Hey everybody out there,

I guess tomorrow a lot of people are starting their PhDs. Just wanted to wish everybody a good start! Hope to meet a lot of you in the next weeks in the real world as I'm starting myself tomorrow.

Best of luck,

Podge

Good luck! Have fun :-)

Crikey, i guess it means i have been at this for a year now. Jeez... That's a little bit scary.

Best of luck everybody !

I start mine today too, thanks for the luck and good luck to everyone else too =)

Hey,

did everybody have a good start?
Had a good day and found out that I'm not the only one in the department starting today. Really glad, cause I don't feel completely alone now. :)

Agree with above

Aww, good luck you young 'uns! I remember when I were your age, working t'down t'coal mines while researching and writing my PhD. Time flies and before you know it you'll be in your second year and then submitting. Time flies, even when you're not having fun. Anyway, there are people far wiser than me on this forum, and like an efficient pharmacy, they'll be able to dispense a remedy for each and every one of your PhD-related ails. This is odd as I'm probably old enough to be the dad to each and every person on this forum - feels like that at least.

I have only 3 pieces of generic advice, gleaned from my active years of PhD duty:

1) Get enough sleep and look after yourself.

2) What seems impossible in terms of temporal or intellectual demands usually isn't - nothing has to be perfect (even your finished thesis).

3) Get out there and have fun (or just watch [shudder] the X-Factor or even Those Celebrities That Dance On Ice) while doing your PhD because it's the only way to tackle self-induced madness.



All the best (up)

My first day was good too, I haven't found any new PhD students yet though, although there are meant to be a couple around somewhere. My head was spinning from all the names and directions I need to remember! Hope everyone else had a good first day too!

Thanks walminskipeas... for your input.
Actually started reading a book in preparation for the PhD and they also mentioned not to focus too much on the research, but take care of yourself, go out, have hobbies, meet people...

First day was today for me!

Fairly easy going day. Just met with the supervisor (and 2 new PhD students on the same grant), had an informal chat, met some people, got my lab space sorted, got handed a bunch of literature, then had an easy afternoon with a seminar from a visiting academic and some chit chat in the empty lab (the rest of the research group is at a conference!).

Nice to get back to a structured and organised life after a long summer of doing not much at all, and already most of my anxieties about starting the PhD have been laid to rest.

Looking forward to the next few years, the ups moreso than the downs, and getting stuck into some interesting research!

Hello,

I am new to the forum and the Phd community.

I would appreciate any advice and sharing. In fact, I feel a little isolated already :P.

Best,
xxx

Hey. First day/week as well.

Met my supervisor who seems like an ok guy. One of his students told me as much in confidence which is a good thing i guess. I was working full time till the 15th of September so kinda feeling a bit lazy right now to put in too many hours. But as they say its a marathon so right now just trying to set the pace.

I know how you feel Sze about being isolated. The other post grads in my department are all busy with their research so i haven't really spoken to any of them. I will be doing a few modules from next week so maybe i will get to meet people there and planning to go a few society gigs.

Hi All,

I started monday, discovered my PhD is 4 years not 3 like I thought and for some reason the extra year is really scaring me. My team all seem nice although all busy with their own research so feel a bit nervous asking them to a pub quiz at the uni this week. Also discovered I have to hot-desk (which is not cool because having arrived in the hot desking room only one computer was not surrounded by other peoples stuff and it doesnt have a mouse), and my supervisor is away for the rest of the week, only spending an hour with me so far.

What have I got myself in for!!:-(

Hey guys,

nice to hear your stories!
I can totally relate.

Had a postgrad induction all afternoon today and met a couple of starters aswell.
I guess everybody is just scared right now and has a lot of respect of the whole thing and doesn't know how everything works and turn out.

So I guess this is just totally normal and we'll soon think different about our PhDs :)

Don't worry guys. We'll surely get through this :)