Cons of doing your PhD in a big group

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I love my PhD topic. I don't mind the uni and the location of the uni because at the end of the day I love my PhD topic. When i accepted this phd funded program, I accepted it because 1) I am passionate about the topic 2) my supervisor is a professor who has a good reputation in the industry as well as all of his students finish on time and all pass and get their PhD certificates.

Now what I didn't realise it that he has 15 phd students and counting. We all use the same instruments for experiments and analysis. Frustrating much! All the students in this group expect for myself are from the same countries so they all group up and only help each other. When it comes to training myself a new student their response is I DO NOT KNOW. Simply the stupidity, selfishness and lack of consideration is frustrating me. And to make things worse my supervisor is oblivious to the way the other students are. Talking about my supervisor, as he has a lot of students he lacks time to even attend to each student. Anything he talks about, he has forgotten it the next day and my project goals change on a weekly basis FRUSTRATING ME A WHOLE LOT. In his words "I don't not remember what we discuss" If I had to do things over I wouldn't not have accepted this PhD knowing all the cons I know now.
No quitting tho, I have to champion this through.

Word of advise when you are looking to do a phd ensure that the number of students your supervisor manages is small, 2) you basically have your own equipment that your project is based on 3) ensure he/she sets clear goals and objectives within the first 6months of your 1st year 4) he/she is very much involved in what you do in your first year 4) gives you the training needed for you to be independent after first year like learning the equipment etc.

T

Are you in my lab? :P

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lmao:) a lot of people are in our situation

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