There is one way to make your proposal good. Get your referees to review early drafts (unless of course you're aiming to stay in the same uni), but then ask the potential supervisor for comments. It is quite common to work with the prospective supervisor to put together a proposal to put before the funding panel. Brown-nosing is good so long as it is subtle - it gets you known and this really helps when they're sifting applications. All this brings back memories of when I went through this last year. I thank my lucky stars it all actually worked.

Schucks. Tricky beat me. I just get 18,200,000 for my troubles.

Wow! I thought I was under pressure! I'm doing my fieldwork overseas so my next few months comprises the literature review and devising a methodology. This isn't much time and I'm already behind my self-imposed deadlines. Just had a sup meeting today, and I always feel a whole lot better about things after one of those. I suspect that may change as the PhD nears it's end.

This is a strange one. I keep disciplining myself for not achieving my self-imposed deadlines by working longer hours. Last Saturday I spent reading in the library and spent all day Sunday marking undergraduate essays. Suffice to say, I haven't had a day's rest for nearly 2 weeks and I'm feeling pretty knackered and worn out. So I'm doing nothing (workwise) this weekend!

I do tutorials for 2 first year groups and I'm recommended to spend no more than 1 day per week fulffiling all teaching, marking and prep work. I'm quite comfortable with this although I really hate the marking. The teaching though is wonderful. Definitely one of the most enjoyable parts of the job, and now I'm hankering after doing the odd first year lecture too, if they'll let me.

Me neither, so let's call it quits and let me win.

Welcome back Donut (Strawberry Attack). I do remember you!

That's right, I'm actually a computer-generated character who merely responds to PhD questions. I'm not real at all.

Booo!

I'm going Old Skool tonight, so I'll be enjoying the sounds of:

The Bassheads - Is There Anybody Out There
N-Joi - Anthem
New Atlantic - I Know

Now Eric, the dart player, you need 4 to win the star prize.

That's 1
That's 1
That's another 1.

100. Sorry you lose. That's the gamble, 101 in 6 darts.

Come and have a look what you would have won. It's a speed boat.

We'll see you next week on Bullseye.

Treble 20, that's 60
19
18

That's 97!

Best of luck to you. None dart player to throw first, 101 with 6 darts.

Yes Jim, we're going to gamble.

So Eric and Doris. Are you going to gamble the £30 you've won against the star prize?