PhD day

Another round table day - my fourth, the third at which I have to present, and my last - next year I must be out of here! Some fourth year students didn't come, arguing they are writing up, which is more important than talking about their research with people who have no idea what they're on about.

"Take it with a pinch of salt,"

advised supervisor #1.

And it was much nicer than previous year's experience. See 2009 and 2008.

By nicer, I mean the round table experience was more pleasant, less depressing, and I didn't need as much salt to keep my cool - (mixing metaphors). The academics were pleasantly constructive, but also I was lucky to have students at my table who were really interested, experienced and confident enough to ask questions and suggest literature. I think we had more of a discussion than previous years. I hope my fellow students thought so too. That sounds like a criticism of previous years' students, but I wonder if it was because this year I was at a table with people I hadn't met recently, or never met before. When you chat every week over coffee, you don't need to ask questions at a round-table session, but if you hardly ever meet, then you've more information to share.

There were more part-time students there than in previous years, which is good, because we don't get to meet them much. Their research is as interesting as the full-timers' but we don't know more than what is on their web pages, and if they don't write something there, you have only the topic title. See OUBS research students.

These get togethers allow sharing information. For example, a presenting student said something about using a survey, and someone else pointed out that the ESRC provides a survey bank of questionnaires, which presenting student hadn't known about.

I was somewhat startled that a part-time student said she knew my name and wanted to meet me. Her supervisor had told her to read my blog and what was the link? Wow! Thank you to her supervisor. Thank you to all my readers who share what I write. Some people find the blog from the OUBS research students web pages, which is where I've got a link. Those pages also have links that allow you to send private messages, if you want to contact OUBS research students.