How do people find the forum, but not the site?

I don't understand the problem, you haven't had any offers yet. Just apply to both and if you get offers from each uni then you can decide between them.

You could phone the research office.

It does depend on the degree, mine is a particularly intense one.

So way did I have the time work (even during the holidays) during my masters until now that I'm doing my dissertation. It was non-stop work work work until then.

That's like saying someone needs to go into space to be a good physicist....don't do a PhD in biochemistry of you really want to go into law! :/

I'm not implying that self-funded PhDs are second best and I don't see how that could be inferred from my posts. My point is exactly what you said Smilodon, getting a PhD offer is just one half of the application process and often the easiest part.

I don't order food. I know how to cook that and other basics but I don't eat pasta and don't always feel like eating noodles and it still costs especially with the inflation. Even shopping at Alda isn't cheap anymore.

I interpreted

"Funding looks like it may well be a problem.
My intention is to start part-time and self-fund and then to transfer to full-time once I can secure funding. Most, not all, of the Universities I have contacted have said this is possible, but finding funding isn't easy once you have started a PhD."

as you already have been searching.

I and others already explained why it's poor advice many times: it's isn't difficult to get accepted onto a self-funded PhD and it hasn't worked until you get funding, which you haven't got and you admit it might be a struggle. If you don't understand that, it'll hit you if it doesn't work out (ie - You don't actually know if you're going to do any of those PhDs, the offers aren't secure). I don't understand why that's hard to understand.

Chill...I identify with you, I'm going through the same thing (although I cope with it better but everyone's different).

There's loads of TV online, check out the sites of different channels, youtube, surf the channel, tudou and youku.

I don't have the problem of being on my own during summer because all my flatmates are postgrads. We're not close but it's nice to chat to them when I see them in the kitchen. What has kept me going was remembering how much money I invested (and will have to pay back) and that doing well will improve my future prospects. I always reminded myself: short term pain for long term gain. Just one year of hell for a more blissful life (hopefully).

Yes it's the uni of Manchester. I always avoid the refractory after getting food poisoning from there. It is very expensive and the food taste like crap!

In science as the final year often involves no lab work then you can write it up where ever you want.

So if you're criticised it seems we must be bitter? I'm obviously not criticising you for stating your offers, it's the patronising remarks about how so easy to get accepted, not having a masters and the poor advice. No one mentioned anything about importance, that's your twist on words, but as you're being unsuccessful with funding, then the offers does seem less important than ones with funding secured.

As someone else don't gloat until you actually have something to gloat about.I would have sympathised with you about the funding situation if it wasn't for you proclaiming that unlike the rest of us you discovered the key to acceptance.

Check out the number of publications and the journals these were published in.

I had a similar experience during my undergrad. If you haven't already you need to raise the issue with your supervisor and make it clear no matter what you do the experiment just doesn't work.