Thanks for your replies! I've brought some of it up with my supervisor (ie moving desk without asking and leaving out of publications)- it's kind of hard to prove though! She tends to say things like X is only a student to people in passing (ie not my supervisors) which is the main thing that gets on my nerves a lot of the time. This particualar member of staff has trod on other peoples toes as well (ie leaving STAFF out of publications) so it's not just me! I don't trust her at all. My PhD is integrated into the teams bigger project and I was brought on as a student to sort and help out with the bigger project (I developed my PhD out of it). I attend meetings etc for the rest of the team so I'm pretty much a member of staff, but not in the offical sense!

At our uni, I'm not allowed to attend workshops etc (Excel, word training etc etc) as I'm not a member of staff. I'm only allowed to attend workshops that are open to students. At other unis, however, this isn't a problem!! My supervisor thinks its very silly! I could pull a wobbly with the uni! lol would be interesting to see how that works out!

Strange how people get so caught up with a student status. Anyway, I'm just concentrating on getting my PhD so I can finally leave this mess and apply for post doc jobs- something this particular member of staff cannot do! ;-)

Hey many thanks for your responses. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one having these thoughts!

I'm just going to try and focus on my stuff and ignore other peoples remarks about how well their supervisors think their doing etc etc and comparing myself to others. My supervisors seem to be ok with my work (I will have finished most of my fieldwork in the next 2/3 weeks) so I guess that's the main thing- although they don't think I'll get everything finished before September. :( Well I'm going to try and get most of it done by then!!

Hi all,

Just wondered if anyone is experiencing anything similar?

I'm working as part of a team within an well funded academic department. There are at least two members of staff who are on my team who keep pointing out to people 'oh your only a student' or within meetings to other people 'here's our student' (emphasis on student).

There is one particular member of staff (she's a few years old than me- I'm 28) who is receiving pressure from the project leads about doing a PhD so that she can assume more managerial positions and responsibilities.

I've been here for nearly three years now, and she STILL points out that I'm a student. I'm fully aware of my status as a student! Anyway, it's coming off in such a way that she's using it to put me down etc- and it's driving me insane!!

There has been other problems with this member of staff ie, undermining my work in front of other people, excluding me from publications when she's directly copied from my work, deciding to take my desk without asking whilst I was away with fieldwork and concentrating on my student status within meetings and other things.


Maybe it's the J word coming into play here (I'll obtain my PhD in 3+years, I have no real committments- she has two young children etc etc), although, I've immediately kept my supervisors informed of the above, but it doesn't make it any easier when I'm trying to finish this blimen PhD off!

Sorry rant over! It's just making me feel really annoyed and grumpy over particular staff members attitudes :(

Is anyone else out there in their final year and feeling very overwhelmed and feeling like everyone else is ahead!?!

I've got people on facebook etc pointing out how much they've finished, ie completed chapters, supervisors happy with their work etc etc and it's making me feel really down! In comparision I feel like a crap student! (although this might be my own biases coming into play here!

Although by the end of May I will have conducted all of my fieldwork,, I still need to finish a small part of my quantitative analysis (hoping to get the qualitative analysis stuff done by the end of June) and will need to cut my literature reviews and methodology chapters by more than half (over 80,000 words in total). I thought I was doing ok! I seem to suffer from the problem of comparing myself to others quite a lot.

Although I'm getting on with my work relatively ok and trying to take a day as it comes, finding out that people are so close to the finish line (and they started the same time as me) is making me feel a bit rubbish!

Anyone else who is in their final year experiencing anything similar?

Oh my goodness- that sounds like a horrible situation and definitely not something that you should put up with!

The main thing is you've passed.

Hi Olivia

Many thanks for your post. I have to say that I can totally releate to what your saying.

I only have 5 months of offical time left (which is scary enough as it is!) and I'm ALWAYS having days where I want to quit. Especially when I'm having to deal with insensitive members of staff who like to put me down 'as I'm ONLY a student' :( Reading peoples experiences and listening to peoples stories about people failing their PhDs is also something else which is quite worrying!!

I'm just trying to take each day as it comes and working towards my set targets. Seems to be working- especially the count down I have on my white board about how many months I have left until September! eeeeek.

Hiya- I'm going through something very similar at the moment.

I'm a third year PhD student and a second year PhD student in the same department is doing a PhD very similar to mine. I regret giving her some of my upgrade work and helping her out with her work, as she refuses to reply to questions that I've asked her (she has contacts) and she has stolen parts of my questionnaire questions, used some of my work in her presentation (ie exact references) and is using exactly the same kind of design and methodology that I'm using. This student and her supervisors also want to get hold of my list of services that I've spent ages doing so that she can use my list as her sampling frame. Thinking about it, I don't think I'm going to share this list until I've submitted and hopefully passed my PhD.

I think it's ok to ask questions etc, but you might find people like myself who are now rather reluctant to share information.

