Im going to be interviewed by Professors Tony Dickenson and Christine Orengo at UCL pharmacology dept. Any idea what to expect at the interview? Its a 4-year course, and I don't think they are particularly looking for people with a very specific background (the advert said people with physics or chemistry degrees were also invited to apply) so I don't think I will have to demonstrate too much specific knowledge. I'm expecting general questions about what I've done and what I hope to achieve,....that about right? Pretty nervous.

So, Ive been offered an interview for a Phd in the Bioinformatics of Pain research...its going to be the first interview I've had....any tips? Also,..its only 15 minutes long, is that normal? Or does it suggest that they are churning through hundreds of applicants like the X factor?

...Also, does anyone know much about the London Pain Consortium? Should I land the position, once the Phd was completed, could I refer to myself as a "Doctor of Pain"...it could be a deal breaker, should I get an offer.

Thanks for the advice; I think I may have to resort to something pretty desperate if I am going to stand a chance. There is not a lot on my CV to make me stand out. Getting my keks off may well be my only option.

Hi,

Can anyone give me any guidance as to what sort of thing is appropriate to put in a covering letter (when applying for a PHD) that will impress PHD supervisors? What is the normal thing to do? Presumably I need to explain what interests me about the topic, but do I present this as a kind of lit review? I'm confused as to what is expected, and the sort of length that is appropriate.

Brilliant, thanks for that.

Good plan, but I just want to make sure the info isn't available in a really obvious place that I have missed and make myself look like a bufoon.

Probably a stupid question, but I can't find project start dates for a lot of the projects listed on this website, any ideas? I want to apply for projects starting in the next academic year. I don't want to ask if the information is available to me somewhere, but I can't find it. I know: If I can't even find that out on my own, I shouldn't be considering a PHD, etc!

If, on the other hand, they have their PHD on the back-burner and are not really putting enough into it, while living the high life on a studentship that a well to do student could be getting, then I think its a problem. Basically, everything hinges on how well they are doing. If they are doing poorly, I assume that questions would be raised as regards to why. If it was because they weren't commiting enough time, and they had a job that contravined the Terms & conds, then I imagine there'd be trouble.

In summary then: theres only a problem if it can be noticed by the effect on their work.

If they can succesfully juggle both, then they must be hard working intellegent and organised. If that is the case, then I think they deserve the extra money they are getting. If they can complete their PHD to a higher standard than someone who is not working (either because they use their smaller portion of available time more wisely, are more intellegent or just work harder) then it is "fair" for them to be getting at least as much for their studentship.

They are out and about around the end of the summer. They make little nests close to the ground and can also spin little webs that catch the wind so they can fly about. To be honest, they are probably still about, but I don't spend so much time scrabbling about on the floor looking at creepy-crawleys.

Money spiders are tiny little red spiders. They hung around in groups and to the untrained eye, looked a bit like red ants. The myth went that if you let them crawl on you, you came into money.

This thread has really got me thinking: Plum pudding was a regular feature of my youthful diet. Now, I struggle to remember the last time I set eyes on it, let alone ate it. It must be over 10 years ago. Has Plum pudding dissapeared from the British menu, or just my mothers cookbook?

Other things that were around in my childhood that have now dissapeared include:

White dog poo
Non-motorised Go-Karts. (when do you ever see kids peddling about in these, these days?)
Money spiders

Anyone seen any of these things about recently? Is it my imagination, or have they actually dissapeared?

Good question.

Basically, what you need to do is ask the question, then wait a little while....if no-one knows, ask the same question again.

Maybe they offered the position to someone else, but didn't want to burn their bridges, should said person say no. This person may have been waiting on offers from somewhere else, in a similar way to the hold-ups caused by other deals when you are looking for a house. Or maybe they just put your file on their desk, and the secretary noticed it whilst cleaning up and thought to drop you a line.

Sure, its not always men who won't talk (but probably more often than not). I think the problem is that it is drummed into us from so many places that in order to maintain a healthy disposition, we need to talk about things. This doesn't help the private, insular, deep thinkers like myself and H.

I know that the sanctuary of my brain is not somewhere where anyone else is always welcome. I am willing to give the odd guided tour as and when I see fit, but I am not happy to give anyone else a set of keys.