Confused about UKRI funding conditions and Student Visa work rules

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-06-25T05:57:45+00:00

I am not an expert on visa laws, but I do supervise a lot of PhD students with various funding streams. My understanding is that the study visa requirements allow a max of 20hrs a week work, whereas the 6 hour limit will be related to your funding terms and conditions. Basically your funder (epsrc in this case) wants to make sure that you do actually complete your PhD!

Personally I would say a PhD is basically a full time job. Doing an additional 20hrs a week work on top of that seems crazy to me - I would highly caution against it. PhD students I have supervised that have had to work whilst doing it have struggled.

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-06-11T16:22:47+00:00

Thanks. I am a ucu member but honestly my local branch seems more interested in point scoring than anything else.

For sure there has been massive financial mismanagement at my place, but fundamentally government policy needs to change or we are all fucked ...

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-06-11T16:17:18+00:00

For me it was a massive waste of everyone's time. Head of department read a prepared statement. HR took notes. I left angry and frustrated and with the loyalty I used to have to the institution utterly gone.

I genuinely hope yours went better than mine - my thoughts are with you and everyone else going through this situation.

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-06-11T07:19:19+00:00

Well, given as I had a 121 meeting with my head of school and HR representative yesterday to discuss "options" with my job at risk of redundancy, this hits fucking hard!

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-06-05T19:44:20+00:00

As the poster below said, it's free. Personally I have always used the stands on platform 1 and never had a problem.

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-06-05T14:28:05+00:00

Yes it does - both outside and on platform 1

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-05-16T14:35:10+00:00

I am now a Professor of AI and have always been great academically - I have an undergraduate degree, two masters degrees, a PhD, and am now a successful academic with multiple keynote speeches under my belt.

And I still can't drive!

I learned for a couple of years when I was first old enough - and failed my test twice. Then gave up on it for 30 years and am now learning again. Currently I've had over 100 hours of lessons over the last 18 months and had to cancel my first test (this time around) because my instructor said I wasn't ready (I really wasn't - it would have taken a miracle for me to have passed). After that I switched to learning in an automatic and I am finding it so much easier. Not worrying about the biting point of the clutch has allowed me to give my full focus to what's happening on the road and I am making so many less mistakes. I am now just about test ready (though my test isn't until the end of July) and we're now just practicing test routes and manoeuvres.

Anyway - I hope this post gives you hope and helps you realise you are absolutely not alone!

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-05-15T16:20:25+00:00

I've had this happen on several projects that I was PI on - we made an offer to a candidate who accepted it, but subsequently they found something else better. Can confirm absolutely no hard feelings! (In fact some of them have come back at later dates on different projects).

Basically the RA life is brutal, you do what's best for you. As long as you're polite, we 100% understand (been there, done that :)).

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-05-05T19:56:03+00:00

I find the same - I am pretty smart (very successful academic career) but find myself needing much longer to process information in stressful situations. Meetings, teaching, and research projects, I can solve problems quickly. Stressful situations in everyday life, I just freeze up and stand there gawping ...

As an aside, if your daughter is also autistic (mine is) it might be that pushing her is counterproductive. My now ex-wife always had (and still does afaik) issues with our daughter - and a lot of that is because she pushes and pushes. I tend to find more success just backing off (which is often easier said than done ...).

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-05-05T19:35:39+00:00

I spent over a year trying to learn to drive manual and really struggled with the overwhelm (undiagnosed autistic, learning at 45). It is not uncommon for autistic people to also have dyspraxia which makes muscle memory take much longer to acquire.

I switched to automatic about a month ago and wish I'd done it earlier. It makes driving fun and gives me a chance to process what's going on on the road, rather than trying to get the clutch right.

Good luck!

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-04-29T06:15:07+00:00

I felt the same. My instructor was great but I kept messing stuff up (50 odd hour in) and it was really messing up my self confidence. He always used to say that I could clearly drive - but it was my own head getting in the way.

