I think we work longer hours at my institute than in the university departments - but maybe this is because we're not in the city centre so you can't just pop off to the shops or out for a long lunch break.

As has already been said, some people come in early and leave early, some come in late and leave late, some come in early and leave late. Very few come in late and leave early! I normally get in between 9 and 9.30, and leave at about 6, but sometimes I'm in at 8 because of some hideous experiment. I think my 9.30-6.00 hours are less than the average for PhD students here, but I've decided it's my life and I'm not going to be bullied/peer-pressured into doing more than I want.

Talking shop on nights out? I try to change the subject when my colleagues talk about work at lunchtimes, even when we work on the same thing. Some people really need to get a proper separation between work time and non-work time.

Is there any possibility of getting an extension to your funding? This would be the best situation - getting money FOR writing up.

Sorry if this has already been discussed - I couldn't see a topic with a title that seemed relevant, but I know how these things tend to wander.

Do discussions get deleted if they're inactive for a while? Maybe that's why I can't see a previous discussion of working hours.

I'm in my first year of a lab-based PhD. How long am I supposed to be working every day? And should I be working weekends? How long does everyone here spend at work each week (with/without breaks)? Everyone in my institution seems very keen, but I'm not convinced that people in other places are quite so work-crazy.

Hope your interview went well.

I would say that a full suit would be too formal for an interview in the sciences in the UK. Most people are pretty scruffy most of the time. I wouldn't go any further than a smartish skirt/trousers with a shirt and/or jumper - no tie.