Thank you, clowning81, good luck to you too. I had a really bad day yesterday and couldn't work at all, but today I feel very focused.
Hopefully it will last. ;)

Thank you all for your replies.

Not everything I did is total crap, but there are holes, and some contradictions. I have two ISI publications, which makes me think I will pass, I am very dissappointed as a major experiment didn't come out well. I have been working on it until yesterday, trying to get things to make sense but nada. I feel very emotional in these last weeks and have a lot of breakdowns which make it harder to concentrate, and every time I have to discuss the findings of this last experiment I get a new breakdown...and then I have to find the strength and energy to keep going, which is only getting harder. A vicious circle.

Anyway, I better stop posting on this forum and try to write a bit on my stupid thesis...

Thanks again... In a perverted way it is nice to see that other people have similar problems.

Smilodon and sjo4 good luck with finishing!

Hi there,

I am supposed to hand in my thesis next week, or at the latest a week after that. I did a lab based phd and despite VERY hard work I got data that is difficult to interpret, and I find my arguments very weak. I am very unsatisfied with the end result for my thesis and very angry that I have spent 3 years to produce something of so little value. This makes me wanna quit, I feel my research is not worthy of a PhD title. Getting an extention is not an option. I already landed myself a job in the industry (:D) and I dont have the energy to pursue my PhD anymore. I find myself hiding under my desk and crying, screaming and breaking things...and the only thing that keeps me going is hoping that it will soon be over. Anyway, my question is: HAs anybody else been unsatisfied with the final product of their work. How did you prepare yourself for the defense? I fear that all the weaknesses of my work will be revealed and everything will collapse...

yeah not really, because if you socialise with the people from your lab you end up talking about or thinking about work. I am sick and tired of my project (I have less than a month left) and I prefer to spend time with my friends rather than my colleaugues. I have become a bit cynical on the way and talking to freshman phd's that have the illusion they will change the world makes me tired. It's not that I dont like them though, so I try to be nice:)Hm...that post ended up being rather bitter...but I am a bit angry today.

Hey there,

I would also suggest approaching them, this is the only way to get out of the situation. A couple of questions to understand your situation better: 1) Are the other members more years into their srtudy? That can make some people less eager to socialize, meet new people etc. It's not because they are bad or don't like you but maybe they don't have the energy to make the effort...so again you should make it. 2) Are you very different from the rest of the group in terms of culture, age, sex etc?

I hope you will talk to them and find out it is just a stupid misunderstanding. Good luck!