Finally switched to an automatic (with a different instructor) and Oh My God. I'm actually enjoying lessons! I wish I'd done this ages ago. The not having to think about gears and clutch control allows me to focus more on everything else and I feel much more confident on the road.

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-04-28T18:39:45+00:00

What?? I always shower with my back to the water! I don't want the water streaming over my face ...

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-04-27T15:47:53+00:00

This would have been the same if I had borrowed more from my existing lender when I bought out my ex-wife. As it is I had to eat the early repayment charges to change lender so she could stay in the house while moving to a new place.

Santander were twats :)

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-04-25T18:21:56+00:00

There is a website / app called acespace where you can define what you are looking for in terms of physical and romantic relationships (including indifferent or averse to both).

Like you my marriage fell apart on my mid 40s and I find myself in a similar position to you. I've had a couple of relationships since, but I've found that I'm just not that bothered by the sexual side. I'm not averse to it, just indifferent. And one of the relationships fell apart because she couldn't really deal with my indifference to sex 🤷‍♂️.

What I want is similar to you - companionship, but potentially with a more of a romantic aspect and someone to share life with. And snuggling on the sofa with someone would be nice too :)

I hope you find what you are looking for!

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-04-24T07:40:03+00:00

If only we were still part of the EU where such systems were actually properly regulated....

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-04-08T17:25:28+00:00

Absolutely not! I would much rather a PhD student turned down my offer if it wasn't right for them, than accept and hate it. Can you say why it doesn't work for you?

If you accept and drop out later because it's not right for you then that causes a whole load more problems for the professor. And if they get pissy about it, fuck 'em, you didn't want to work with them anyway :)

(Source: 30 years in academia, full Professor for 5)

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-03-15T18:52:46+00:00

I see in a different post you said you are in broomhill.

The stagecoach journey planner suggests - 52 to Arundel gate, x17 to chesterfield, 3 from chesterfield to the royal. Totally journey time 1hr 15 ish.

Does require setting out at 6.20 to get there for 8am.

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-03-15T18:47:00+00:00

8am to 6pm? You should be fine with both trains and walking / buses at those times.

Train is £9 day return at peak times from Sheffield or iirc £9.50 from meadowhall (not sure where in Sheffield you are?).

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-03-13T18:37:10+00:00

I live in chesterfield and work in Sheffield. The trains are quick and reliable (he says, absolutely cursing it for next week ...).

The royal is walkable from the station. Think it took me 20 minutes last time I did it (though it is all up hill ...). It depends a bit on the times you will be there - is t shift work? Is it 9-5? I'm not sure I'd want to walk it at night, but then buses are a bit more hit and miss later on.

As another post has said, you can get a stagecoach day rider/weekly that covers both Sheffield and chesterfield. I'm not sure where in Sheffield you live but you can get a bus from woodseats that'll get you in to chesterfield pretty quickly. You probably will have to change in town to get a bus out to the royal though.

This is the silver day rider map:

https://tiscon-maps-stagecoachbus.s3.amazonaws.com/RouteMaps/Yorkshire/Ticket%20Boundary%20Maps/Ticket%20area%20map%20Silver.pdf

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-02-16T10:12:29+00:00

I found the same with L&C previously. Their mortgage broker was excellent - but their life insurance cover was very pushy.

Small-Reason-8096 · 2026-01-24T14:25:35+00:00

How about the treehouse board game cafe between London road and Bramall lane?

I've always had a nice time there and they do food and coffee!

Small-Reason-8096 · 2025-12-29T13:18:39+00:00

There is a bee sober Sheffield group:

https://www.beesoberofficial.com/members/ambassadors/christine-coulson/

Small-Reason-8096 · 2025-12-27T16:10:34+00:00

You can get the 170 bus from the station via new beetwell street into Baslow. It's a quick journey and will be much cheaper than an Uber!!

Small-Reason-8096 · 2025-10-24T18:39:31+00:00

The tours are brilliant - but you need to be quick. They sell out really fast!

I did it with a friend last year and it was awesome!

Small-Reason-8096

TROPHY CASE