I agree about finding the right group rather than focusing on reputation alone, but I just wanted to get a feel for how the universities compare. Apparently, Oxford engineering is quite well-reputed as well but I think the real comparison comes down to Cambridge and Imperial. I've heard that Imperial is full of "Oxbridge rejects," which seems to be a rather harsh term. Is this true in the UK?

Hello all,

I'm currently a Canadian chemical engineer finishing up a Masters degree at Cambridge and am interested in PhD work. I'm considering Imperial College London but am wondering how well-known is it outside the UK (I am aware that Oxbridge students talk a lot of s@%$ about Imperial but I want a more international opinion). Is it seen as a "step down" from Oxbridge? Should I stick to Oxbridge instead if I intend to return to North America? If it helps, I intent on working in industrial R&D and not academia.

Thing is that Cambridge is my first choice but due to some potentially "bad blood" between myself and my Department, the only realistic way of returning to Cambridge is through another Department (e.g. Engineering, Materials Science, Chemistry, etc.). Therefore I'm trying to see other options beyond Cambridge.

Thanks for the input!

Thank you all for your kind words and support. I've since gone for some counseling help regarding my anxiety about this situation. I think I've heard what I needed to hear, but it definitely had to be gotten off of my chest. I will go for the PhD again. If things don't work out a second time, then at least I won't have any regrets. My supervisor never said no to a re-attempt and even said that she would support me no matter which path I choose. She just doesn't personally recommend it.

One thing I am frustrated about is how much variation a viva can have in my university (Cambridge). I know students who got completely different examiners and got asked completely different questions. Also the level of seriousness with which each Department takes the viva varies from a casual chat over tea to a full-blown viva (as in my case). Is this the case for all UK universities?

You guys are the best,

- A more-comforted grad student

Hello,

I'm caught between a rock and hard place since I failed my 1st year viva in late August. It was totally unexpected by me, my supervisor or my research group...It seems like I had prepared the wrong things for the viva and paid dearly for it. Having been able to come out on top on all my academic work so far in life, needless to say this has been quite devastating to me. I feel like the most incompetent and stupidest person on the planet. A small part of me is even considering suicide...

What makes it worse is that I now have a decision to make. I have been re-registered for an MPhil, for which if I submit then the PhD path is game over. However, I can also choose to be re-viva'ed for potential PhD reinstatement (in which case I won't be allowed to submit for the MPhil). My supervisor is suggesting the MPhil since she sees it as a "lower-risk" option and is terrified if history repeated itself in the final viva years down the road. However a part of me really really wants to go for the PhD since I have gotten some interesting results since and I feel my overall understanding of my project has improved significantly since the viva.

The decision is ultimately mine, and my heart is torn. The thing that concerns me most is that my own supervisor seems to not believe in me (although it is hard to read her). I mean, if my own supervisor doesn't believe in me, then what hope do I have? I plan on working in industrial research so a PhD is required, and this is probably the closest I will ever be in my life to getting a PhD. The funding is still there as well. This whole debacle has caused me to doubt my capabilities...

I'm wondering if anyone else has gone through a similar situation and what did they do about it.

- A grad student desperately trying to stay sane