PhD Students

Ziggy_Stardust

Looking for advice from PhD students. Do you ever get totally fed up and feel like withdrawing from it? I really enjoy my research area but hate all other bits with it like PDRs and compulsory workshops. I also hate networking with other non PGR students, I have had someone look down his nose and scoff at me. My supervisor says (nicely) I need to toughen up but the whole thing is turning into a love/hate relationship . I am self-funded so that does make life easier for me to drop it.

bitsandpieces

Most PhD students will get fed up at various points. Research training courses can be fairly boring, though you may find some of the RT courses you like more. Even if you hate them, though, I'd just look on them on something you have to do in order to carry on with you're research. They'll take a lot of time in your first year and then - at most places - you'll be pretty much done with RT. Gives you something to put on your CV, and tbh I've seen far worse courses in industry and elsewhere

Networking can be awkward/painful. While it's useful to network, you're not likely to be spending that much of the time you're writing your PhD doing this (if anything, this tends to be relatively solitary work). Can you grin and bear it, for what networking there is?

People can be harsh/condescending. Maybe try not to take this personally; in some institutions, a particular debating style is almost part of the culture...it may well be nothing against you/your work personally. Of course, you will find some people who you don't like and/or who don't like you in almost every workplace... It sounds like you have a supportive supervisor, which helps.

Doing a PhD has lots of frustrations attached. You need to decide if the frustrations are worthwhile, given the parts of the research you do enjoy (and, of course, the fact that you stand to get a PhD at the end of this). I'm sure that you have other options - and, if self-funding, you're not tied to a studentship - but bear in mind that any workplace will involve some frustrations, so you need to think about how a PhD compares to that...

Actually - did you just start this academic year? If so then - assuming there are no big financial implications of hanging in there for a couple of months - I'd really suggest you do so: you'll hardly have started yet, will still be in the early flurry of meeting people, starting RT courses, etc., so it makes sense to get a better idea of what the PhD will involve before you think about leaving.

melancholly

yes to pretty much all of that!! but the boring courses do become important when proving why you have the 'required' and 'desirable' attributes required on job descriptions..... academia is also full of people who can be condescending (and it gets worse with the whole process of anonymous peer review!) - it really isn't personal very often.... a lot of people just have poor social skills!

there are always up and down times during a phd - but the isolation can make the downs seem nasty (been there, done that!)! the most useful part of networking can be to meet other students in the same position who can go and have a drink with you and whinge! it's a great coping mechanism (the peer support, not the drinking!).

try not to get overwhelmed - but having been there, i know you have tough times. online whinging can help a great deal!

DrFluffy

I remember the 18 month blues very well... I think most people go through it. It does all get better though, promise (well until you hit writing up blues!)...

Ziggy_Stardust

Thanks everyone its warming to know I'm not on my own with these feelings. I'm a part-time student doing the second year of year 1 at the moment. Last year was a bit hit and miss as my daughter developed quiet a serious medical condition and was in hospital. This caused me to miss some of my lectures for a couple of modules so it was agreed that I could re-do them this semester but one of the module tutors is being very awkward with me and ignoring my requests to sit in on the lectures again. I have also tried contacting the student rep about other minor stuff and she never replies and I never find out when they have meetings for the PGR students. Plus the thought of presenting papers fills me with dread, I don't know how I'm going to cope with that! I guess these few things and the boring workshops are getting me down. I'm meeting up with my supervisor for a coffee and chat about it all tomorrow and we'll see where it goes. Sorry to moan but thanks for listening .

cupid_s

DrFluffy wrote: »

I remember the 18 month blues very well... I think most people go through it. It does all get better though, promise (well until you hit writing up blues!)...

This is what everyone said to me. And they were wrong in my case. It does get better for most people but not all. The 4 years I spent doing my PhD were the worst 4 years of my life (despite loving my topic and most of my work friends etc etc) and I would do anything to get them back. Ok I'm Dr_cupid_s now and that's great but how I got through it I don't know and it made me serously ill on more than one occasion.

In contrast to DrFluffy I loved writing up and it was the only bit of my PhD that went pretty much without hiccups (apart from it taking my supervisor 6 months to read every chapter I gave him and me almost missing my deadline as result). I

I do completely agree that most people get these feelings at some point, but how do you know if it's just a short term thing or if you're really not cut out to do a PhD?

Sorry - I'm sure this really isn't helping.

Ziggy_Stardust

I went to see my supervisor yesterday and as always she was lovely, I really lucking having her. We agreed that I will follow the MPhil route and see how things are in January and how I feel then. At least I feel less pressured with the MPhil and as I really want to work in research and not lecture it may be a better route for me.

whitfreak

While I don't do a phd, I know you are not alone in your feelings. http://www.phdcomics.com/ is a webcomic that many graduate students find helpful in reminding them that they aren't alone in thier problems. Their forums are also a good place to find advice or to just rant a little, even if its all alitte too US-centric.

janine22

Don't worry - I feel like that myself at the moment.

Academics can be intimidating (and have poor social skills as previously stated), but my current problem is overwork and social isolation as a result. There are few people who you can speak to in detail about the subject matter of your research and it can be lonely.

I'm at pretty much the same stage as you (but recently converted to full-time). If it makes you feel better to go for the MPhil at this stage, then do so. You may feel better about taking it to PhD by Jan though. Good luck anyway

Anyone got any tips for students adjusting to the transition from part to full time? I miss having a job.

Ziggy_Stardust

I've bookmarked the comic I'll have good look at it after . I agree with you about the isolation Janine, I'm trying to get a desk at my school but they are like gold dust.

pboae

You might also want to have a read through of this http://greenbooks.theonering.net/moonletters/creative/files/tw081503_06.html
Dave Pritchard's article on Lord of the Rings as an allegory for a PhD. It's scarily close to my PhD experience.

PhDs seem to be as much about endurance as anything else. It must be harder still if you are part time. You need to find a way to contact some of the other grad students there for support. There are probably other part timers who feel exactly the same as you too.