Hi, just a little update after my numerous posts worrying about my undergraduate results and potential prospects - I got my results yesterday (a few days earlier than expected) and I got a First!!! I was working towards it in my final year but was still very doubtful, but obviously now I am absolutely thrilled, relieved and looking forward to starting my MSc (same university) in September. Its still sinking in, I still don't see myself as a first class student but I guess I am!

I would really love to do a PhD after my MSc, ideally at the same university although I would consider moving if the opportunity arose. On the website for the School there are 2 studentships advertised for this academic year, I won't be applying this year as I am doing my MSc but if they are advertising them this year, is there a good chance that there would be 2 vacancies next year as well? Also are they more likely to give the place to someone applying from outside or someone who is a current student?

I really don't know a lot about studentships at all so would really appreciate any knowledge/advice. All I really know is that I want to do a PhD (for an academic career), and I am trying to decide the best way to go about studying for one, and getting a supervisor/funding.

Thanks, Natassia x

Congratulations on your result. I hope you can relax a little now.

Regarding your query about the studentships available this year, and their likely availability next year, I would say that in general funding patterns vary from year to year anyway - this year's studentships may have been made avaialable for a specific project/research programme. They might not be running next year. The current economic situation makes it even harder to second guess.

There shouldn't be any reason why an internal candidate should be favoured over an external. Each should be judged on merit. That said, it is easier to have a more in depth awareness of the merits of an internal candidate, so they may on average be more successful with applications, but it shouldn't be the case that they are favoured just because of that.

It's definitely worth planning well for your career and thinking about the future, but to be honest if I were you I would just sit back and enjoy the post-results glow, and not get too caught up in thinking about PhD funding and supervisors until you actually start the masters, when you'll be in a far better position to make enquiries anyway.

Well done.(up)

Hey Natassia, congrats on the first!! I know technically for a masters or a PhD people only usually ask for a minimum of a 2.1, but in my own experience a first can certainly be beneficial when it comes to searching for funding- my own PhD is funded by a scholarship that I certainly wouldn't have stood a chance of winning with less than a first. If you would like to stay at the same uni for your PhD, I would advise that you let the relevant supervisor know towards the beginning of your masters that you want to do a PhD in their area (are you hoping to have the same supervisor for the masters and PhD?). You will need to start applying for PhD funding quite soon into your masters, so the earlier you sit down and talk to the potential supervisor, the better. I spoke to my masters supervisor just a few weeks into the course and told her I was interested in doing a PhD in that area (under her supervision), and it gave us plenty of time to put a proposal together and get it sent off to various places- we actually had more than one offer for funding in the end. It's always good to get in there first too- there were plenty of people wanting to be supervised by my MSc/PhD supervisor but most of them only approached her much later on when it was too late to arrange for funding. I wouldn't read too much into the number of studentships advertised this year, funding opportunities fluctuate yearly, and some years there are certain scholarships up for grabs too, you will just need to see what is available for your year and go for it. Your potential supervisor will certainly guide you on that one. Although perhaps it shouldn't be the case, I would tend to think that if there are two candidates who are pretty much equal on terms of most things, the internal one is probably more likely to be offered a place, simply because they are known to the university and the supervisor, and people like to deal with known quantities. Anyway, with your first and a hopefully a good masters and PhD proposal, you should be in with a very good chance when it comes to the funding. Best of luck, keep us posted, KB

Thank you both for the replies, I've started doing some reading for my MSc so that I am more prepared for approaching potential PhD supervisors (I have a few in mind where I am and am also looking at others elsewhere) and writing a proposal. I know that the MSc course is going to go very quickly and be very intense once it starts so I'm going to start thinking about it now so avoid some of the stress come September.

Regarding studentships, without talking to anyone about this I presumed that if anything I would be less likely to get a studentship as a current student; I thought that they would want to give somebody else a chance to study there, providing that they thought the candidate was suitable. I have heard that they are looking for more doctoral students so hopefully similar opportunities would be available next year once I have completed my Masters.

I really want to get started now but I think the next couple of months I have off will be useful as well...I need to get my head around all of this properly and organise myself so that I have a better idea of what I want to research etc.

I was just going to do some general reading as I have had books recommended to me by the professor, but is there anything else that I should be doing that would give me the 'edge'? I'm getting a bit too settled into not studying and really need to get back into it, I have the motivation but its all a bit daunting at the moment!

Thanks, Natassia x

Natassia, relax a bit too! Take some days off, plan a break :-)

(This comes from a workaholic who hears these very words thrown at her by everybody)