Yeah, I've also heard that most students get their thesis data in the last six months of their phD.. but it's hard to see others generating data they could use for thesis if they wanted to, while I've got nothing.

About it being worth at the end - I am not so sure as well.. I mean I love science and problem solving and I've worked both in great labs and great companies.. yet, all this experience makes me seriously doubt if I want to become a part of all this..

Doing a phD is supposed to be the hardest thing you've done so far.. I just wish for a supervisor that would make it easier not harder ;)

Fingers crossed, you manage to get good data soon Kikothedog!

And good luck in your PhD, enzyme! Glad you've got a good supervisor, don't forget that you are very lucky to have him/her :)

Hi

I'm half way through my phD (human biology) in a well established university under a supervision of an influential supervisor. Ever since the beginning, I have had negligible support/guidance from my supervisor. Initially, there was a post doc in the lab working on the same project. But after he quit (just didn't show up at work one day), even though it's a big lab, there's noone really working in my research area.

I've been trying to set up a system that I could then use to generate the data, however, so far I haven't succeeded due to various technical difficulties. To make it worse, recently someone published an article covering all my phD project and more. This basically means that I have to scrap everything I have been doing and do something different. So right now I am two years in and I do not have a single figure I could use for my thesis.

My supervisor doesn't give me any guidance on what I could do next, he just keeps on repeating things like 'we need data' and 'you need to work harder, I don't see throughput'. I've mentioned the lack of supervision to my review panel but they just tell me to discuss it with my supervisor.. I also can't really complain officially as my supervisor is just too influential and complaining will probably just get me in trouble.

I've got some ideas on what I could do next and I have already started working on them, but I feel that I am not experienced enough to 'supervise myself' and would really need guidance on how to proceed, So I am feeling really stressed out and miserable, left alone fearing that next time my supervisor will show any interest in my work will be in two years when he'll realise I've got nothing and will fail me.

So I just really want to hear if anyone has been in similar situations and how have they handled it..


Thanks :)

Zenx