Hi there

I get child tax credits for my 2 children, and only the salary part of my studentship (I am a GTF) is counted, not the grant part (I called them to ask and was told they didn't need to know about any awards-grants-studentships).

Hope this helps!

Thanks all for your kind advice and support - I'm seeing my consultant on Wednesday and will ask her what she thinks.

Hi Pamplemousse

I'm 6 months pregnant (very doubtful I'll get as far as my due date though due to the complications but there is no way of predicting that).
I will get paid maternity leave and yes, incidentally, my main sup is female (not sure it's going in my favour though).

Thanks for the concern pamplemousse, it's very much appreciated x

Hello and thanks for your reply (and concerns)

I'm 9 months into the PhD - the sex discrimination issue did cross my mind to be honest as all my problems seem to start from the moment I told my sups about the pregnancy - not shifting responsibilities here though, I know I haven't been working to the best of my ability. I have made some enquiries re an interruption of studies but have been 'advised' to submit rather than leave it for a year and go back to what could potentially be only 3 months if I fail (does that make sense?).

I haven't received any extra help as such but have been made to feel like them asking me to produce an extra chapter is like them doing me a favour. I did have an inkling that something was wrong although I haven't been said so in words, but it seems like the panel decided on the day of my second review that my work wasn't good enough - I had no official prior warning that that was going to happen.

Hi all

I'm not really looking for advice but have a desperate urge to vent, so thanks (and apologies!) in advance to all readers...

I have started a PhD in September on a topic I love with a fantastic team of supervisors and I seemed to be doing OK until January despite a very long commute, teaching commitments and a toddler. Since January however (and news of an unexpected and very complicated pregnancy) I can't seem to muster the strength or motivation to do anything worthwhile.

My supervisors, although very supportive, have been clear in telling me that my work is currently not up to PhD level and I have one last chance to submit a 'make or break' mind-blowing chapter before I take maternity leave (i.e. a matter of weeks) - if the chapter isn't good enough, I won't go through to the 2nd year and will loose my scholarship.

I am so paralysed with stress that I don't know where to start - I have started reading a bit and have a very hazy general idea of what I want to talk about but spending my days at home stuck to day-time TV as if my life depended on it isn't doing me any favours.

I do feel like all the effort of the first few months were completely in vain and that I have so little to time to get back on track that I maybe shouldn't even bother.

That said, I already feel better for sharing my plight, so thanks forum!

Hi there. Hard to get the picture without the context...

My guess:
dirai-je= I would say
comme une sorte de plaisanterie = like some kind of a joke

Bonne chance!

Hi there! Just thought I'd chip in and share my experience with you.

I too commute (longer commute than yours) because my husband wasn't ready to move this year, and I wasn't willing to give up the chance to work with a dream supervisor on a dream project and a GTF post (a very very very long maternity leave makes you do weird things...).

The commute is more bearable (4 hours in total) than the wrench of not seeing my child for 2 days - I stay on campus (with friends) for 2 nights/days and try to attend seminars and/or compulsory sessions (yes there are some...) on these days whenever possible (luckily they all seem to happen early/mid-week), so my uni days are tightly time-tabled. I also make a point to socialise with people in my school (for coffee or a quick chat in corridors/lifts...). You really have to show that you are in control of your time even though you may (and will...) sometimes feel that you have no time to breathe.

From my experience if you are very committed, extremely well organised and pro-active, it is feasable. I personally do feel a huge sense of professional fulfilment even in these very early days despite all the sacrifices I have to make (mind firmly fixed on the bigger picture); for me it definitely is working for now, probably because I know it's short-termish as I'll be moving nearer to uni next year, but also I don't have a choice, which helps keeping focused!

Beware however of the emotional implications - in those days you are home, you have to spend your time very constructively: domestic stuff seem to take up twice as much time, something always seems to creep up just before you have to submit (sick childminder/child on my days home in my case), which can be draining. This means a lot of work late at night/early in the morning and very very little time for your partner. Mine resents the fact that he is bottom on my list of priorities even though he seemed reasonably supportive at the start (on paper situation very different fron actual situation). Also, my weekend is entirely dedicated to my child, so no work then = extra pressure to work any other time (on the train for ex).

Hope this helps.

Whatever you decide to do - good luck to you.

Yes Smilodon, I know the feeling - without my son's childminder I wouldn't have time to work, even though it does swallow a huge chunk of our income and doesn't sit sit too well with the extra conscience that came with motherhood. Hubby works a lot; he gets a reasonable salary (although he wouldn't agree!!) but we have been dispensing with any kind of luxuries and it looks like we'll be doing so for the forseable.

But I totally agree Barnaby, it is good fun! My contract says I'm a GTF too - I wasn't aware that there was a difference between GTFs an GTAs, aside from the terminology...Could you enlighten me?

Waow! I admire your tenacity! I bet you will feel very proud of yourself for achieving so much in those 6 years, and you should probably feel like that already - I'm only 2 months into it and I can already see all the sacrifices I (and my poor hubb!) will have to make in order to make it all work.

Hi Smilodon! Glad to see I'm not alone!!

Also very reassuring to see that you can come out of it still alive - hats off to you for being in your 4th year!

According to my calculations, you had your little one when studying? Am I right? In which case that's another reassuring sign - we're planning our second one once I get my 1st year out of the way. Crazy I know but Phds can wait; my biological clock can't unfortunately! That's my reasoning anyway.

Good luck with the work

:-)

Hi everyone!

This is my first post here though I've been entertaining myself with yours for a while - and I'm getting more and more addicted!

This my first year as a PhDer (first progress meeting looming in 2 weeks time - gulp...), and I'm also a GTA so lots of marking and planning on top of researching for my subject (in Humanities). I'm also a mum to the most adorable 2 and a half year old (terrible twos? what terrible twos??! see the irony here...) and I'm starting to wonder what exactly I'm letting myself in for...

Whenever I'm researching I feel like I should be planning better lessons, whenever I'm marking I feel like I should spend more time with my child, whenever I spend time with my child I feel like all my free time is spent and I have no more time for my hubby, who bears the grunt of my bad moods.

Where has my life gone??

Anyone feels the same?