I just thought it would be a good idea if all of us newbies had somewhere where we could all ask each other questions/moan/panic/etc together!

I started my PhD a few months ago and this forum has been really helpful so far in calming me down!

So if anyone wants to get the ball rolling.... :-)

hi, I am also a new PhD student. And I am new to the UK too. the 1-year taught portion only starts next week but I am already suffering a bit of reading fatigue...

two chapters of my thesis are due one year down the road..so i am really not going let myself relax too much

meanwhile, i m hoping to have some interesting experiences in this new environment :-)

btw, this forum is sheer great! I really should visit it more often (up)

I think a collective panic section for us newbies is a great idea ;-) I've just had my induction meeting (nice - we got wine, pastries, yummy food and then were expected to understand what the graduate director was talking about lol lol) but its kind of half calmed me down and half freaked me out totally!!! At our uni we have twice yearly supervisory board mini vivas with our supervisor, a chair and another academic for which we have to produce a paper - it is our performance in these which dictates whether we are allowed to continue or not - no pressure!!!!! So basically we're on a constant 6 month trial period...... I suppose in some respects it is helpful in that it ensures constant contact with your supervisor and also ensures a constant work output and supervision of your work by several academics which can only be useful. The Grad Dir did reassure us that booting is very very rare and it is more a case of assisting us and spotting issues early, still, the idea that in January I have to have a paper prepared for submission and then what she said is basically to be viewed as an exam is quite daunting. She said first one is normally a detailed proposal and a lit review so that's ok, I suppose...... I also have arranged my first meeting with my sup for next week, and also have a training course to attend next week so its calmed me down a little in that I will then get the momentum going. I've also enrolled on a course for the spring term. Its an MA module that my sup does that didn't run last year on quantatitive methodology in history which is directly applicable to my thesis and my sup asked that I enrol on it. So....... here we go, hang onto your hats lol.

Oh, and to further put on that tiny bit of pressure, from this year we have a set max of 4 years to submit - extensions only in extenuating circumstances...... not sure if thats the norm or not, but its changed to a definate 3 year min, 4 year max from the date of initial registration so this time in 4 years it WILL be all over unless something drastic happens in the meantime :-)

Hi All

Here's a happy story :)I just started this week. Its been fantastic...my sup was my MSc sup and she is the BEST name in our field...all over summer we've been emailing, every other day, sharing our thoughts around...books, conferences, papers...scholars...not "PHD PhD" stuff but intellectual exchanges...exchanging reflections...there is such a huge deal of intellectual resonance..

We've been meeting all over September in corridors, at conference rooms etc...yesterday in a corridor...she caught me and told me "Excellent proposal!" and today yeah yeah she sent me a project idea from it! Our first meeting is still a week away...

i am so very happy, and when I look back to this April which is when i started writing my MSc dissertation, I read my own writing to see how much I've grown under her wing...so its a happy happy story till now! Lets see what happens ahead...

That sounds really excellent Phdbug! Looks like you've got a great supervisor there :-) What field are you studying in?

Comm Studies!!:-)

Hello ! Here is another panicking newbie !
I am soon starting an Indology PhD.
My panic causes and obstacles are doing the PhD in a foreign country (Germany), and having a small kid !

Newbies, how much has everyone done till NOW? i mean as far as your phd is concerned? How long a proposal do u have and hav u started lit review? do you have any plans in order or sumthng?

:(

I still doing my research proposal... it's taking me way way longer than I ever imagined. Not because it's so hard, but because I'm so unfocused and a huge procrastinator.

hey EV, good luck! Is this the final 10 000 word proposal (if ur uni has the same system as mine does) or is it an extension of the application proposal?

Goodmorning to all of you!
I am a new PhD student as well. I have just started my lit review. It's difficult, as I am based in a foreign country and my university is in London, but I like my subject, my supervisors are wonderful and very helpful, I have already read a lot and I believe I can do it!!!!
Let's hope I WILL do it!
Good luck to everyone

PhDbug it's a bit of a different system here. We don't have to give a proposal with our application, but by the time we get accepted we need to have a proposal ready. It doesn't have a fixed word limit either, a few pages is fine. So I'm doing mine without being sure that I'll get to do my PhD...
BTW I love your nick. What kind of a bug are you ?

hi EV, Hmm are you in france? the spelling of voyageur kind of hints at that....I'm just an ordinary bug! the very inconspicuous kinds that roam around in gardens! Much unlike the deeply philosophical bent of your nick, mine is urrgh so buggish!

i'm actually 3 months into my phd, so i am cracking on with my lit review which needs to be in at the end of this month! (only jas to be about 5000-6000 words though so not too bad)

as for a proposal, i didn't actually have to do one, as my supervisors had already done the proposal before i got accepted to do my phd, so i guess its their project really. i have some scope to add my own ideas but the broad theme of the research has already been decided for me.

No, but close ! In Germany actually. The spelling of voyageur was a bit of a mistake, I wasn't sure how it was spelled corectly, but I started using it in many places and it stuck... and now I think that anyway voyageur looks more travel-ish than voyager, lol.
I like bugs ! I always try to make friends with any I find.
Is any of these a picture of you working on your thesis by any chance ?

http://www.speedysigns.com/images/decals/jpg/H/344/935.jpg
http://www.celticbug.com/Contents/CelticPuterBug.gif
http://www.speedysigns.com/images/decals/140c/H/345/17.gif
http://www.celticbug.com/Contents/CyberBug.gif

And with your degree:
http://www.bayside.vic.gov.au/Images/Bugs0224.jpg
http://www.celticbug.com/Contents/BookBug.jpg