This is EXACTLY what happended to me! My first report I submitted was not detailed enough and subsequently was failed by my markers. Second time round I submitted (offically), although it passed (with very positive feedback from academics who were not my supervisors!) they said it was far too detailed!! I kind of knew already that a 80,000 word upgrade report is too much, but they left me in such a state that I was scared of them rejecting it again for failing to be detailed!! I was sooo close to giving up but I got through it in the end. If I can get through the process, I'm sure anyone can! Worked out well though- as I'm using the detail for my final thesis chapters!

....Ambiguity with the upgrading process and unclear guidelines is exactly why I struggled with the report and what they wanted!! Working at PhD level is hard enough without having to deal with departments who don't produce concrete guidance as well as different academics requesting different things!! Both of my supervisors differed in how detailed they wanted my literature review to be. In the end I made it far too detailed, but it's just so hard sometimes for them to reach some agreement!

Try and obtain a upgrade report within your department which has passed through the upgrading process. Different unis and different departments within the same uni differ in terms of the upgrade document requirements- which makes it even more complicated!! Make sure you nail down what it is they want from you!

Hi PhDbug,

I had a dreadful time with my upgrade report. It was rejected offically first time round then several times by my supervisors before it eventually was offically passed second time round-with very positive remarks from other academics- who were not my supervisors; 'excellent organisation and quality of content....student has the academic capabilities to complete PhD study' etc etc

Pre submission of my upgrade report, I had no written guidance about what the report consisted of- and I struggled with what they actually wanted! Given my failures, they've now implemented guidance materials! grrrr :(

As I had no guidance, I basically went for it and I was determined to pass- despite the atmosphere from my supervisors that I would never pass. I produced an upgrade report which was way too long (it was over 80,000 words- not including references, appendicies). Although it was far too long, I will use these chapters/parts of my upgrade report for my final thesis- so I hope I've helped myself when it comes to writing the main thesis.

I submitted five chapters and supporting documentation (tables-systematic review of measures used in previous studies and tables to support research questions, ethics proposal, project material)

Chapter 1: Introduction
Chapter 2: Literature review: General focus
Chapter 3: Literature review: Specific groups in relation to content discussed in chapter 2.
Chapter 4: Research model and research questions (including strengths of my study)
Chapter 5: Methods and Methodology (methods, analysis plan, ethical considerations, anticipated problems and potential solutions to remedy any problems

I also included a lengthly reference section (had to ensure that I referenced every source) and appendicies of various measures.

I didn't include a summary of what data collection I've already collected whilst writing the upgrade report- which was required but at academics preference (both my markers wanted it, but my supervisors did not mention it). Perhaps kind of a work plan!

Since my report, the department have clear guidelines, but it was hell going through it!

I hope this helps!

Pineapple

Hi Pam,

I meant at the moment whilst I'm still fully funded. They've said I'm not to take on anything additional until September at least.

After September I will have to take something on I think- or I could rely on my savings I guess....we'll see. Theres just so many things I want to do- ie finish PhD, buy my own place etc and at 28, I really feel I should be earning! But being in debt (student loan, career development loan) isn't helping matters at all!! :'(

My supervisors have explictly said that I'm not to take on any additional work external to my PhD :( They have said that the next 6mths are going to be really hectic and will use all of my energy.

I asked them whether it would be ok to take on a small placement somewhere to obtain experience to enrich my CV.

So saving my studentship is my only option really!

I too have a career development loan to pay back! I've been paying it back slowly over the last three years or so and the repayments and interest are killing me! Not to mention the mounting student loan debts that I have from my undergraduate student loan. Remind me- why am I putting myself through this again!?! arrrrrghhh!! lol :)

My supervisors were quite adement that I will need to find a job as soon as possible after September in order to pay the fees for an extension year. They haven't really said that I could stay on, but finding a job after September is definitely something that they've stressed!

I'm saving as much of my studentship as I can so that I'll be relatively ok after September.

It is stressfull though!

Hiya- I'm in the same boat. My supervisors said that the amount of money depends on how much detailed supervison I'll need in the extension year and how much data needs to be collected. My supervisors feel that I probably need about an additional 6mths to submit after September (although I'm going to try and submit by December). My supervisor said if I've collected all of my data etc, I'll need minimum supervision and the costs will be around £50 per month- although she wasn't sure exactly of the exact amounts.

Hiya- sorry a little rant again.

I'm not sure how much I can take of this rollercoaster journey! One minute I'm fine (like this morning), 5 minutes later I have to pick myself up again after hearing peoples comments, revisiting and remembering supervisors criticisms!

I'm trying my best to keep going- but I feel like bursting into tears!

My supervisor basically ripped some of my analysis (which has taken me ages to do) to shreads saying that I have to redo it all (which made me feel really stupid) having completely misunderstood my sample size. Once she realized what I was saying all along, she apologised- but I'm still reeling from it! Following from which, my team (including my supervisors) failed to include me in a team meeting which my PhD is part of. I spoke with my team and no one thought to bring it up! I've been working on this project for nearly 3 years and now their asking me to prompt them to include them in any future meetings! Now I'm hearing that a collegue/friend of mine will be included in the bigger project after September (when my funding runs out).

Feeling really glum at the mo :'(

I'm planning what my result chapters will look like in preperation for the big datasets to arrive. I really don't know how I'm going to get through the next six months! Any words of wisdom/comments would be great!