No worries Polkm.
Just to follow up......
The standard tax-free rate for a CASE PhD is as follows:
Year 1: £15,000
Year 2: £15,300
Year 3: £15,600
Basically if you're not on a CASE/Industrial PhD, subtract 3K off each of the wages stated above. And it's even better for an EngD.
Plus I get to do a bit of undergraduate lab demonstrating at £13.00 p/h. Not bad really. When I talk to mates who have gone into industry, most comment on what a good salary it is considering we are still classed as students. I generally pick up around £1400 a month, which covers my rent, food and beer!
The majority of companies I have already spoken with about future employment, including a few well known Aero companies, say that they see PhD research as "industrial experience". So when I graduate, I'll have +3 years industrial experience. I wouldn't have done a PhD otherwise.
What amazed me was that within around 6 months of starting I had two companies (both UK aero) asking me to get in touch in 2008 for a job, and that's excluding my sponsors. That was something I never expected.
But as G pointed out, you really have to want to do the research. Being in it for the Dr title is the wrong reason to be in it, and believe me, I’ve met a few of these title chasers in the past!
Most importantly….you can indeed live the student life. Today I felt like a lie in – so I had one. I also felt like leaving early to go for a few beers with the boys, so I did
I'll just make up for it tomorrow
All the best Polkm. Keep us updated.