Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Higher education

Talk to other parents whose children are preparing for university on our Higher Education forum.

Original poster

PhD advice welcome here please!

158 replies

Katkins1 · 05/04/2014 18:24

I'm an undergrad in the arts. Just been offered a conditional offer of 2.1 on a PhD (to skip masters). If I can get a career development loan and p/t job, will start this year. If not, then next and go for AHRC. Or get put in for AHRC next year.

I'm quite excited about it- it's my absolute dream, and thrilled to be skipping MA (if I get the grades- which I'm scared about, a LOT). I'm being a realist, single Mum so I know will be hard (have to work, pay my own way), but I'm so happy about it. I really want to be a lecturer and it's so exciting.

I'm determined to it; so can anyone give me practical advice- where to look for academic jobs and so on? And what to expect , please? I'm prepared to wait until next year to do it, though I'd like to start this year if I can. Considering part time too.

OP posts:
PiratePanda · 08/04/2014 20:40

Yes: what's putting you off doing the Masters?

Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 20:46

It's a graduate training scheme for library researchers, sorry I didn't make that clear. There are several roles on the scheme, but I expect them to be quite competitive.

I think all graduate jobs are the same, I will be waiting a long time before I get lucky, but I'm in a good position (skills + prior experience in the arts + about to graduate), so I'll take my chances and apply for everything I think I could do. I don't want to end up unemployed- that wasn't the plan.

The MA thing- just tuition fees, really, same as with PhD. Don't think I can expect my DD to go without so I can study when I will have a good degree that I can put to good use while I save up to do further study.

Everything that I do has her best interests (not my own) at heart, but I'd like to be happy too. The idea of my degree was to better myself, get over a lot of past trauma and make myself a bit more employable. I was diagnosed with Post traumatic stress disorder last year, and my Grandfather died in January, so I'm proud of having come so far. Especially as a single mum.

IF I can do my last lot assignments of well, then I will have achieved what I set out to do. I know that everything's competitive, but that's life! I won't know until I try; one small step at a time, I reckon...

I've had to wait so long for any semblance of normality and stability in my life, and now I'm almost there. I think that counts for something. I do know it will be hard, but I will take my chances- it's about building the future.

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDragon · 08/04/2014 20:49

I think (I don't know so others might tell me I'm wrong) that applying would demonstrate you're really focussed, so it would be good. I'm applying for jobs at the end of my PhD and I know having something like that on my CV would look good.

Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 20:55

LRD I've not written my last chapter and conclusions yet- it's due May 28th, and I'm panicking. Suspect I shall be up very late this evening/ morning.

Nothing puts me off the MA, I've just realised that I might need a year out, for myself and for the money. I might be thinking this way because just knowing I can do it, and the option is there now, has given me enough confidence (very very shy and under confident person) to know that research is right for me, but very rarely do academic travel a 'straight' path to it.

I'd just like to heal from my past (very traumatic), in whatever way I can.

OP posts:
Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 20:58

I just think.... as a single Mum, I need to not sell my family short for the sake of a qualification. I need to earn some real money to go with it. My DD deserves to have a nice home, shoes, clothes, whatever. It's about giving her the things I never had.

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDragon · 08/04/2014 21:00

Don't panic, you'll be fine!

And good luck, again. Smile

I expect I am pollyanna-ish and I am very junior to most of the people on this thread, but I think research is really confidence-boosting in some ways. It's lovely feeling you can go and get at all of this stuff.

PiratePanda · 08/04/2014 21:02

Katkins, although the AHRC no longer funds stand-alone MAs, every university department in my field that I know of offers at least fee waiver bursaries, and most of them a scholarship with stipend. With BA marks in the 80s I would have thought you would stand an excellent chance of getting one of these somewhere.

Please don't underestimate how important the MA is for your chances of getting PhD funding.

Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 21:06

Sorry- to add- maybe working and saving up to do it shows I'm really focused too?

I think if I was a graduate without a family to support , I'd do any of the PG options, but as I need to support my DD as best as I can, decisions are needed.

I'm probably thinking emotionally today- my Mum left when I was 4, and was a bit of a rubbish Mum when I saw her at weekends (let her boyfriend abuse me, really horrifically, for 3 years) until I was 7. Then my Dad was violent, a drinker... lots of DV, neglect and so on.

I always just think in bring up my DD, what kind of parent would I like? My answer is always one that put me first.

If that means deferring PG a year and putting my DD's needs at the top, then I will. It's a long struggle, I've already done so much in getting there.

Sorry, that was long and a bit unrelated. But it has everything and nothing to do with my choices.

OP posts:
Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 21:10

Pirate, it'd be next year now though, do you think they would still let me if I deferred my offer a year? I know I'd be allowed to as an offers an offer, but do they let students keep them for the following academic year?

