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struggling with my PhD advisor
H

This sounds like an incredibly unfortunate situation to be in. When you say that the university "refuses to find another supervisor", are they being serious that there is nobody else who can replace her? Or is it that they simply do not want to help you look for another one?
When I was about 20 months into my research, I requested a new supervisor on the grounds of conduct unbecoming of a PhD supervisor (ie. he was bullying me and deliberately excluding me from opportunities given to his other PhD students, among other things) and after I showed him evidence to support my claims the wheels were immediately put in motion to have him removed from my panel and find a new supervisor.
My new supervisor is a massive improvement over my old one, although I have a sneaking suspicion that my former supervisor continues to blacklist me to people in the same area of research to me. But there are ways around him. You may need to find side doors around this monster, I can't believe that she is the be all and end all. Nobody is.

In a complicated affair with supervisor
H

I know this is an old thread, BUT I agree that there will be tears before bedtime in this scenario. At my current institution there have been numerous rumours (albeit unsubstantiated) that a male senior academic has affairs with his PhD students. These are based on the undeniable fact that all of his students are young, moderately attractive women. Regardless of whether he is having affairs with them, it is inappropriate due to the numerous opportunities these women are offered compared to other people.

As for the man babygirl is having an "emotional" affair with, having an affair with a married man is dangerous enough. When he's you PhD supervisor, this is career suicide.

Is this a sign I should leave academia?
H

Hi Jambo,

First of all, well done on earning your PhD! I am so envious of you!

Now, regarding your actual concern about feeling like you're doomed in academia, I think that it might be too soon to be calling that. I too have noticed that certain students are offered more opportunities than others and that can really make you feel inferior because I have been feeling that way too. There are people who simply receive offers because of who their supervisor is, not because they are really that good. Others are extremely pushy. In the long run you might need to consider looking at another university if you wish to stay in academia should your situation really turns out to be that dire.

With your PhD earned, you're already further ahead than the departmental pets who have not. Remember that, always.

Final year support thread
H

Hello all!
New member and first time blogger.
I received some general comments from my primary supervisor about my first complete rough draft, and there's a lot of work that needs to be done. I appreciate that it's my first complete rough draft and at least two of the chapters was my first attempt to draft them at all, but I still felt a little gutted and blaming myself for not taking more time. My maximum submission date is September this year, but time goes by so quickly and I don't want to lose a moment. Is anyone else experiencing doubt about their abilities and all the rest?