you're not alone, I favour the same approach. I would go mad!

I'm also doing a social science PhD. My meetings are every month to six weeks and average length is an hour and a bit, sometimes an hour and a half.

Secret Santa usually occurs in offices at Christmas time and each person is assigned an individual to buy a present for (names are picked out of a hat) and there is a limit usually - £5. You might get something quite silly or smellies - I ended up with a pair of slipper socks the last time we did it.

I can't help on this, I'm only a year in, but just wanted to offer you the best of luck with your writing when you do start!

Very normal to feel this way I think. I love my subject and never thought about quitting but I did feel a bit low at first, kept getting lost, felt overwhelmed, felt lonely and isolated. I would give it a bit of time to settle in.

I am doing mine full time as I am on a studentship, and it suits my circumstances.

I did my MA part time by distance learning, as I was working in research. That was influenced by the fact I couldn't afford another year straight after my first degree and wanted to get on the career ladder. I'm really glad I did it that way as it got me the benefit of experience whilst at the same time doing a degree.

I had given up on the idea of doing a PhD as didn't want to do it by distance, but the threat of redundancy gave me the push I needed as I saw the ad for my PhD and it has worked out great for me. I think you just need to do what suits you best.

Show him how to work the oven...I'm sure it wouldn't be out of the way for you to come home to dinner on the table once in a while. You shouldn't have to be working hard and doing everything at home.

Service the air con?!! Hasn't student life changed?!!!

BTW Jojo, I hope that today was kinder to you. The peaks and troughs of research...

I'm the only one in the group doing a PhD and one of the few to whom being a Mrs isn't important. I think that some think it's akin to insisting my full name is followed by BA, MA at all times. The question responded to someone's comment that 'you'll never be a Mrs will you, because you'll be a Dr!'. My boyfs parents on the otherhand are overly excited about it which is quite nice - I had to tell his dad it won't make me a professor and he made me tell him all about my project in detail, which I did. He fell asleep soon after though!!

A friend asked me if I actually intended using 'Dr' (assuming I get there) and seemed surprised when I said yes.

My boy is very supportive and listens when I express my fears, reads what I have written and listens to my presentations countless times etc. We have been together a long time and met when we were doing our undergrad degrees (though he isn't in academia) and I have since completed my MA, so I think he just accepts it as being part of me and seems to be fine with it.

We did talk at length before I started as I knew I needed his emotional support and also it has postponed us from buying a house together. Luckily, he understands.

However, I have heard of men who don't want their girlfriends to do a PhD which I think is terrible. I suppose I'm lucky that my fella is man enough!

I think some of my friends have a difficult time understanding what I'm doing, which does annoy me.

We have a postgraduate room, and each student has their own computer and desk space. I work there 99% of the time, but occasionally work at home. Some days I might be on my own in here, other days it can be full.

Congratulations!

Be positive that you have done something and don't underestimate intangible achievements, i.e. finding your way around campus/library. I seem to remember my first week being a little bit about sorting out some books to read, and more about settling in, picking up my cheque, getting a computer set up and getting my library card etc.

It's swings and roundabouts - sometimes at the end of the week I feel I have accomplished a lot, sometimes I wish I could have done more.

I also do 9-4 most days (sometimes more, sometimes less), though don't have much of a break for lunch but do have coffee breaks when I need. It doesn't sound to me like you're slacking - no one seems to tell you what is expected anyway. I'm social science and seem to be at uni more than some of my peers, so I take it that I'm doing okay. Other people in the department seem to think my hours are ample. I find that it helps to be physically in Uni and to have a routine, I get a lot more done that way.