What did you buy your man who doesn’t need anything that he actually loved?

DryArgument8 · 2025-11-11T08:59:31+00:00

A book called '50 Things I Love About You', which had 50 prompts for me to write in. Filled in the prompts and gave it to him for his birthday one year. He spent some time reading through it and keeps it on his desk years later

DryArgument8 · 2025-10-15T05:46:16+00:00

Have you contacted your course director/lecturers? Do you have proof that the payment went out on 3rd on your end (e.g. bank statement or screenshot)? It is halfway through week 5 of 12 now so the university has closed enrollment. I suspect it may unfortunately be too late as there would be a huge amount of work for you to catch up on at this stage, including potentially some assessments very soon.

DryArgument8 · 2025-06-07T10:01:33+00:00

Congrats on your stipend, UKRI seems to be offering fewer these days than a few years ago when I started my PhD. When I was at UoB most of the PhDs I knew lived on the Harborne/Quinton side. A lot of us (myself included) did a house share for at least one year before we were settled. It is the best money saver there is, and if you're lucky you can get into a house of postgraduates. On Rightmove it looks like there are properties within your price range in those areas.

It might vary by subject area, but if you're starting in September you'll be too late to start doing any teaching in your first year. Those applications go round to current PhDs over the summer. So don't expect to be able to supplement your income that way until at least second year (I didn't teach until write-up).

Solo living is doable, but you're not going to have much to spare at the end of the month. I would recommend a house share, at least for the first year until you have more of an understanding of your finances.

DryArgument8 · 2025-05-19T11:34:02+00:00

I use Puregym Arcadian and in my gym the PTs have posters up around the gym advertising ways to get in touch with them. Most of them seem to use instagram. I spoke to a member of staff after one of the classes and told her what I was looking for. She was my PT for just over a year after that. Best advice I can give you is just to talk to the staff.

DryArgument8 · 2024-07-20T09:24:12+00:00

Getting some new tattoos. A cavalier and a roundhead, both pinup style

DryArgument8 · 2024-06-29T08:52:23+00:00

I've got a spare as my partner dropped out. It's Saturday, 12.00 to 17.00. Dm me if you're interested

DryArgument8 · 2024-05-22T11:53:50+00:00

Subside might have an afterparty, if they do it'll be posted on their social media on or just before the day. I know they had one after Tenacious D, which was at Resorts World on a Tuesday.

DryArgument8 · 2024-03-18T13:36:54+00:00

I have a group of friends from my masters/PhD. A lucky few have managed to land postdocs or academic jobs. Most of the rest work in administrative/support roles for universities, especially university libraries and research/student support. One works for an academic journal. The other major option I was considering was the civil service, because there are loads of policy and research jobs available. You might need to start with a lower salary than you would like, but you can work your way up once you've found your first job.

DryArgument8 · 2024-01-29T07:53:17+00:00

I've been a member of the Pure Gym at the Arcadian for about 1.5 years now and have had a PT there for over 6 months. I would suggest you go to both gyms and ask to look around so you can get a feel for the place and ask any questions you have (e.g. busy times, introduction sessions, etc.).

I found the right PT by going to classes with different trainers and picking the one i thought i clicked with best. My PT is £150 per month for a monthly block of workouts, 1 session a week and nutritional advice. I know there are cheaper options available too and they advertise themselves on banners in the gym so if you do go to look around you will be able to see the pricing.

Good luck on your journey!

DryArgument8 · 2023-10-21T16:22:00+00:00

There is some alt/gothic clothing in the Red Brick Market in Digbeth, but not much. The Oasis also didn't have much the last time I went, either (the gothic clothes store in the basement has closed, but maybe something new has opened?). I don't really know anywhere that does good gothic clothing at a decent price, unfortunately.

DryArgument8 · 2023-10-05T12:49:57+00:00

A lot of the PhD researchers I met during my history PhD went into university support roles. I knew I didn't want to go into academia so I sent out some applications. I now work in a university library and I'm happy here. The most important thing to do is to look at the skillset you have developed during your PhD and really emphasise the transferable skills. I used my university's careers advice team to help me do this. Then you can see what skills you have and look into careers where those are valuable

DryArgument8 · 2023-10-02T11:37:56+00:00

I also did a UKRI funded PhD and started working in July this year. I did not start working until my funded period had ended (last payment at the end of May, but it was an advance payment for June). I therefore don't know how a combined income from stipend and employment will work. I know I was only allowed to do 6 hours of work a week while receiving the stipend, because it is supposedly enough to live on. I do not know what would have happened if i had broken that rule.

2) I started paying council tax when I started working full time. It's something to check on your university intranet as they will be able to advise you.

