PhD support group?

DrFluffy

celyn90 wrote: »

I don't know why scientists are made to work so hard! I'm not even sure what I'm going to do with the DPhil when it's done! :rotfl: :rotfl:

You could do what I did with my D.Phil - I left science :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Well, partially! Interested in academic medicine, so will go back to some degree of research!

So, where are you? Oxford, Sussex or York (do York still do D.Phils? Hear a rumour they were going over to the dark side of the PhD )

magyar

DrFluffy wrote: »

You could do what I did with my D.Phil - I left science :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Well, partially! Interested in academic medicine, so will go back to some degree of research!

So, where are you? Oxford, Sussex or York (do York still do D.Phils? Hear a rumour they were going over to the dark side of the PhD )

Oi!

Out of interest I left science eventually, although it did take me six years or so. I've ended up a businessman... :sigh:

celyn90

DrFluffy wrote: »

You could do what I did with my D.Phil - I left science :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Well, partially! Interested in academic medicine, so will go back to some degree of research!

So, where are you? Oxford, Sussex or York (do York still do D.Phils? Hear a rumour they were going over to the dark side of the PhD )

I'm thinking of defecting too... I was offered places to do medicine after my degree but decided to do a DPhil (oxford) instead - I was just nervous of leaving my field and didn't think I'd make a good doctor as I was quite shy at the time (although this has got better with age!). I'm beginning to think I should have thought a bit more before deciding now though! :rotfl: I've been looking at law conversions recently, but I'm just really not sure about the future. I've got a year and a half left to decide I guess.

I enjoy science; I just don't enjoy what I'm doing now and I think I've forgotten how to sleep!

cupid_s

No-one's posted here for a while. I hope that means everyone is doing well. Better than me anyway. I'm just stressed and not sure what to do - I need to learn a new technique it is vital - apparently (I know it is and that just makes it worse). But I have literally been trying for months and I just can't do it and I don't know why. I have watched people in other labs do it and I think 'it looks easy' and I know it should be but it won't happen for me. I've been using different equipment today in case that is a problem and I tried for ages. Then the guy from the lab did an example for me. It worked fine, but in the 5 hours since then, nothing. I just wanna cry.

Every day that I waste doing this there other things I should be doing and can't as I don't have time. Half of me feels on the verge of giving up (I'm supposed to be finishing in september!) cos I can't do this one stupid thing and can't see how I ever will be able to.

Sorry for the rant I needed to vent I think. I'm going off to try yet again. Fingers crossed eh

melancholly

just up to my eyeballs in work - and at the end of patience with some undergrad students.......... but nothing much new!

much chocolate is being eaten and much sleep is being lost - good luck with the technique!

celyn90

Same here, no time to think or sleep. I'm stuck between collaborators now too - I'm working somewhere else, commuting each day and still trying to keep up with the synthesis. I just want to scream. There are 24 hrs in the day and yesterday I was at work for 18 of them - I need some sleep but I can't because I'm so hyper and my head is spinning.

A mate of mine had a gem from the undergrads though - a student came up to her with a flask and said "I haven't got any product from my reaction". She took the flask and looked at it, then said "but there are all these crystals in here, what do you mean you have no product" answer from the student: "but they were there when I started the experiment" :wall:

Best of luck with your technique cupid, hope it works for you

cupid_s

celyn,
would it be really that bad if you only (god forbid) worked for 11/12 hours a day.

I have often done 15 hour days but not all the time and I am in my final year. I get around working shorter days (i.e. only 9-7) by working saturdays and only taking one week of holiday a year (holdiday, what's that? you're probably all thinking!) But I prefer that to the thought of working 15 hour days every day. I know it will get a lot worse for me before it gets better and I know I'll overrun but I made myself ill doing so much last year. Can you not just take a step back and slow down for your own benefit?

celyn90

I'm going away over Easter which will be great - only for a few days, but I'm looking forward to it so much! :rotfl:

melancholly

celyn90 wrote: »

I'm going away over Easter which will be great - only for a few days, but I'm looking forward to it so much! :rotfl:

i have promised myself not to reply to emails at all over the easter weekend (my OH can't understand why i would check them in the first place!)

enjoy the break!

celyn90

melancholly wrote: »

i have promised myself not to reply to emails at all over the easter weekend (my OH can't understand why i would check them in the first place!)

enjoy the break!

Me too! (I might even mail myself some spectra so my inbox is full :rolleyes: ) And my phone's not set up for international roaming either so my boss can't contact me that way either (he's been known to phone/txt at all hours in the past :eek: )... Hope you have a good break too!