I was wondering about holidays too.

I will be staying with the my boyfriend's parents over Christmas and New Year and know i wont get any work done then - they like to spoil my boyfriend and I as we only see them a few times a year. I am planning a five day break away at the end of next year and will probably have a few days here and there but I'm not sure how many more days I will take off.

I tend to work when I get home at nights and I work almost every weekend (granted it's only a few hours) so I feel that I will definitely have to take a solid week off sometime or I will burn myself out. Do I sound weak?

Hi Rebel,

Welcome to the site. I'm based in Glasgow and my PhD is based around biomedicinal chemistry and drug delivery.

Thanks so much BilboBaggins. I think i'll just spend a few hours or so playing around with Endnote and seeing what I can find out. I know that I always have this forum if I ever need advice ;-) I'd rather use the time just now to find out how it works rather than spend the rest of my PhD oblivious to the wonders of Endnote. lol.

Thanks again (up)

I'm 26 and just started my PhD this year and my supervisor is around the same age as me. Although i've only just started and haven't had hundreds of meetings with her I do feel that we have a great relationship and understanding of each others requirements as student/supervisor. When I started my undergraduate degree I was 21 and classed as a mature student by the university but again this had no bearings on my progress as a student.
I guess it depends on your supervisor and also your own personality. I'm quite an outgoing person anyway and get on with everyone, so I feel that I could progress in my PhD regardless of the age of my supervisor.

I think you need to chase this up but there may well be a simple explanation. I get the minimum EPSRC stipend of £13,290 but I also get external sponsorship from a company of £8000 per annum - neither of which are taxed.

Hope this helps.

I'm glad you asked this Stephen because I too feel like I'm drowning. Buttercup that idea is fantastic - so much so I'm going to spend the rest of tonight making up my very own spreadsheet.

Thanks so much everyone :-)

Jemima stared out of the window helplessly and longed to be back home.

Suddenly the bus braked violently. She was thrown out of her seat and landed with an almighty thud at the front of the bus. She could hear the 'elves' sniggering at her but this didn't concern her, she was too busy trying to make sense of what she saw outside. The door of the bus thrust open, Jemima could see it clearer now. What was this grotesque being that stared down at her?

I have to agree with Megara. I can't study whilst listening to any music with lyrics or I just sing along to it. I absolutely adore all things classical. Classic FM is great as it plays a whole variety of classical music and it is very relaxing.

Thank you so much for the advice. I'm not sure I'm confident enough just yet to be scribing or reading and although it's great money, I feel I would be more of a hindrance to the student. I have however put my name forward for invigilating, which is offering less money but it's the experience I'm after more than the money itself.

Thanks again folks, you've been a great help (up)

Hi Bewildered,

Thanks so much for your reply. I had a feeling this was what it entailed but wanted to double check just incase I had picked up the wrong end of the stick.

(up)

Hi Eska,

My boyfriend and I moved out of our beautiful 2 bed semi last month (just as I was starting my PhD) and moved back in with my parents. We had to make the move due to my boyfriend being made redundant :-(

The 2 of us are sleeping and living in our bedroom which works out fine. It can be tough at times but we're coping.

I have an office at uni but I have a 2 hour bus trip to get there and feel that the 2 hours there and back are just a complete waste of my time - i therefore do most of my work at home. This will be changing soon though as I will be heading into the lab to start on that side of my project.

Good luck with everything Eska - I'm sure you'll get on fine :-)

I agree 100% with Eska and think you should re-submit. I know it'll be another blow to your confidence IF it is rejected but you never know, it may well be accepted.

Good luck with it all :-)