u/Solid_Resource2832

Hi.

I'm an incoming post-grad student and I wanted to ask about an orchestra I could join.

I was going to join the postgraduate orchestra, but I think it's on a Tuesday, which is the night my college does their talk with a dinner event that I'd like to go to.

I'm looking for an unauditioned orchestra that meets once a week that I can play in to relax and get back into playing my violin. (I've got grade 8 but I'm rather out of practice!)

Does anyone know if there are orchestras (either uni, college or city) that I could look into joining?

Thanks!

I was stressing out about a big report I've got to write.

Guy I was talking to: "why are you so stressed by writing a report?"

Me: "I find it hard. I have dyslexia."

Him: "what does that matter?"

🤦

I just needed to share with some people who'd understand how this feels.

I find it quite hard to explain to people how dyslexia affects me (partly because I have word finding difficulties, due to my dyslexia!).

Hi,

So I've ended up in a surreal situation where I suddenly (was organised yesterday) have a DPhil interview tomorrow for a chemistry position at Oxford.

Suffice to say, I am underprepared. I applied before Easter to the position (was advertised) and didn't hear anything back so assumed they past over my application. Got an email on Friday afternoon from the supervisor asking for an interview. I had deleted the advertised post as I thought it was past the deadline, so I don't even have the advert to refer to!

I'd appreciate people's experience with DPhil interviews particularly:

What can I expect?

How long are the interviews normally?

What kind of questions are common (I'm assuming technical, subject specific questions)?

Also, I am unsure how collage allocations work this close to the start of the year, and how/if I can sort out accommodation (that is within DPhil stipend budget) this close to the start of term. So any experience advice about that would be appreciated too!

Thank you

Important context:

So I'm currently doing a 3-month project as part of my MSc. I'm working with a postdoc in my supervisor's group (he's very busy, only briefly seen the guy once or twice).
I don't think the postdoc and I are on the same wavelength and I don't feel like he's particularly understanding me. He seems to think I'm nervous and not confident in the lab (I'm perfectly fine, I've worked with more dangerous substances in my undergrad and when I was a lab tech before this masters). He keeps telling me to relax when we're talking about the project in the office. I'm just sitting in a chair, I am relaxed??? There are some other little things that make me feel he's not reading me right.

Main problem:

We were given a document about the project from the module convenor that had a section on health and safety during the project (all very standard). Honestly, it's not the clearest what some of the sections actually mean and how they translate to the actual lab environment. Key ones for this problem is "lone working strictly forbidden" and "if working with carcinogens you need to sign a form.

In the lab, the ligand we're using is a carcinogen and he keeps leaving me alone. I brought up the lone working, and he interpreted it as I was scared to be left alone. After he left me to do PRXD on my own (which is downstairs, along a corridor and in a side room, and I haven't been trained on it, he just showed me what buttons to click), I messaged him with screenshots of the document and sent the document to say "this is what I've been told I have to do but it's not what you are following".

I don't want to get in trouble. This is the last part of my masters and I need to get a high mark for the PhD programmes I have been looking at doing. There's a legal obligation to follow health and safety regulations. This is why I bought it up, and I just want to be clear what the health and safety regulations are and how they're applied in this lab.

Today I got a message from the postdoc basically telling me I'm not going to do any of the synthesis anymore. It's a mainly synthetic chemistry project. I am confused and honestly, feeling rather insulted.

I know I need to ask the postdoc about this and also have a meeting with my supervisor but I am not very confrontational and I find in meetings I get misinterpreted or dismissed.

I'd appreciate advice on how to handle this and how to communicate with the postdoc and with the supervisor. I don't want to cause issues but also I shouldn't be feeling uncomfortable about being in the lab.