Thanks for your thoughts tru. I'm coincidentally heading to that same department a few days before my interview for an event (again - in my field!) so can give the journey a trial run even before the interview. I'm not a fan a driving and the new job would mean I can catch the train so although it's longer and more expensive, I'd prefer not to drive anyway.

So many things to consider but if it means I can do what I love doing among other people who share the same interests, I'm definitely excited by that thought and that is also my planned answer for the question "why do you wish to leave your current job".

I'm lucky enough to have got myself a permanent lectureship (pending 3 year probation) though 1 year into my contract and before my job was secured as permanent, I applied to another university. At the time my job was 3 years fixed term rather than permanent with a 3 year probation.

I've now received an invitation for an interview for the job I applied for elsewhere. I will attend the interview but if I get an offer it will be a tough decision. I've summarised pros and cons below though essentially my current job is at a 'better' university where there are few people I can collaborate with. The interview is at an up and coming university (further away from home) a few league points behind but where there are whole groups of people I could work with.

Perks of the current job:
* permanent
* 30 minute commute
* better research performance
* slightly more research time
* Own office
* I've known the university and department for 8 years

Cons of the current job:
* overworked due to taking on too many responsibilities when I started
* some unpleasant internal politics and implicit sexism
* I've recently become the sole person in my field
* Poor facilities
* As the department where I did my undergraduate, I feel some staff still treat me as if I were still their student

Pros of the potential new job:
* Large group of colleagues in my field
* Department has a strong history in my field
* HoS is in my field
* Research performance is on the increase every year
* 2 research groups where I could feel 'at home'

Cons of the potential new job:
* 70 minute commute
* risks of a new environment


With few close friends in academia, there's no one I can really ask for advice on this. All my non-academic friends see is a possible longer commute and they are baffled as to why I'd even attend the interview. Any thoughts or advice from other academics are very welcome as I try to work through the pros and cons.

Thanks

Hello,

I've posted this in 'off-topic' as it isn't directly about the PhD but is about academic life, culture and colleagues.

My partner was recently sentenced to 12 weeks in prison for dangerous driving. Fortunately nobody was hurt but he did a terrible thing and has accepted that this is a consequence of what he did and since the offence some months ago, he has worked hard to turn his life around and sort out his issues.

I am now faced with the uncertainty over what to tell my academic colleagues if anything. I have already been asked once this week on a social outing and soon people will begin to ask about plans for christmas. I'm very hesitant to share the truth in an environment where almost everyone is my superior and may well have a say in my future at the university. Then again, the shock of the sentence has caused some stress and I did slip behind with some things. Everything is complicated by the fact that some colleagues/PhD students are also friends who I would want to be open with but would fear gossip, judgement or just making them feel awkward.

Any thoughts?

Many thanks,

GM

I'm also graduating in July after a long hard 5 years!

My mum didn't want to attend my BSc graduation but I think she now realises how much this stuff means to me and she has asked to come to my PhD one. I'm still doubtful that she'll attend as harsh as that sounds.

I agree with the others about setting the date that you prefer and then it's up to others to make arrangements if they'd like to attend. Sounds like you made a good decision.

Congratulations and enjoy! :)

I posted here recently as I was very anxious about my substantial "minor" corrections which involved re-writing a good third of the thesis. I managed to get these done and sent off to the examiners and 10 working days later they were approved!! I am over the moon and haven't stopped crying (between sipping champagne) ever since!

I plan to hang out on this forum and hope to be able to offer as much advice to current PhD students as I have been offered during the last 4 or so years! :)

GM

Oh and good luck to you Hugh! Hope you get your minors approved very soon! :)

So my supervisor tells me that he's not allowed to chase up my corrections. He was very nice about it but worried about breaking university policy. Guess I just have to wait and try and forget about them now!

Frida_VI I am in a very similar position. I was awarded the phd pending minor corrections (technically) however these corrections involved re-write or additions to all chapters, more analysis, literature and new interpretations. I was given 6 months. I submitted the corrected thesis this week. Terrified of them saying that it is still no good or even worse than the original.

It's been tough with colleagues and friends congratulating me post-submission and post viva and not understanding that I still had/have a long way to go.

I am! The email to examiners from the exams office asked for a reply from them within one month. The graduation deadline is 3 weeks away so we shall see ...fingers crossed! They may ask for further changes yet if they don't feel I've met them.

Thanks both.

My supervisor has offered to give them both a nudge, he is working with one of them and friends with another (I had 2 externals and both have to sign off on them).

That timescale is usefuly to know marak. I figured 4 weeks was reasonable. I may just miss the cut of for this summer but it wouldn't make much difference in the long-run.

GM

I'm submitting my corrected thesis this week which involves changes to all chapters including one which had to be completely re-written.

I'm wondering how long it should take to hear back and if there is anything I can do to speed the process along (without pestering the examiners!)?

If I'm able to get them approved within 3 weeks time then I will meet the deadline for July graduation, if not I will have to wait until January 2018.

I know if shouldn't matter as I will hopefully get there in the end but can't help but wonder how long it will take and I have family who have booked a day off work to attend a graduation ceremony which I may or may not be at.

GM

Thank you both for your words of encouragement. Yes I am/was hoping to graduate this July but the deadlines are all very tight now :-/

Either way, I've completed the corrections as best I can and sent to my supervisor for any suggested tweaks before I submit!

Hello,

I posted here some time ago about my viva outcome and corrections and received some lovely words of encouragement. Last autumn I had my viva and passed my PhD pending with minor corrections. Hoorah! I hear you say - and as did everyone else around me but my viva was a tough one and the corrections list was just as I'd feared:

* add 3 or 4 pages in this chapter
* restructure that chapter and rework around a clearer intellectual narrative
* this chapter needs a better conceptualisation of this and this needs to be woven then throughout
* this study needs needs a deeper analysis
* that study needs a deeper analysis
* this chapter needs completely re-writing as it is "banal and underwhelming"

I was given 6 months to make these "minor" changes.

On the plus side, the examiners said that my research was clearly highly valuable and they commented that I was clearly a highly competent and articulate academic (trying to focus on that!).

I have been chipping away at the thesis since January (between a full-time academic job) and it's been hard. I'm now working on the final chapter (the complete re-write) and just this week I have been so close to forgetting the whole thing and quitting my job but the reality is that I love my job, I love academia and I just need to get though this final stretch.

This forum has been such a source of support over the past 4 years or so, I just felt the need to post. Any words of advice or encourage always welcome.

GM

In January I was awarded the PhD subject to "minor" corrections which I have been given 6 months to do. These minor corrections involve additional literature, restructuring and a complete re-write of the discussion chapter. Logic tells me to just get on with it however my motivation is at such a low and not helped by (genuinely lovely) people around me congratulating me on finishing. Feels like I'm still so far from the finish line.

GM