I agree with TheAce - "Your PhD Companion" is a pretty useful book. Outlines some of the main problems/difficulties you will face, but without going into too much detail. If you want detail just ask around the department.

As fas as help with the application and proposal, you can probably find what you need on the web or on the website of the uni that you are applying to. This link to Nottingham uni seems to give fairly good advice: http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/business/phd/Proposal.html

It would be a good idea to be in contact with prospective supervisors before or while you are making your application.
Good luck!

Thanks everyone for all your posts. They are very reassuring. My supervisor has suggested we write out a plan for the PhD after easter so that too will be very helpful for my particular case.

For parts 1, 2 and 3 I let them build up for a little while then assign a midweek afternoon to do it. These kinds of things easily eat up hours without me noticing (especially with the massive post office queues!) so I give them a few hours to be sorted out. Seems to be working so far and it avoids getting bogged down with them while trying to work/relax.

What about clothes washing and cleaning, etc? Thankfully I have a desk at uni, but whenever I am at home I spend so much time fussing about housework I dont get anything done.

Cheers guys.
I like the paper because it is true!
I know that I'm not being lazy really, I put in my hours during the week and generally don't waste too much time when im in uni so I can rest when I'm not. I'm going to be be spending a considerable amount of time on a train with one of my supervisors soon so I will have a chat with him about it. I was a bit unsure as to whether I should or not, but if you guys think it is best then i'll give it a go.

I was having a think and realised it was the meeting reports that freak me out. I feel like I have to have something new, or at least a graph of something, for them to be worthwhile to the supervisor and so far this time I have nothing.
Do you guys have to do this? What do you do if you have been learning something new or unrelated (e.g. I need to learn CAD at some stage) and haven't really got anything to show?

Thanks again for the help

Hello All,

This is about the 5th time i've started writing a post, but not finished it because I felt like an idiot. anyway, this time I am going to post it.

I am about 10 weeks into my PhD and don't really seem to know what I'm doing. I keep asking people in the department if this is normal and they keep saying yes, it's fine, but im not sure whether they are just being nice. I did my undergrad (BSc) in Physics at a top 10 uni and I have to admit that I was a little lazy, didn't do much work at all but managed to get a good degree and went straight to the PhD telling myself that I was capable, just lazy. I like totally emersing myself in a project and hate exams so it's perfect really. The first month went fine, but now i seem to have lost a bit of momentum, my supervisors have left me to my own devices recently and Im slipping back into lazy mode.

So my question is: Honestly, is this normal and what can I do to prevent it?

Thank you very much for reading and I apologise if you have read this post a billion times before.

Yes, It will be slightly biased, but I couldn't think of a better place to ask and I have a feeling PG forum will be less biased than an Actuarial forum. Looking at other threads, most posters on this forum seem fair and logical.

I realise they are both very different choices and I would love to do both, but i have a feeling studying for actuarial exams and doing research would end up with me being sectioned.

I suppose my main point for anyone doing a PhD is:
With the benefit of hindsight, would you still do/have done a PhD or go into work?

Trainee Actuary or funded Engineering PhD?

if you were offered both, which would you do?