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AGRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH i am going insane
D

AGRHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have ojne supervisor who is jetting round the world.
The other one who is ill and will only help me if i research what she wants.
A new advisor who wont help me until shes discussed with the above two (who arent free until late december) what her role will be in my PhD. Until then I am on my own. I know that after that I wil have to change everything ebcause they have decided to take their fingers out.

I know a phd is meant to be independent - but i just want some support and encouragement. My supervisor who is jettign round the world keeps sending me to conferences. I just want to be supervised!
AGRHHHHHHHHHHH

Sorry for the rant.

conferences and sightseeing
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i think that its to be expected!!!! I went to houston with my supervisor and we skipped a day and went to NASA, anoter conference, my other supervisor told me to go out shopping etc.

I think that if you plan your time well you could go sight-seeing etc. I am going to one next week and that conference has organised sight seeing as part of the schedule.

You will not be interested in everysijngle talk etc.
Go to the dinners etc as thats when you'll get the most networking done. Theyre meant to be fun - so enjoy it!

PhD, how to know if you cut the mustard?
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if you want to do it - you will do it. I believe the P in PhD is all about Perserverence. If you dont want it - you will not get it. I couldn't or wouildnt want to see myself doing anything else. But thats only on reflection! Its not easy at all.

scary scary scary scary
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it has just dawned on my how much work i need to get done, along with demonstrating, extra uni stuff and doing a phd ... oh yeh i should have a life. I am so scared at how much needs to be done. I want to take on more as well but i have just realised i need to learn the art of saying no thanks. AGRH.

So what i want to know is how you all manage your time...??? any tips or techniques???

your supervision session
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what do you all cover in your supervision sessions? Do you discuss progress etc????? How often do you all meet? What is meant to be the aim of supervision sessions. It seesm i only meet up with the supervisor to see her for the sake of seeing her.

Quitting after first year
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i think judging by those in the lab who started at the same time as me .... this is normal!!!!! Its because you feel out of your depth.... i think that if you make a list or an action plan of what has to be done and by when.... then things may seem better.

i cant sleep
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its 4:15 am. Why cant I sleep. All i can think of is the phd...supervisors and life. AGRH

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
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i sent an email to her last night sayign that i refuse to do a literature review for her research as it is out my scope and I am behind. My other supervisor knows about her - we are going to have a chat at the next meeting with her there.
She thinks she is bigger than the system... thats what annoys me.

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
D

Changing is certainly an option. Its just that there is no one else willing to take on a PhD like mine unless I cross faculties as I am doing a sociology/psychology type topic in a computing dept. I am having a 'secret meeting' with a Reader in another faculty who may want to help me and I may ask if she can be an advisor or a 3rd supervisor.

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
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thank you so much to you all for calming me down. I usually get like this after all my meetings but today (due to the early start) seemed to really annoy me. Its just AGRH. Many thanks once again

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
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Yeh I am going to go ahead with ethics stuff. Its quite annoying. She doesn't even know how to go through the ethics commitee etc, so I sent her the link so she was aware of everything I had to do. She then sent it back to me saying that I was patronising. I have decided that I am just going to have to get on with it, cos she obviously doesnt care. I am happy as long as my main supervisor is ok with me.

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
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I am so glad that you all think that this is outrageous behaviour as well. Feel free to do the stuff with the fish!!! I am going to see what happens in our next meeting next week. I am writing a log of what happens. I will tell my main sup next week that things are getting worse.

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
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We have a 'history' in that I have already had a discussion/argument with her about her supervision attitude. I get on well with my other supervisor - she is fab but she is head of dept. She listens to me about the other supervisor and has had words with her, but she is so busy. But i dont want to come across as a moaner...which is why i 'ranted' on here...
Either she wants full control, in which case Iwould have got her full attention, or i do soemthign different, which is what I did as I didnt like her ideas so i tried to compromise but she was still stubborn. so i get no support from her.
AGRH. Sorry and thanx for allowing me to rant.

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
D

how about a base ball bat instead?!

IS THIS NORMAL??!?!?!?!
D

...continued

I asked her if she would ahve a look at soem work (i said i would email her and she can give me feed back for the next meeting), she told me to ask someone else. So i said fair enough and went back to my seat annoyed that i didnt have a meeting.
I know academics are busy, i can cope with turining up late to every meeting, i can cope with her thinking that shes bigger than teh system but i have had enough of coping with it all every time we have a meeting!!! Is this normal and Should i be standing for it?