phd questions

CatFromHue

hi

i was wondering if any of you who are doing a phd would be able to have a look at the FAQ thread in specific

Q4: I have been working for a few years and I want to get back into college - is this a good idea and what barriers will I face?

Q6: What is required to get a PHD/Research Masters? i.e do you need good grades or do good final year projects / masters projects have any relevance.

how did you hear about the position? word of mouth, advertisment etc?

how do you find living on the stipend?

thanks in advance

LilMsss

CatFromHue wrote: »

hi

how do you find living on the stipend?

Firsty, don't assume all PhD students are in receipt of a stipend, or any other financial support, because a large number get zilch. Be prepared to have to support yourself throughout the duration of your PhD.

I am part-time, self-funding at the moment and work full-time. I am hoping to switch that around in September, and go full-time with the PhD and work part-time. I will get a maintenance grant and my fees paid from my local authority, and support myself through p/t employment.

I'm lucky, in that even if I work part-time, my job pays relatively well. I have a friend who is really struggling financially with her PhD. While she is getting a small local auth. grant, her only other source of income is from part-time minimum wage employment, so she's finding it really tough.

Treat the PhD as a job, and give yourself firm deadlines. There will obviously by an adjustment period, and one of the main problems you may face would be adjusting to having a lot less money, and essentially self-generating your workload. When you're in a job, you are accountable to your boss and your department etc. and there is a particular job you are employed to do. But in a PhD, you don't usually attend lectures, or have coursework. It can be like writing a book - there's a blank page staring at you, and you have to fill it with original work - it can be difficult to get started, and also to stay motivated.

You need to have a good academic record, preferably a masters, although you could probably be accepted without one. I would recommend one though, as it is really good practice for writing a thesis and learning how to research.

Some opportunities are advertised, but they are usually funded ones. If you have a particular idea you want to develop, then most likely you will be self-funded and you would approach a potential supervisor at your intended institution.

CatFromHue

hi Lilmiss thanks for the answer.

im studying for my masters (by distance) in engineering now but i doubt id have the grades for a phd. i do tend to do good projects so you never know how my thesis could swing things.

i work full time and still find it tough financially! so i wouldnt be able to do what you're doing.

when i finished college i never thought id go back, but the course im doing now has got me thinking. my current employment is not where i want my career to go which is why i started the masters in the first place.

researching something that i have a strong interest in is becoming more and more appealing to me. i would someday like to move into the r&d dept so thats why i was thinking of the phd.

thanks again for your help

LilMsss

Hi catfromhue, don't rule out a PhD on grades alone. I have always tended to do far better in project work, as in theses than course work, and it really depends on the project you are doing.

PhDs are pass/fail, and are not graded. Most of what supervisors and universities want to see is that you are passionate about your subject and also that you are aware of what it takes to complete the research and can put the time and work into it.

Best of luck with your project, and keep working away on the masters - one step at a time