======= Date Modified 21 Apr 2011 15:44:54 =======
Hi

I was wondering if someone could give me some much needed advice.

I started a PhD last year, but then quit a year later due to personal reasons. Because I didn’t want to be left with nothing I originally planned to submit for an MPhil. However, it’s been like months since I made this decision and I still haven’t done any work for it. This is because I’ve started working after leaving the PhD, but also I am still trying to forget about all of the negative things that happened to me whilst studying for the PhD, so working for the MPhil brings back all of the things I do not want to be confronted with .

However, I am starting to realise that I cannot leave all of this behind me unless I leave the MPhil. Yet, I just don’t know how I tell my supervisor about this, as I feel bad for letting her/him down once again... Is it best to ring my supervisor or write a letter/email? Has anyone ever been through? If yes, could you tell me how you told your supervisor?

I’d be really grateful for any advice!

Thanks a lot for your replies; they are very much appreciated & helpful!

I did have contact with the supervisor in question beforehand (however I couldn’t meet him/her in person as the interview was at a uni quite a distance away and it would have been difficult to take time off work) and at the time being s/he appeared to be pretty interested in me, stating that my work experience and especially my MSc dissertation matched the studentship in question really well. But once I am in an interview I get so anxious that I never manage to bring my enthusiasm for the project in question across, as well as being unable to answer generic questions (why do you want to do it, pros/cons of MSc project, pros/cons of doing PhD, future plans, etc).

As for your suggestions with practicing interview questions beforehand, I’ve done this already but I never seem to get so anxious that I am unable to string coherent sentences together. I just don’t know what’s wrong with me. Maybe I should indeed do more practice and hope that it’ll get better over time. Even though I have my heart set on doing a PhD, how much time do I have or better say how much more time shall I invest in my search (given that some PhDs already have an internal candidate in mind like Sneaks suggested)? Maybe I am also projecting an “I know that I will not get this anyway” image, because I faced so many PhD rejections post interview already.

I am also getting a bit worked up at the moment, as I haven’t done anything relevant to my area since September after the funding ran out for my old job. I’ve been looking like crazy but have been unable to find anything. So admittedly I am worried that this counts against me big time and I’ll give the impression of being a slacker to shortlisters.

I know it’s competitive out there right now, but I really feel as if time is counting against me at the moment and that I am loosing the race…

======= Date Modified 16 13 2010 20:13:36 =======
Hey,

I am not sure if someone can really help me with this, but I’d be grateful for any advice nevertheless!

I’ve just found out the other day that I’ve been rejected from a PhD after yet again. Even though the project was spot on related to my MSc project, interests and the work experience I had I still wasn’t able to bring this across.
I’ve applied to 8 funded PhDs since graduating from my MSc in 2008, managing to get interviews for 6 of them. Whilst I think that I am good on paper (this is something I assume because otherwise I think I wouldn’t even get shortlisted) the generic feedback response post interview is always along the lines of “your approach to the potential PhD project was not sufficiently focussed and analytic”. I think that my failure is a result of my horrendous interview skills. I can do as much practice, as I like beforehand, but whenever I am in an interview situation I get so nervous that I am unable to sound enthusiastic and match up my experience & knowledge to the questions they ask me. Instead I always manage to sound like a complete disinterested nutter who can't think of anything better to do with her time other than a PhD, which would get every shortlister wary of offering me the position.
This makes me so fustrated. I just do not know what to do anymore. I really, really want to do a PhD, but I can’t go on expecting my referees to write 100s of references (if I keep going on like this I’ll end up with no one as my referee), applying and applying, managing to get shortlisted only to end up failing at the interview :-(

Ephiny, that's awful that you still haven't heard from them and somewhat weird that they haven't replied to your e-mail. Maybe they are just really busy and haven’t had time to reply to your e-mail or they haven’t made a decision / have made a decision but don’t want to tell you yet.

It's been over a week now since the interview and I've given up all hope. I am just slightly irritated as I’ve had contact with the supervisor a couple of times before the interview and he/she seemed interested and even though this may have changed after the interview (I can totally understand that everyone is entitled to change their opinion, etc) I think they could have at least the decency to let me know the outcome. Oh well…

Thank you very much for your reply Satchi!
Aww, I didn't send them a thank you e-mail...:-( I hope that this won't affect their decision though. I think I can only try and hope for the best now.
But, I guess I'll try and pluck up the courage to send them an e-mail by the end of the week if I haven't heard from them by then.

Velony

Hey,

I was just wondering if universities usually let you know about the outcome of a PhD interview. Well, I would expect them to do so, but who knows...
I had an interview a week ago and was told that I would be notified within the coming week. Is it normal to wait this long?
I know this is stupid, but I just don't have the guts to call/e-mail them as I am scared of being rejected even though it wouldn't seem surprising given that I've been waiting this long already and thinking that my interview went less then well.

I'd be really grateful for any advice though!

Velony

======= Date Modified 21 28 2010 18:28:43 =======
Hey,

I've been invited for an interview, which is great and all but they want to see a copy of my Dissertation before the interview. I was wondering if this is a normal procedure, as I am now getting a little bit worried because my dissertation wasn't really that great (I received a merit on it, but this was not a good merit) and I am now a little bit afraid that they'll judge my dissertation to my disadvantage. I didn't worry too much about this interview, but now I can't stop worrying that they'll tear it to shreds and will think that I am not capable of producing work at doctoral level :-(

Hello,

This is probably a really daft question, but I would still be grateful for some advice.
I want to apply for a studentship with the deadline being this Friday.
Upon initial contact with the supervisor a month ago I stupidly stated that I had an MSc (truth behold I was actually waiting for it to be awarded to me). However, me being as stupid as I was and universities being as slow as they are, I still do not have an official certificate or anything and I doubt that it'll arrive before the deadline. Because I need to upload my application electronically and transcripts/certificates should usually be included do you reckon it's ok if I just put down my average grade and state that I am still waiting for my certificate or shall I e-mail the supervisor again and explain the situation?

Hey,

I was wondering whether someone could give me some advice.

I was accepted onto a research council funded PhD in late spring. I accepted this PhD formally by e-mail. However, after a lot of thinking I've decided that I don't want to do the PhD. Thus, can I still redeem my decision or will I get into some kind of trouble because I've already accepted and now want to decline? Do I e-mail my prospective supervisor and tell him my decision?

I know my decision is probably late given that I should start next month and unfair to my prospective supervisor, and I know that I'll probably regret my decision, but I just don't cannot seem to do a PhD at the moment.

I'd be grateful for your advice!

Velony

Hey,

I just found out that I have been accepted onto a PhD. Even though I am really chuffed I am wondering, where do I go from here? The offer letter said that I will be contacted by my supervisor prior to the start of the PhD, yet do you guys think it would be adequate to send him a short e-mail thanking him for the offer? Should I ask him anything else, like whether he would suggest any further reading I could do in order to prepare? Or something else?

Also, because I was so stupid not to ask when accepting the offer, the studentship was advertised as funded however my offer letter doesn't state anything with regard to funding, but neither does it mention something about having to pay any fees. Thus, can I conclude that I will be funded or shall I ask them again?

I would be thankful for any advice!

Ceruse