The MPA wants to know how well full-time research postgrads are travelling, financially speaking.

It will take less than a minute* to answer our three simple questions on how you fund your studies, and give the MPA some useful information to use when lobbying the university to improve support for research postgraduates.

* New members will have to register first.

I chose "no effect" because I wanted an option of 'both positive and negative effects', and 'no effect' was the closest. The positives are that it increases my connection to academics, and also gives me the opportunity to learn from them, and also it's good for my CV. The negatives are that it really does take time away from my PhD. I didn't want to choose one or the other, however.

Is it true that our scholarships are increasing from the base 20K to 23K next year?

I have it on good authority that the APA is going up next year. That said, with all the hoo-haa over the student amenities fee and the amount of smoke surrounding the Bradley report findings, I'll just sit back & wait.

Since the survey engine is, of necessity, quite limited, I think we can only answer as best we can and then put riders in our posts. This, of course, does away with any anonymity.

Well I tried sending an email to meowrrr@med.monash.edu.au but it bounced back.

I, too, think part-time work has its positives and negatives. Positives include financial survival, of which I am solely responsible (I could not survive on the scholarship alone, pay rent, eat, see friends, pay for internet access at home, run a car, etc.). Also having important working relationships that have nothing to do with Uni, and the security of knowing I have employment options post-Uni should I have trouble finding full-time ongoing work once I finish studying. Another big plus is I have a break from the study that I can justify (earning $$$), which helps to keep me fresh, and gets me away from the desk on those days when it's not going so well.

The only negative is losing rhythm when the study is going well, and I have to get up from the desk to go to work. But this is definitely outweighed by the positives.

I would like to register my dissatisfaction with the limits imposed on working - not the max number of hours, which I think is fair, but with when. I understand that students in lab-based work (the sciences, nursing) need to be at Uni for most of their study, but for the rest of us, the ability to be flexible with work and study hours should be a right. The current time requirements suggest that students should be at Uni or their desk 9-5, 4 days a week, working in paid employment mostly after hours and on weekends. Most of this work would therefore be in bars/restaurants, telemarketing and other evening employment, little of which would be very satisfying, be available to older students (higher wages), or lead to long-term job prospects in our fields of study. I think this attitude is out-dated. In my experience of Uni life so far, and of academics I know, a lot of research work is done after hours and on weekends. Libraries and archives are often open still at that time, and internet research can be done at any time. I think the time restrictions on postgrad work should reflect this.

lol KizzyKat - theres always the message box uptop^^

Oh I know that Meowrr - I was just pointing out to Bryan that there IS some degree of privacy using this type of forum software.

And (just to get back on more serious topic) I think Tuesday makes a very valid point.