I have been reading Carson McCullers' "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" - I really didn't want this book to ever end! I felt like I'd become part of the characters lives and it was sad to have to leave after a few hundred pages. Shock ending too.

d'oh, sorry.

The online test's not free - it's £26, possibly plus VAT.

If we're talking about Prof.s as opposed to Drs, then I don't think I've come across an arrogant Prof. Arrogant young upstart Doctors (I'm totally not referring to you DrDJW), yes. Prof.s - they're okay...

ditto, that wasn't nice!

Hi DanB, every time I think of your crazed slogan 'working towards a better forum' (pre ban number one) I have a little giggle.

aww thanks. Just spotted that it was actually you who said 'you'll keep it forever', not Pea. Hopefully it'll be here before Christmas.

Well, I bought it, no regrets so far (apart from a slight panic that it might be sitting in our uni second hand bookshop, will check later!). I think the replies were a resounding 'no', I'm not crazy, so thanks, that's what I wanted to hear.

Pea, you're right, I can't imagine selling it once I've finished my PhD even if I know I'll never use it again (unless I'm starving like aliby said). We had to give our annotated GCSE/A-level books back to the school which I found really quite tough to do

Do any of you know if I absolutely have to pay VAT on the books? I've bought a few things from ebay.com before - the ones that came in envelopes (lower value stuff) were tax-free, but I had a biggish parcel (higher value) that came through customs which I had to pay 17.5% on. Does the choice of shipping method make a difference?

(oh, and I had my suspicions about re-requests from the British Library)

I very nearly bid for an ex-library academic textbook on ebay for £250 (including postage from the US and VAT). The book's out of print and I really won't find it cheaper. I've already had it out on interlibrary loan and read as much of the 1600 pages as I could but I'd like to have my own copy to sit next to me, I can't guarantee that I'll read it all again, but would probably dip into it.
Just wanted to know if anyone else would even contemplate this...
(and can I get it on ILL an indefinite number of times or just once? I'm not talking about renewal, separate requests)

Well, I have a nasty rash I'd like you to take a look at...What do you mean you can't? Didn't they teach you anything at medical school?!

It's weird you should mention working in patents - that's the only thing I've seen advertised that I thought I could face doing! (and hey, Einstein did it, but I'm not seriously considering it). Right now I feel like I want to do something easy - I like to sort things - give me a pile of something - anything - to sort and I'd be happy. I want to have a task that I'm capable of achieving without too much brain power so I can go home at the end of the day/week with a sense of fullfilment.

I find myself looking at academic job adverts and thinking that I'd at least like to know I COULD have been an academic, if I don't get my PhD
then it's more difficult to convince myself that I CHOSE to leave it all behind.
The fourth year's tough - when I registered this year the school secretary kept saying 'sure you're just finishing up' and I was thinking I HAVEN'T EVEN STARTED!! Also, although most of my peers are still here, we don't see each other because we're all holed up in our labs so most of the time you feel that you're the only one left, that no-one's ever taken this long to do a PhD before (which is completely untrue!)
Hang in there. My personal inspiration is a veteran Prof I know who told me he didn't get results until the last two months of his project (although I've technically passed this stage, it still gives me hope).

Hey cc, I'm in my fourth year too, and can empathise with some of what you're saying. Some days I just can't face going to uni, but inevitably I do go back, and things aren't so bad. I think I just need a break every now and again - like Matthew82 said, we're not machines, we're human and I think there is a point we shouldn't force ourselves beyond. It's pretty horrible that no-one notices when you're not there, but I guess that's not a new thing, it's just more difficult to deal with now that you feel you could do with some support?
I haven't had a great time during my PhD, and like you have decided that I don't want to stay in academia (probably not even anything related to my subject area). This means that on bad days I find myself thinking 'why bother with the thesis anyway? I tried, I failed'. Other days I really still want to get my PhD.

pah, there's no need for luck! You'll rock! (in a DJ kind of way)

Ask them to do something.