Hello Salsaroc,

You can also go directly to Matlab's website, www.mathworks.com. They offer webinars and user support. You can ask questions and the smarty-pantsy guys there can help you.

Unfortunately this situation is all too common. Sups let you know the major thing you should be able to do not before your phd but by the middle of it. Kinda sucks. I stopped wasting time figuring out why.

Wish you luck.

Good for you Pineapple! Forward!:-)

Hello Indoctorate,

I agree with Dafydd. How about solving your dilemma like this: put yourself in the other phd student's shoes, and then honestly tell yourself what you would have wanted the new phd to do.

Regarding the replication of results, then it is good that you have the same, rather than contradicting results. That does not make one paper stronger than the other, but it gives weight to the research you are both adressing.

Goodluck.

Hello Barbarah,

I've heard some stories about people who took a break from the PhD because they couldn't get the writing part done. When these people started to do other things, it became easier for them to write the paper. Maybe because the pressure/expectation to succeed/anxiety about one's pride were all reduced (I don't know exactly why, but for some, it worked).

I'm not saying you should take a break/quit the PhD, I'm suggesting that maybe if you stopped thinking about the pressure for a while (and not care about failing and losing face), you'll get the focus you need to write up. I know it's easier said than done, but I think you deserve the help to hear as many opinions/suggestions as possible.

You're gonna make it!

Hello Velony,

I don't think you should stress over it. Most of the time, when a PhD takes a leave, the supervisors are not expecting to see them back. It's quite rare for those who take a leave to actually pick things up from where they left them. A leave is actually (off the record) a route to quitting the PhD.

I think when you get to talk with your supervisor, you'll find out that she(he) will have expected to hear what you'll say. This will be a hufe relief you your side.

Goodluck.

Hi Kate55,

Congratulations on getting an offer. All the messages here make sense. I would just like to add one thing: what are you going to use the PhD for? If you have a concrete answer (as in you'd like a career in research/r&d labs), then go for it. If you're considering it because you don't know what to do with your career yet, it's probably not a good idea. I say *probably* because you may end up finding that this "temporary gig" is way too demanding for being a temporary gig. You might end up liking it, but chances are, if a person entered into a commitment (relationship/job) because of lack of other options, it's not bound to be a pleasant journey.

If you're considering it as a challenge to yourself, there are other challenges that might develop you personally/professionally that do not include PhD. If you do really want it, don't let the fear of depression get in the way :-)

Lots of luck! Hope you keep us posted on your decision.

Congratulations!!!!!

Hi KevHS

I'm on the final year of my phd and I still have 3 out of four papers to write. I've got 5 months to finish it and I'm stuck at data processing.

I also feel like quitting, but I'm confused whether I should just stick with the remaining 5 months or not. The issue is not staying for 5 more months, it is actually producing quality work.

Anyway, I can totally relate to what you're saying, but I prefer not to dwell on these disappointing subjects. It will just frustrate us and the others who are in the same situation. What I can tell you though, based on my experience is that many phds feel the same way, but they hardly ever show it to their peers for whatever reason. A majority of people I know project or try to build an impression that they've got it under control, especially in a premium place like where you are. Do you happen to know the story of the "Emperor and his new clothes?"

Regarding the "cruising" the undergrad point, I have the same feeling. The funny thing is that when we've achieved so much that we build a certain level of confidence over time. Then comes the expectation that a PhD would be breeze since we cruised through the undergrad. The things is phd is a lot lot different than undergrad studies (and we don't know that prior to taking up phd!). So we end up having very different expectations.

Hope you make the good decision. It would be nice to let us know.

Goodluck.

Heya there Walmins...Good luck with both your viva and job search. Will be following your thread!

Hello,

I'm not a post doc yet, but I thought I'd post my question here because you guys have probably faced the same issue. I'm away from any books right now, and the internet search has not helped so much.

I have a random effects regression on stata. Do I interpret the coefficients the same way one would interpret OLS?
What does the rho mean?

Thanks a lot!

Hi Florence,

No advice from me.....all the others in this post are really sensible, I'm following/taking their guidelines too.

If it's any consolation, I am in the same situation as you are. I have about 5 months to finish...and I really can't take doing the thesis anymore. I almost throw up just at the though of having to get the work done; and I feel trapped because it's too late to quit now....

Anyway I wouldn't like to send you discouraging messages....take a little break and try not to think about it for a while....

I see thanks for the reply Bilbo.

I hope you get well too (maybe an awkward thing to say, I'm sorry I don't know the disorder very well). In any case looks like you've got things together, so good for you :-)

See you around in the forum!

Congratulations!!!!(up)

Hello,

Did anybody here actually quit the PhD?

Out of curiosity, is there anyone who really did quit the PhD? What happended to you afterwards? Was it tough to find another job (if you did try to find a job in the industry)?

I'm asking here just to know whether PhDs are really not that attractive to corporate employers....Thanks a lot for your help!

Hi MadMinerva,

When I read your post, it felt as if somebody knew how I really feel deep down and started writing it. So I'd just share my experience a little...

If it would be any comfort for you, I too have been crying almost daily over my Phd. I keep a straight face in the office, but I cry late at night when I get home. I am also consistently working, no weekends, I practically live in the office, but any output I produce is just not good enough. When I finally produce something good, my sups expect me to produce even higher quality work.

It doesn't help that my colleagues are extremely competitive. We don't have fun in the office because we are so busy trying to one-up the other, it just kills any form of social contact. When you tell them you're tired, they look at you and ask sarcastically "really?" as if they never get tired of working.

This is really exhausting. It feels like there is no limit, and I don't know when enough is enough. I am at a breaking point.

On the second year of my PhD, I started to doubt whether I really wanted it. I convinced myself that I was just scared of the work, and I challenged myself to continue the study to prove that I could do it. Now on my final year, I realized that the "doubt" I had was not fear of doing much work, it was the voice of reason that said that this is not what I want to be doing after all. But I ignored it. Too late now, I have about half a year left, and it would look really lame on my CV to quit a PhD six months to the end.

Maybe if you have that gut feeling that you really don't like it, it's probably a sign that you don't want to be in that place after all. I think that when it gets depressive, that's really a big sign that the fit is not there.

Sorry about losing your partner, and this is so cliche, but maybe somebody better is yet to come along. Remeber, when you really get sad and helpless, think that somewhere else in Europe another PhD is curled up on her bed, crying, looking for a way out.

Hope next time when we visit this forum, we'll have something lighter to share and smile about :-)