I think 99% of the credit should go to DanB...his advice has been invaluable :-X

I have heard you can buy a PhD?

Can I get another gold star?

My god what is happening to my brain...DanB...feel his wrath

:P I like to whinge...as you have noticed...isn't that what a foum is for?


Belford what...mmmm afraid Ive never heard of..?

Thankyou ever so much Sheena. I apologise to everyone for my moaning.

Thanks for the advice it was great. I managed to obtain a top PhD studentship. My advice to other people is don't give up. I was interviewed for 12 different projects before I got an offer. Cheers Postgrad Team.

Hey I would like to thank everyone for their advice.

I got a PhD offer today!!Woo hoo...

Hey thanks for that Sheena. Sorry about my last post I was just getting a little frustrated. I am having a bad day. Not only did I get refused from yet another PhD but i got fined 12 pounds for not paying my credit card bill on time. So, my Nature subscripton ended up costing me 86 pounds instead of 74.

Im never going to give up. I cant afford to do masters though. There is a masters course at my local Uni but the next intake isnt until Jan thus I will miss next years Oct PhD intake. I am thinking about getting a job in industry for a year. But this is a task in itself as it means relocating (no biology jobs where I live)!

What annoys me the most is my friend who is a lazy bastard managed to get a great PhD. He got a 2:1 and opted not to do a year in industry. He did work a year after his degree but the experience he had was far from relevant to what he is going to be doing!

I had best get writing to every single cancer charity in the UK.

Hi Richmond. The University where I obtained my degree takes on very few PhD students. My lecturers advised to apply to places with a good research reputation and that were more research orientated. My lecturers have good contacts but not in the field I would like to go into. I am definatley going to have a word with them. Im just a little bit miffed at why I cant secure a PhD. I don't know what else I can do. Problem is I know what I want to do but can not do it. If I wanted to work in an office or something I would have taken a business degree. I dont I want to be a biologist!!

Thanks for that advice/contact details Mr Chipz. I will try Cardiff and Liverpool.

Masters: Not only can I not afford to do a masters. I have been put off doing one. Many of my friends did masters (at various places) and not one of them enjoyed it or recommended doing it. My brother did a "cowboy masters" in America he said it was okay but that was in teaching.

Hi Dan I can not do a masters as I can not afford and my local Uni does not offer a masters course that I would like to do.

Richmond, thanks for the advice. In some of the interviews I could have been more prepared. Although I have found it very hard to prepare.

In one particular interview I had a day to prepare. The interview was at such short notice as someone had dropped out. Also, at one particular institute I had an interview for 3 different projects. In hindsight I should have swatted up on the project I wanted to do the most.

What would be the best thing to do now to secure a PhD for next year?

Its a total pain in the arse relocating so often.

I am trying to keep some anonymity so I dont want to say but it is between position 80 and 109 in the times leaue table

Hey thanks for the advice. Yes Dan, they responded to me. I was unsucessful, no reason was given. It was another supervisor from a different institute that said the other candidate had more relevant experience.

This is my lifes dream (I changed careers to do this) but I find it very hard to convey this during an interview without sounding crazy!.

I feel totally passionate about my subject. How do i convey this?

The main problem about my interview technique is that I get nervous. My mind goes totally blank, but as soon as I get out I think about all the questions and all the things I should have said and asked.

My placement was a top placement. Do you think it could be the Uni I went to? It is very low in the times league table?

I would love to get work published, if only someone would give me a chance to.

I have been unsucessful at securing a PhD this year. I have a first class degree with an award for best dissertation and a year in industry. My year in industry was in molecular biology. I cannot afford to do a masters. How do I get more "relevant experience"?. I want to work in in molecular biology (cancer research). How are you supposed to get more relevant experience when no one will give you a chance? Sometimes, I think it is used as a cop out. If I am stupid and hopeless I would prefer to be told. Why don't people have the guts to tell me straight instead of fobbing me off with rubbish excuses?
e.g "If there was nothing wrong with my interview technique then why didn't I secure the PhD? Argh!"Oh the other candiate had more RELEVANT EXPERIENCE"

What is my best option for securing a PhD for next year?

Thanks Ann

...the waiting game is awful, fingers crossed for my last chance at a PhD for this year.

Right, Im going to listen to folk music and forget about PhD's for tonight.

Hi, yes I did get feedback from one interview. They said the only reason I was unsucessful was that the other person had more relevant experience (this institute was very friendly).
However, I have felt some institutes have been quite rude. One particular one invited me for an interview (as a student had dropped out)and then said that my CV was not good enough for a BBSRC studentship! They should have not have asked me for an interview in the first place if this was the case!

I do apologise. I am having internet connection problems. I spent ages writing a great reply and lost my message. It looks like I will have to get back to the drawing board.