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDragon · 08/04/2014 21:11

Again ... dunno because I am junior, but my impression is they never take that into account.

Don't get me started on it, but a friend of mine is a foster child who hasn't had a very easy life and she came across some frankly cruel comments about how she'd taken too long over her PhD because she was earning.

I'm saying that because, well, it's relevant (if it's representative), but don't let it put you off. You're obviously good, so you will get there - whether that turns out to be doing a PhD or not, you are going to make it.

Lomaamina · 08/04/2014 21:12

I'd recommend taking a year off from studying fir all the reasons you give. You can still read around your subject, so hit the ground running. And yes, don't forget there are bursaries around for masters, especially if you're from a non traditional background.

Good luck anyway. I'm sure your DC will be super proud of our achievements !

LRDtheFeministDragon · 08/04/2014 21:13

Oh, sorry, cross post. Blush

I didn't think you could defer an offer, but don't see what you'd have to lose by asking.

PiratePanda · 08/04/2014 21:18

At my institution you can defer an offer for either MA or PhD for a year without penalty of any kind. Then, if you want another year deferral you simply reapply for a place. Happens all the time; everyone understands that most people can't study without funding and may have to apply a couple of times before they get funding (or give up).

As someone upthread said, it's not getting an offer that's ever a problem; it's getting funding.

LRDtheFeministDragon · 08/04/2014 21:21

I meant the funding offer - I didn't think you could defer?

I may well be wrong!

Because she is applying for funding, isn't she?

PiratePanda · 08/04/2014 21:26

You can't defer an offer of funding, no, but she hasn't been offered funding yet. They're encouraging her to start the PhD without fundjng and apply for AHRC for the second year which is crazy .

Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 21:27

Ah Ok :) I was thinking I'll defer both, know they are there, save up and then make a choice.

It's a longer journey, but I think, well worth it. Maybe I need a little breathing space, and to live a bit more comfortably than student finance allows (!).

OP posts:
Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 21:28

No funding yet. I missed the MA scholarships round as my Grandfather died, and they turned my ERSC down. Then I got weighed down in grief and didn't apply for their scholarship.

OP posts:
Procrastinating · 08/04/2014 21:29

I did my PhD without an MA, I was your age Katkins. It was funded and F/T, I got full funding because I had a first - that helped a lot (it sounds like you are on the way to that). I'm a lecturer now & had no trouble finding academic work, this was about 10 years ago using jobs.ac.uk. Will they pay you to teach while you do the PhD? I did a lot of that and the experience has been valuable.

What I did wrong was that I didn't think ahead to publications or network enough at conferences while doing the PhD. That would have got me further in the early days. I find that you need to give the impression of great confidence in yourself and your work to be taken seriously.

Good luck.

Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 21:29

Funding for this year has been and gone LDR

OP posts:
LRDtheFeministDragon · 08/04/2014 21:30

Sorry, pirate, I am obviously not keeping up! I thought she'd some chance of funding this year. Ignore me!

Original poster
Katkins1 · 08/04/2014 21:31

Yes, they will pay me to teach, but I want to make sure my DD and I have everything we need while I study.

OP posts:
PiratePanda · 08/04/2014 21:34

Procrastinating, that was ten years ago. It's FAR more competitive now, so what was still just about possible when we went through (I started my PhD in 1999-2000) just never happens now. In fact in my field in all the departments I'm aware of we don't even accept people straight onto the PhD without a Masters any more, no matter how good they are or how well we know them. Never.

Procrastinating · 08/04/2014 21:36

There are sometimes research roles you can get paid for too. If you find out who is applying for research funding now at your University you can get your name on the project early (look fascinated!). Mine were well paid and lasted about 2 years of the 4.

Procrastinating · 08/04/2014 21:37

What a shame PiratePanda, things have changed so fast.

Sparklyboots · 08/04/2014 21:43

Katkins, I'm an academic without a Ph.D, I got to where I am because I developed my practice and did a load of Associate Lecturing when I graduated. Obvs now I'm under a lot of pressure to do the Ph.D and plan to start in September, but I'm in my second permanent position and have been shortlisted for I think five positions on the back of my practice plus teaching experience. I'd go back to any supervisor and talk about teaching if I were you - is there anything you could be AL on? But mostly I'd say get your practice established, and really try and engage Unis with outreach, workshop, etc. My current post, there were 77 applicants and more than 50 had PhDs but the department wanted someone they knew could teach, understood the institution and had an established practice. I started by offering workshops to other students on my undergrad, did a bit of gratis stuff in return for studio space, got offered AL stuff that way. I ended up as an academic but from my perspective I developed my work an took the opportunities that arose from that, rather than working through a series of quals to get a specific job.