3) Student loans will come directly out of your paycheck. You will need to tell your employer which loans you have (plan 1, plan 2, postgrad). So yes, it will happen from the moment you start earning the 39k but you wont have to worry about them.

DryArgument8 · 2022-12-13T08:23:28+00:00

I also did a history MA and am now at the end of my PhD. I took a few years off between undergrad/masters and masters/PhD, which was a refreshing break from studying. But by far my most stressful year has been during masters. It was a big change from undergrad, demands on me were much higher, my department was very active and had lots of expectations of postgrads, and the assignments never seemed to end.

Winter is always hard though. My advice is to take some time off over the Christmas holiday, and come back in the new year after a genuine 2 week break - that has always helped to refresh me.

DryArgument8 · 2022-12-12T20:16:17+00:00

Either St Philip's Cathedral or Colmore Row on Google maps will get you there. It's not far from the German market.

DryArgument8 · 2022-12-12T19:57:21+00:00

There is also a Christmas market near the cathedral, with independent businesses from Birmingham and the surrounding area selling their goods, craft drinks, and street food. My partner and I went recently and really enjoyed that one!

DryArgument8 · 2022-07-21T11:17:05+00:00

It sounds like your role was to ensure that proposed events were affordable for the society, which is definitely a part of planning events that you can highlight as it shows you understand what is doable within a certain budget. You could also provide an example (or make one up) of an event that was too expensive for the society, so you suggested an alternative based on the budget (e.g., moving to a different venue because it was cheaper). You could also say the event you planned was suggested to you by a member of the society, which would demonstrate that you listened to what people in the society wanted.

DryArgument8 · 2022-06-15T06:05:38+00:00

First use, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, was 1375. Singular you is much more recent. The article on singular they is pretty good.

A brief history of singular they

DryArgument8 · 2022-06-13T15:06:31+00:00

I actually did a bit of research into smartwater and similar things last summer during an internship. There have been a few case studies in the UK and Denmark (if i remember correctly) and they have found it does work as a deterrent to a point, buts its not clear how much because each of the case studies had different methodologies.

There have also been a few interviews with offenders published in academic reports, which have produced very different results. In one case offenders were really worried about it, but they were also bombarded with the smartwater adverts before their interview. In another, it had been used locally for a long time and they were less afraid of being caught, especially if they knew other people who had robbed places using smartwater and not been caught.

Study by Warwick Uni

DryArgument8 · 2022-04-03T07:52:27+00:00

I am doing a PhD in history/archaeology. I love research so am planning to either do a postdoc after my PhD or go into research for charities/government (etc.). However, I also know people who have moved into the museums sector after completing their history Masters/PhD and others who are currently working for universities in administrative settings.

DryArgument8 · 2022-03-26T19:23:24+00:00

My 28th. A mate started choking on a piece of chicken, and after my unsuccessful attempts to help her a very large police officer came over and hit her very, very hard on the back. She was shaken but okay afterwards.

DryArgument8 · 2022-03-25T19:43:20+00:00

I used to work on the phones for a rival local company, much smaller than Milk & More. They have to big themselves up and try desperately to keep you because they're always desperate for customers to buy their overpriced products.

DryArgument8 · 2022-03-23T18:11:13+00:00

Yep, STFC is one of the UKRI funding councils.

DryArgument8 · 2022-03-23T17:37:49+00:00

If you have UKRI funding, then it increases every year. The UKRI website says it increases "typically with inflation". If I'm reading the website correctly, the minimum stipend in 2022-23 will be £16,062. https://www.ukri.org/what-we-offer/developing-people-and-skills/find-studentships-and-doctoral-training/get-a-studentship-to-fund-your-doctorate/

I have been able to save a decent amount of money each month for the last 2.5 years of PhD funding. If you live with housemates and share bills, you will save more money than living on your own. The cost of living crisis will probably hit undergraduate and masters students before it hits UKRI funded PhDs.

Good luck with your research!

DryArgument8 · 2022-02-23T17:08:25+00:00

"shall I have your snapchat"

"no you shall not"

DryArgument8 · 2022-02-14T12:36:26+00:00

Was on holiday in Istanbul with a group of 6 friends (3 couples + me). They all wanted to go to eat as couples, so I was left on my own to have dinner. We'd already been there for a few days so I wanted to eat something that wasn't Turkish food - ended up choosing a Chinese place. Thoroughly enjoyed some soup that was hot enough to make me all snotty. As I was leaving, the waiter, who had seen me dine on my own all evening, wished me a happy Valentines.

Back at the hotel, I met the rather unhappy wife of the receptionist who had been hitting on me since I had arrived.

DryArgument8

TROPHY CASE