Jenny Kingston is a final-year PhD student at Portsmouth University. Specialising in environmental analytical chemistry, she is working on a European Union funded study into sampling pesticides.

"I worked in industry for a few years before coming back to do a PhD as I wanted a challenge," she said. "Being left to my own devices came as a bit of a shock. But a PhD gives you an independence of thought that an undergraduate degree doesn't."

Although she is not required to teach, Ms Kingston, 32, supplements her income by taking demonstra-

tion classes for Pounds 8 per hour and was obliged to attend a one-day teacher train-ing course.

51³Ô¹Ï

She said: "We are paid for any mark-

ing we do. The good thing is that we can do as much as we please."

First-year PhD students complete a postgraduate cert-

51³Ô¹Ï

ificate in research methods, which covers experimental design and writing skills.

"We had to write a review of the literature in our subject area, which was helpful," she said. "It forced you to do all the neces-

sary reading right at the start."

Although she dreads the final write-up, Ms King-

ston is fairly con-

fident that she will submit her thesis on time. Intermediate assessments and presentations ensured that she kept to a schedule.

Regular feedback from her supervisor kept her on the right track.

51³Ô¹Ï

"You really do pass or fail on who supervises your research."

Ms Kingston plans to return to industry but regards her PhD experience as invaluable.