2 problems:

1) In my subject area, pretty much everything looks interesting (enough to study intensely for several more years). There are areas which I have less experience in, so it would be a greater learning curve to do postgrad study in - but I've never minded this. How does a potential postgrad even begin to pin down the topics to apply to?

2) In the subject areas I'm less familiar with, I can barely understand any papers about. Obviously I've read into sub-topic areas of my field as much as possible, but some potential lecturers' online sites re: research areas are like gobbeldygook! What I do understand look very exciting, but how am I supposed to contact potential lecturers when I can't even hold a conversation about their research areas?

Lol so I take it everyone understood every area of their field that they looked at for postgrad study right away

Seriously, when you wanted to do, say, a phd in the field of psychology - did everyone just understand the subfields you read the papers on enough to hold a conversation with a fellow postgrad/lecturer on the subject? It all just seems like such a steep learning curve (as interesting as the papers are it's quite frustrating having to look up the definition of words in order to understand each sentance of a paper :( )

Maybe I'm not suited towards postgrad study....

Don't let that put you off. Seriously

I've completely changed fields - got a degree in neuroscience and am doing a PhD in cardiovascular stuff! (although there are probably a lot of central concepts that apply to both areas!)

What field are you in?

Hi Kaeli,

I just started my PhD and I had similar problems when I was looking. I saw loads that I thought sounded interesting, but when I started to really think about them there were just a couple that I thought I really want to know more. I also looked at who would be my supervisor. If your supervisor is really high in their field chances are they will be really busy and you may have to stand on your own two feet more. Some lectures like to spend as much time as possible in the lab. Some have lots of projects running at one time. Try thinking about what you want from a supervisor and this may cut out some of the potential projects.

Good luck!!!

Hey, nmy first degree is in psychology and i'm doing my PhD in cognitve neuroscience. I'm going to be honest - the comptetition is tough. If you seriously can't understand the papers, then you are not at the stage to be contacting potential supervisors, as you will jst be wasting their time. At the better universities I think you would struggle, so go for something you are actually good at. What area are you interested in, and where were you thinking of applying?