PhD: Writing-up financial nightmare

melancholly

birduk wrote: »

I don't really get what you are complaining about? 'Normal' PhDs are three years and your funding stops after those three years. You also have to write up in those three years. It sounds like you have got to the end, thinking you had all this time to research and forgot that you had to write up in this time as well, which really sounds like bad planning. I have never known anyone that has needed a year full time to write up a PhD- it takes you 6 months to first work out what you are doing, in terms of the research at the beginning!

Have you got your 'contribution to knowledge'? Have you planned out your thesis? Do what every single other person has done in your situation for the last 20 years or so and go and get a job whilst you write up. It is hard, but it can be done- we have all done it. I have even taken holiday from my job so I can go to my viva.

Take the advice on board and see if you can find other funding options- but otherwise, just get a job.

somewhat harsh! i don't know anyone who finished within 3 years and 3+1 funding is increasingly common. it's meant to cover a masters plus the phd, which would give extra time to get a job and write up. the OP is talking about something else entirely. they were registered for the phd a year earlier than they should have done, meaning that they now have a very short time to write up and submit or they will be classed as failing! their 4 year max will be up artificially early due to some admin stupidity at their uni. you can 'easily' write up part time in a year - you can't do it so well using only a few weekends and evenings!

if you've done your phd, have a bit more empathy for the end bit of the write up! it's hideous and you can't think about much else. give the OP a bit of a break - it's hard to see the wood for the trees and they are clearly getting poor support from their department. i still remember the pain..... i feel for anyone else going through it!

misskool

birduk wrote: »

I don't really get what you are complaining about? 'Normal' PhDs are three years and your funding stops after those three years. You also have to write up in those three years. It sounds like you have got to the end, thinking you had all this time to research and forgot that you had to write up in this time as well, which really sounds like bad planning. I have never known anyone that has needed a year full time to write up a PhD- it takes you 6 months to first work out what you are doing, in terms of the research at the beginning!

Have you got your 'contribution to knowledge'? Have you planned out your thesis? Do what every single other person has done in your situation for the last 20 years or so and go and get a job whilst you write up. It is hard, but it can be done- we have all done it. I have even taken holiday from my job so I can go to my viva.

Take the advice on board and see if you can find other funding options- but otherwise, just get a job.

If only research knew how to stick to my deadline. :rotfl: Some people get lucky and can write up plus hand in, dead on 3 years. I spent an extra year on mine and published well from it so it was a good year spent.

Just step on someone when they're down don't you? I certainly hope you're not supervising any students of your own.

Voyager2002

WearyGeek wrote: »

I am coming to the end of the third year of my PhD, and am about to begin writing but have found myself unable to cope financially.

My circumstances are quite unusual, so apologies for the lengthy explanation!

SNIP

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

I think we need to define the problem more carefully:

Firstly, it is usual for a PhD student to be funded for three or four years, often with the '1 +3' arrangement, under which the first year is spent doing a Master's degree and then the three years are spent on the PhD. Very few students get more than four years, while many (such as me) only get three.

However, university regulations (reflecting pressure from the research councils) usually require PhD students to complete within four years of beginning their PhDs. So someone who does a Masters first would then be allowed another four years in which to do their PhD, although they normally only get funding for three of those years. In practice, not many students are able to complete a PhD within three years, and the kind of issues you mention (problems with supervision and laboratory practice) are not at all unusual: dealing with this kind of thing is part of the process of learning how to be a professional scientist and so deserving to have a PhD.

Thus you face two problems, each of which requires a separate solution:

1. your registration period is about to expire, and you do not believe that you will be able to submit before then. This has to be the most pressing problem, since missing the deadline means losing your degree. One solution would be to hurry up and submit some kind of thesis before the deadline; the other solution would be to seek assistance from someone like the Student Union or your head of department, in order to put right what is really an administrative mistake.

2. you need money to live on until your thesis has been completed. This is a problem that most PhD students face, although when you are working flat-out you don't have many opportunities to spend money and so can live on surprisingly small amounts. It should actually be possible to claim JSA so long as you are applying for academic or whatever jobs. Otherwise there are generally shifts available at Tesco and part-time work of a similar nature.

hur575

Hi,
I have finished my PhD and it was all self funded which I am paying the price now!!!I worked as demonstrator, lab tech etc in university and outside in other low paid jobs.
I understand you do not have time to work now but , as you have tight deadlines to submit and believe me any one that has done writing up will tell you it is the worse stage, so you don’t need other distractions in that period. My suggestions are

1. Get a loan, you said you were refused career development loan? Which reason were you given? Did you call them? Or though a branch and what was said, you should be able to get that unless they think your course is finished, because they fund 1yr course or longer.

2. Another loan you can enquire about is professional loan, they give you a loan and expect you to pay it back 9 months after .

3. Last option can you not put your course on hold? Basically some students who were having problems, personal or financial can put the course on hold so the time does not keep ticking, most finish write up in that period, not sure if it is possible in the writing up stage.

Best of luck

hur575

Voyager2002 wrote: »

It should actually be possible to claim JSA so long as you are applying for academic or whatever jobs. Otherwise there are generally shifts available at Tesco and part-time work of a similar nature.

Phd students not allowed to claim JSA as it is full time course, which means the person will not be prepared to get a full time position

Alcmene

Hi

I have gone through this so I know what you are experiencing, mine was 3 years though which I thought was the standard, and that included writing up.

My only suggestion would be to consider becoming a part-time student. This will give you more time to write up, and allow you to work and earn some money in the meantime.

Voyager2002

hur575 wrote: »

Phd students not allowed to claim JSA as it is full time course, which means the person will not be prepared to get a full time position

However, once the grant has run out it should be possible to declare that you are available for work. After all, soneone who has reached the write-up stage is not spending time going to lessons!

Voyager2002

Just for the record: once a research student has reached the write-up stage of a PhD, it is highly unlikely that the university would allow a change of registration from full-time to part-time status, nor a temporary interruption in the period of study. The pressure on the university to ensure that PhDs are completed within four years of registration is really strong.

birduk

misskool wrote: »

If only research knew how to stick to my deadline. :rotfl: Some people get lucky and can write up plus hand in, dead on 3 years. I spent an extra year on mine and published well from it so it was a good year spent.

Just step on someone when they're down don't you? I certainly hope you're not supervising any students of your own.

THat wasn't really my intent to be honest. Sorry if it seemed like that.

All I meant to say is that ALL PhD students have gone through this. We all panic at writing up time- that is why there is or should be something that is called a PROJECT PLAN! There must be a definate end to your research and a definate point at which you begin writing up. Three years into it when your funding has run out is not that point- and you don't have my sympathy if you have got yourself into this situation.

The fact is that the money has run out and the OP still needs to write up. Break it down into chapters- tell your supervisors when they might expect them and arrange meetings to discuss their comments. Nobody likes to recieve a completed thesis unexpectedly on their desk! Manage your managers! Otherwise this will go on indefinately.

You have no money, you need some. Get a part time job and write up in the evenings and your days off. It isn't rocket science!

birduk

PS Given all this admin palava (which I didn't really understand at first), wouldn't it be better to hand SOMETHING in at deadline time, then go for major corrections after your viva? Is there anyway round it that way?