Did you give a gift to your supervisor after finishing? if so, what?

Who is planning to attend their graduation ceremony after finishing?

I think someone should write a book 'guide for partners of phd students' for all those non-phd partners to help them cope, to complement all the other phd books out there... It could cover chapters on 'phrases not to say to your phd partner (have you finished yet)', 'a guide to living on a low income', 'experiences from real life partnerships' etc.

For the ESRC you need to submit your completed application at least 16 weeks before the panel meeting (held every three months). You have to go into the July panel to start in October. Also it takes at least two months to complete the application as your mentor needs to write it with you and it is a very long application. So you are best starting as early as possible.

robber - are you planning to move to a different lab to do your postdoc? or stay where you are. I imagine it would be ok if you stayed at your current lab where they know your reputation already. But if you move, you have to build all that up again so would be more likely to encounter negative reaction to pregnancy

You said my feelings exactly emmantro which is why I diasgreed with the much earlier comment about supervisors being annoyed if a woman announces she is pregnant during a phd.

we need responses from other people! would be interesting to see the male/female divide though.....

I agree with Sassy.

shouldn't a woman be allowed a family life that is independent of her career? Regarding your other point, if she were to get pregnant (planned) during the phd, then you would assume she believed that this was the best time for her, otherwise she (as an intelligent woman) she would have left it til after the phd.

but why should a woman have to tell her supervisor she is planning a pregnancy at all?

so a pregnancy during education is only ok if it is "unplanned"? Hmmm... I think a woman is entitled to get pregnant whenever she feels is the right time and employers or whomever should make entitlements for this. It is only 6 months off, what is that in the grand scheme of things? if the woman decides to stay on for an entire career.

So if a woman waits until after her phd, is it also selfish to have a baby during the postdoc? or the one after that? when is the best time then? surely it is worse when finally you get a lectureship because then you have the most responsibility?

it's not that bad really 25-30k. I guess it depends on your age too.

in excel: copy, paste special, transpose

Are you going to do a postdoc after your phd? I have applied for one but I hear the chances are low...