Hi all,

Just a quick question, for people in their write up year/extension year- were you still provided with desk space, access to university sources?

I'm probably going to lose my desk space (as new staff are starting and I don't exactly have priority of a desk as it's made clear to me that I'm only a student). I just curious to see what peoples situations are like in terms of extension year or write up year.

It's a shame as I've got rather used to having this office and unit as a base but I've been made to feel that I don't deserve to have a desk if I'm in a write up year.

I probably could work from home during write up year. I probably don't actually need a desk here, but I'm probably going to be asked to leave to allow for new members of staff to set themslelves up.

What are peoples thoughts?

Hey Pineapple!

Oh yes, I'm in the same position as you - I have to clear my desk space by the end of August for the newbies. I can understand why they need the space, but I've already turned into a hermit spending my life in my office (I worked out yesterday that I haven't even seen the living room of my house for nearly a week), and it would be nice to be able to go and, y'know, physically be in the presence of other people. Plus, having to work from homw is causing major probs with my housemate who seems to think that as I work from home and she has a job that I should clean up after her.
(she tried a phd and failed, but still argues that her job is harder than my phd, yes dear)

Hi Pineapple,
I think this sounds like your department aren't looking after their students properly. If they are committed to supporting and completing PhDs then they should support you for the duration. I understand space and resources are limited, but it is not unusual for PhD students to need the writing up year (hence why it exists); and this is a time when peer and sv support can be most important. I don't like the "only a student" perspective; PhD students are a vital part of most reserach teams and shouldn't be treated as second rate to official staff. Oooo, I could get quite worked up on your behalf!
In my team people writing up keep their own desks until after viva. We don't seem to have a lot of new staff and it's quite a small team so maybe the demand is just a lot lower. PhDs who have gone on for several years of writing up after the original 3 years tend to lose their "own" desk, but as far as I know still have access to all necessary library/electronic resources.
I hope this doesn't impact your work too much, good luck

======= Date Modified 12 Aug 2009 12:20:10 =======

Hiya

Many thanks for your message.

Throughout my almost three years whilst staying in this department, I've always felt like I'm an outsider. I'm the only official student here at the department. Other staff members are doing PhDs, but I'm the only official student here.

I've always had one particualr member of staff who used to constantly say things like 'your only a student' and when she talks about me to other staff (in my ear shot) she used to say things like 'she's only a student'. It is this member of staff who is returning from maternity leave and is probably going to take my desk space.

As a result, I've been made to feel that I don't deserve to have this office space and that I should have to defend my reasons for wanting desk space! They've already moved me three times since I've been here! Something doesn't feel right here anyway- so thanks for confirming my general feelings about it all. I bumped into a senior member of staff earlier on today who basically made it clear that there's a strong likelihood that I'll be evicted to allow for other members of staff, she said they've had several discussions about it. Which basically makes me feel very unsure about whats going on and I'm feeling a little unsure about it all. I don't think I need more things to worry about or think about when I'm so close to finishing off the more demanding analyses stuff.

My PhD is completely unique within my field and basically poses a challenge to all of the projects as currently undertaken within this department- so I think it's important in that regard. But, I've been made to feel by some members of staff that as I'm *only* working on a PhD, it is not as important as other projects! Just because it is a PhD project, doesn't mean that it is less important than other projects here surely?

In any case, I'm at a really critical stage and the thought of being uprooted from everything, supportive friends within the department, lack of access to my work computer and programmes that I'm relying on for my analysis is not exactly helping matters! :(

======= Date Modified 12 Aug 2009 13:04:50 =======
I'm always amazed how things differ between departments, let alone between different universities. You'd think they'd recognise that you need desk space more than ever now. Things here are not too bad. I have my own office, which obviously means I can shut my door and get on with things, and it looks like I can keep it into my 4th year, so I'm pretty happy on the whole.

May be have a chat with your PG director about what can be done?