if you do then its later on when you actually have something to say. In my first year I only wrote up my lit review (now vastly different) and my sources and wouldn't have had a thing to submit, no arguments, no findings, nothing - that came later!

Lmao - id'd for a 3+ game!!!!! Oh dear Sneaks, you must look soo young ;-) I haven't been Id'd in ermmm, well ever! Sob..... and Oi!!!! There's nothing wrong with a good midlife crisis - I'd go clubbing tomorrow if I could find someone to go with! I'd actually quite like to have one - I have been asked if my uni career shows a midlife crisis - errrr no!!! I feel the need for a really good one - they just seem to cost a bit financially so I may have to wait for a while ;-)

Radio 4 is beyond me I'm afraid - eugghhhh - I think though, to be fair, its because my Dad ALWAYS had it on, really loud, at like 4am (he was a milkman) and in the car and everything and being a teenager I hated it with a passion and still do. I must confess to listening to radio 2, not sure how that happened, but I do like Chris Evans in the morning and Steve Wright and I like the discussions with whatisname at midday - the one I can't stand is the guy mid morning with pop quiz, his voice makes me want to commit extreme acts of violence for some reason. I also can't bear it at weekends when they play full on fogey music, especially Dale Winton - is there anyone more annoying on the face of the planet???

I'd say that's perfectly possible - I've read probably around 200 pages today! 75 pages even with highlighting/note taking shouldn't take you more than a couple of hours

Ha ha, oh you're ANCIENT :p Nah, its not 'old' just sensible- I think I first arranged a pension when I was about 22! (that fell by the wayside sadly lol), I also go my first mortgage at 20, again, ex hubby has that now.... sigh......

I'm so proud of your cookery skills! I love making jam and stuff and baking - haven't made jam in a while but its great fun and your own mincemeat??? I bow to your superior skills - we can certainly tell who has a Belford degree and who hasn't!

I wish I was 29 again, if you're not a spring chicken then I must be an old broiler by now! People don't seem to think I'm as old as I am though thank God, most put me early 30s and I'm 40 which is very flattering - that fiver i slip them is worth every penny ;-) I can honestly say though that I don't feel my age, I don't feel much different to how I did in my mid 20s, maybe just a bit calmer and more resigned lol, but its weird - I remember years ago when I was 23 with a new baby a friend who was early 30s saying she didn't feel any different and I couldn't understand it - now I do ;-)

Well done :-) another hoop successfully negotiated :-) Welcome to the 2nd year! (says she, about to enter the hell that is the 3rd year lol!)

It's crazy isn't it! As far as I'm aware you can't appeal if you've accepted the degree but there is a good appeals procedure in place - he can't have been borderline or he'd have been offered that. It sounds to me as though he is griping. Its a very different situation to when you're marked down for what you beleive which should surely be a big no no! Obviously the system is open to abuse, but if this even gets a peek at court then its going to open the floodgates for anyone who feels that they didn't do as well as they hoped to try and sue the unis which is just crazy and is going to create even more red tape. It's going to be like pandora's box with knobs on at this rate! How do you prove as a lecturer that you supervised adequately and how much of the underperformance of the student is down to inadequacies in teaching, and how much to the student either not being capable of a higher grade, or having spent 3 year p*ssing it up in the SU bar??

Ohhhh, now you're talking Ubu!!!! Oh, and a special part of it for a bar of choccie - that is essential too ;-)

Cornflower, lol, I can honestly say that in goodness knows how many years and countless hours in the bath I've only dropped the book once when I fell asleep - and I was heavily pregnant at the time so it kind of landed on a little island lmao - only got slightly soggy round the edges ;-) I've never had a problem - the problem I have is when aforementioned hubby gets a shower..... we have an over bath shower thing and one of those utterly stupid glass screens and for some reason best known to himself he tends to see it as an opportunity to shower the whole flipping room - finding my pile of books and magazines floating in a lake has led to a near divorce experience on quite a number of occasions ;-)

Thanks everyone, it was pretty darned awful at the time, especially as I had no idea that the house wasn't a Buy to Let and that this could happen :-(

PamW I'm sure you'll be fine, the only problem will come in if they see another person registering it as their address for any length of time - I'm not sure of course if its something they do regularly or if its a spot check type thing and my landlord was unlucky - electoral role is a biggie as well obviously. Do be careful with your buildings insurance though - check the terms - if you aren't supposed in it to be letting or sub-letting then if anything happens you won't be covered. It should state it quite clearly in the terms and conditions of the policy. Its something I made my current landlady check out lol - sure enough (no mortgage so no problem that end) her insurance was just the normal type and would have been totally invalid as we are letting from her.

Cornflower, i do hope you have good news on your house - talk about cutting it fine! That would drive me to drink not knowing where I'd be living this weekend!

Oooooh I'm soooooo jealous :p Yes the grass is always greener and being in data collection hell the thought of NOTHING TO do all day is just blissful! I'd have a raving rabbids marathon on the Wii - I'd then have a run maybe or just watch some c*ap tv, baking - always fun, something yummy, oooh I have some decorating to do, could get on with that - its just the thought of being able to do all the stuff that gets put off without guilt - no guilt... imagine that. Claudia - if you're bored I have some data I need analysing, you do that hon and I'll watch tv to save you ;-)

You'll be fine!!! I have this every six months and remember, its a safe place. Your supervisors want you to do well and I'm assured that its fantastic practice for the big day in 3 years time! When they ask you a question take you time, take a deep breath and don't panic. They will help you, but be honest, this is not about you passing or failing as such but an opportunity to get really good feedback on your work and to find out where your weaknesses lie and how to address them. I'm always terrified lol and my last one was pretty full on lol, but its great actually - good experience and really worthwhile :-)

Awww you poor thing :-( As the others have said it'll be ok when you get there and find people to chat with - nothing worse than getting lost somewhere where you don't know anybody and then the hassle over the fees too! Hope you're feeling much better now xxx

Ubu that looks brilliant! The only problems I can see are that the wine glass holder doesn't look quite big enough for my wine glasses ;-) What would be very useful is if you could have interchangeable bits with a mug holder - don't you sometimes just need a cuppa in the bath :-)

Be very careful, both with the insurance people and the mortgage lenders. I ended up having to move out very fast a few years back when the mortgage lender found out that the property was let and they hadn't been informed - they immediately foreclosed on the mortgage and the house was repossessed as a result. As the thing wasn't gone through properly the buildings insurance was invalid too - its a minefield if you don't go down the proper channels. I have no idea how they found out but all I can think is that maybe they were alerted through a paper trail - ie that it was 'my' address on all the state and legal business - ie tax, NI, DVLA, bank etc etc and it shouldn't have been for obvious reasons that I had no idea about. It didn't occur to me that it wasn't kosher and that to protect the landlord (this was through an agency) I should have lied about my address to all and sundry for 2 years!

It sounds like an awful situation, rock and hard place come to mind, but be ultra careful about entering into any form of tenancy unless its all above board - I found out from the tenant's side what can happen in that situation and I was out on the street with 2 kids for no fault of my own so we all lost out - the owner lost the house, I lost my home :-(