PhD support group?

melancholly

feeling very sleepy still..... been faffing with emails but need to go drink tea before i can do anything that involves thinking!!
and beacuse i've been writing for a few weeks, my desk is now about 5 layers deep in papers which i need to organise... joy!

cupid_s

This is aimed at DrFluffy
So you have a molecular biology PhD. You're now doing a medical degree right?
Are you funding yourself through this? I at one point considered doing this but figured it would cost too much. Can you get any help with it financially?
Cheers

Heth_2

I'm fed up again this morning and finding it hard to summon up motivation. My supervisor left the university and emmigrated last week (as well as being on maternity leave for 6 months this year), I need to find a colour printer to print out my 2nd year upgrade paper, though I really can't be bothered to hand it in cos the person in charge in the department is rubbish, never gave any guidelines on the thing and I just can't be bothered. I'm so tempted to leave and see if anyone here noticed. It would probably take a while.

misskool

melancholly, at least it doesn't involve much thinking. I love the fact that shuffling papers looks like hard work is involved.

Heth: Print it out, but don't hand it in, see how long they take to notice. It's hard when supervisor has left,can you not transfer to another supervisor in the same department?
Where are you doing it and what are you doing your phd in?

I just discovered wireless internet in my lab. Rock n roll, I was upset when I left my cable at home this morning. but am less upset now. Little things.....

Heth_2

misskool wrote:

melancholly, at least it doesn't involve much thinking. I love the fact that shuffling papers looks like hard work is involved.

Heth: Print it out, but don't hand it in, see how long they take to notice. It's hard when supervisor has left,can you not transfer to another supervisor in the same department?
Where are you doing it and what are you doing your phd in?

I'm at Birmingham. I do have a second supervisor but have never really got on with him too well. He is busy teaching most of the year so then in the summer he hasn't really got a clue where I am at. I guess I thought it didn't matter when I started the phd that I didn't get on with him as my main supervisor was so good. Phd is in urban climate modelling, so involves loads of time fiddling with a model, stuck in front of a computer all day.

CrazyChemist_2

OK so you're in a different discipline to mine, but when I was at that stage I was able to ask anyone for help, not just my supervisor

misskool, no offense at all , but how on earth have you been doing a PhD for 3 years and only just realised there is a wifi network in the lab?!?!?? :rotfl: Most university buildings are wireless these days Women... :rolleyes: Oh do you find much chauvinism in your subject, you know, it being male dominated and all?? I did, and it was great :T

melancholly

here, every phd student has an advisor, who is not directly related to their work, but is assigned to be someone slightly external in case there are any problems with supervisors..... is there no-one like that in birmingham? the department has to give you support over your situation, but they might need it brought to their attention first! if you're already 2 thirds through it would be a real loss to just walk away.... although if you're really really hating it then maybe you could write up what you have as an MPhil?

melancholly

if only my building had wireless internet........ if only it had toilets that flushed properly.....!!

DrFluffy

cupid_stunt wrote:

This is aimed at DrFluffy
So you have a molecular biology PhD. You're now doing a medical degree right?
Are you funding yourself through this? I at one point considered doing this but figured it would cost too much. Can you get any help with it financially?
Cheers

Yes - I'm self funding. You do get student loans as a 2nd degree-er, but no fees help and no entitlement to the various grants available to 1st time undergrads.

I've been quite lucky this year in securing a fair bit of money from charitable sources. I guess that's the beauty of doing a doctorate - if you know how to put a good grant proposal together, then an application form for a bursary is less fraught!

misskool

Heth wrote:

I'm at Birmingham. I do have a second supervisor but have never really got on with him too well. He is busy teaching most of the year so then in the summer he hasn't really got a clue where I am at. I guess I thought it didn't matter when I started the phd that I didn't get on with him as my main supervisor was so good. Phd is in urban climate modelling, so involves loads of time fiddling with a model, stuck in front of a computer all day.

It may be a little too late but maybe you could still change supervisor to someone in your department who knows what you're doing and can help you out.
A non-academic mentor (if you have one!) could be very useful to talk to as well. I did my undergrad at Birmingham, I remember the student union was very good at helping students who were stuck in situations like you.

Birmingham's a great place to be in, I still try to get up there when I have time.