To think my husband would earn a salary during a PhD?

[Badgoushk]

My husband is thinking about doing a PhD. He did a masters recently and got a high distinction so I don't think he'd have trouble getting accepted. But the question is can we afford it? Would he get paid? Did you get paid during your PhD? How much please? It would be in Energy/Climate change and it would likely be in London. Thanks.

biblio your situation is appalling! I've known loads of people who have done PhDs (and a few who have not completed) and in my experience the quality of your supervisor and the relationship with them is the most important factor in a successful PhD. Dp had a fantastic supervisor, he did his first post doc with him and still does small projects with him and has found his advice invaluable aver the years. Dp is just taking on a student whose relationship with her supervisor has broken down so baday that they can't be in the same room as each other. It has been politically very tricky him taking over as her supervisor but I have no doubt she wouldn't complete if he didn't.

Dp's PhD took an enormous toll when he was doing it, especially his fourth year when he was working in a petrol station as well as in the lab full time. Now I often feel that academic circles are the only place where, as a SAHM I don't feel like the only woman to have ever SAH, it's so much more common than other areas I think! We have been lucky in that we have only had one move, and that was back to my home town so worked out really well for me, however when dp was 2 years into his fellowship he was pushing for tenure he gave uni a bit of an ultimatum and had they called his bluff we would have had to move and I would have been absolutely gutted.

Thanks to the encouragement on here, I've been in contact with the department again and I'm assured that they are identifying new supervisors. I'll give them another couple of weeks till we hit the 6-month mark from when this all began before I get any more bolshy. I think someone new has taken on the job of sorting this out so it seems fair to give it a chance before kicking off. I really appreciate the support on the thread.

Even before my supervisors disappeared, the relationship wasn't great. One did genuinely steer me away from disaster in relation to methodology, which I'm grateful for, but has a rather bruising personal style. The other, very eminent professor, the reason why I chose this university, has been no help at all. He (presumably) has personal contacts who could have been really useful, but nada.

Oh, well done you! It sounds like things are moving in the right direction.

I'm afraid your experience with the eminent professor is often the way with "star" academics. Not all of them, by any means, before someone jumps in to defend their own personal supervisor - but a lot. I think one reason is that the stars often get on precisely because they are quite selfish and lacking in collegiality.

Yes shove with a few notable exceptions, I'd say pick a diligent, active and collegially minded well regarded supervisor over a time pressured superstar or someone in the ascendency and process of garlanding their reputation, your PhD will be the first casualty.

Just echoing Dylan and shove. My supervisorial encounter with star academic/TV personality was borderline verbally/psychologically abusive to the point where I would cry in the loo after supervisions, despite being a self-possessed, fairly unemotional type, and was too young and nervous to realise this wasn't what was supposed to be happening. Absolutely to the diligent, collegial, less egotistical supervisor.

Good on you for starting to pursue things, *biblio^.

Teahornet aw I'm now trying to guess which one!

Oh, yay, that is brilliant biblio! Hope the outcome is good.

I got fuck all beyond money for tutoring/marking. Supported myself with a full-time job.

PS Although I did have the most fantastic supervisor ever. She'd done her PhD with young children, then worked up to become internationally successful - terrifyingly clever, combined with huge integrity and kindness. Her support was unbelievable. She's still there for all of her former students, and came to my wedding.

How I got that lucky to get her, god only knows, but meeting her genuinely changed my life. Fingers crossed for you, biblio.

My DD is doing a 4 year course - Masters and PhD. She gets around £14k tax free, and gets extra money for marking, demonstrating, etc. She manages very well, but is single and living in shared accommodation. For her, it has been a great life, she enjoys her subject, and has been to quite a few overseas seminars and summer schools etc. She was part of a small yearly intake, and they work as a group and have peer support. She is lucky that she has no student debt from her degree (other than loan), and she went straight into PhD from there she is used to living on a tight budget. Her subject is fairly niche, but my DH (who understands what she's doing) thinks that she is going to very employable and has the potential to earn a high salary if that's what she wants. I feel a bit envious sometimes, it's been quite a nice life for her!

Crikey! What subject does she do that she gets paid well for marking?!