So it begins

About a month ago I started looking for a position as a PhD student (more on this process later). After a while I found a scholarship at Oxford. Deadline was only about 10 days after I found the ad, and I didn't have much experience with most of the rather specific "things that will be an advantage". Still decided to apply because the topic seemed so interesting, and I had a solid background in the research area. Wrestled with the 15 page application form and got three professors to submit a reference within two days of asking them.

One week later, I get a reply that I am invited for an interview. Since I don't live in the UK, I'm offered a phone interview.

A few days ago at 10am, I had the phone interview with them. Nervous as hell, only slept two hours. At 10:04 I answer my mobile phone, and am barely able to hear anything through the noise. Just enough to agree for them to try again. Second try: less noise, still far from perfect with occasional noise bursts and echoes. It will have to do. Four people on the other side of the phone: three professors and an administrator, but I'm mainly talking to my potential supervisor.

Then the questions start:

• "Why did you apply for this position"
• "Tell us about your Master thesis", including a short discussion with one of the other professors on the (dis)advantages of the technique I'm using vs one he's suggesting.
• "Tell us about your Bachelor thesis", since the topic for that was closer to the one I'm applying for. Some nasty questions about details I really can't remember after two years.
• More background, now about what topics were treated in various courses. Followed by a rather specific question, which I almost certainly answered incorrectly, but manage to blurb out something reasonably relevant anyway.
• What work from their group did I read? (I mentioned I read something in my answer to the first question)
• Probably some more questions I forgot.
• Opportunity for me to ask questions. I ask him to tell me some things about the research groups, how many others are in it and what do they research, as well as about the co-supervisor who was mentioned in the description of the position.
• Final question about why I want to go in this direction.
• Told that I will hear from them today or tomorrow.

24 minutes after it starts, the interview ends, and I am left with all the thoughts about how I could have done better on this or that question.

Around 5:30pm, I get an email in which I'm being offered the position. Five minutes later I accept.

So begins an exciting and challenging 3+ years of my life.
Moving abroad, with everything involved in that. Away from friends and family, off to a strange place. And with that I think I have something interesting to blog about.

I'll start October 1st, so won't be moving for a while yet. In the meantime I'll blog about all the things I need to arrange before that, and possibly just about random other topics.