Hello there...

I got a 2ii MEng in Chemical Engineering but still really what to a PHD. I went through some really bad depression at Uni and really messed up some exams....

Can any help? Is there anyone out there who got a 2ii as well but still manged to get onto a PHD course in Engineering or the chemical or biochemical sciences?

I got onto a PhD in phytochemistry with a 2:2; I'd worked in industry for a while, and in a uni lab for another 2 years. They decided that my experience made up for the lower class degree. It helped that I'd done some freelance publishing; if you can write something (anything really) and get it published, that may make all the difference - not necessarily in a journal, a magazine or paper will do for now.

Also: two members of an adjoining group (both now postdocs) got a 2:2 and a 3rd respectively, and one of those is now the leader of the group. After a couple of years people won't care about your grade anymore!

Thanks for the advice, defo given me hope..Thou looking back would you have done a Masters?

If I'd had the funding or personal finances, yes, but I would have done a research Masters, not a taught one. My firm was supposed to be funding a part-time Masters but it went bankrupt (not cos of me I add...) - but if you are short of funds you may want to try working and asking the firm to pay for your Masters as part of staff development.

Otherwise you can probably do a crappy job 2-3 days per week and fund yourself on a Masters/MPhil the other 2 days - part time fees are around 700-800 per year depending on the research.