i failed my upgrade.

i feel so sad, ashamed, embarrased and disappointed in myself.

i can however, resubmit

well just found out that i have failed my upgrade. i feel really ashamed and embarassed about it

i have the option of resubmitting it before september.

:(

I'm about to start my focus group stuff eeeeeek

Could anyone recommend a good recorder/dictaphone etc for focus groups?

Many thanks

Hiya,

I'm about to run some focus groups through organisations. I was just wondering about peoples experiences with these. Some of the organisations who've agreed to take part want will only participate if their paid. As anyone come across this, and if so, how much money have you paid out to organisations?

1) I'm in my second year and will be moved for the THIRD time, out of the main unit away (down the corridor, in another department) from the rest of my colleagues and people I'm working with. No one was telling me anything. It felt like I was made to feel like I had to justify having desk space.

2) I found out from a research assistant (by accident) that I've been 'unsuccessful' for the main fieldwork study. I confronted my sups, about this as I heard nothing yet again! I completed the fieldwork on a non-phd project for their pilot study. I later found that this was a mistake and that I was very much successful and included as a fieldworker for the other study (but a minor role due to PhD).

3) given the amount of distress and knowing full well what's happended and that my ex and I were thinking about getting married, my collegue (who decided to take my without asking me previously) made the catty comment that 'people tend to get married in their late 20s' whilst looking directly at me :(

Maybe I'm overreacting, but I felt terrible over the above :(

Hiya,

Just wanted to hear from your experiences about the upgrading result process.

I've just found out that I'll have to wait until April to find out whether I've passed my upgrade or not. I submitted my report in Feb and presented in Dec!! seems such a long time to wait :(

I've got a meeting with my two main supervisors and my third minor supervisor (who's the head of the department!). I can only hope this is a formality to discuss it etc. But I can't help but feel that this is a reflection of my report; a formal meeting to decide what the next steps are to be. This waiting around is a little mean!! My supervisors seem a little disappointed (their constantly critical )with my work etc at the moment, so I can't help but feel the worst :(

Arrrgghhhhhh

My post was advertised at the end of April for September entry-and managed to get on!

Maybe different depending on uni and whether the PhD is pre-defined one (as mine was) or a PhD developed soley from the student. I think at unis such as UCL, the deadline for applications was January for September entry.

In my first year, I really didn't put as much effort as I could of done to be honest. I remember working 3-4 hrs a day in my first year. I managed to get a few literature reviews sorted which contributed to some of the department intrium reports. Now, although I'm working on just my PhD rather than the other project as well, I'm working 8/9 hr days 5/6 times a week just on my PhD and seminar teaching committments and am in the office at least 3/4 times a week between 8am-5.30pm ahhhhhhhhhhhh

I'm just hoping I pass my upgrade (fingers crossed! :)

I found the first year quite tough!
* I started off working on an additional larger project. My role was to work and develop the larger project and create my PhD project within the larger project
* I tended to work in my student accomodation and the library rather than the office-but was majorily criticised for doing that! My supervisor wanted me to work more in the department
*My supervisors were on my tail on a nearly daily basis!
*My role was to get to create literature reviews for the larger project (and once my PhD project was sorted out) a literature review for my PhD)
* I attended relevant MSc classes
* I visited public organisations to network and develop links and spread the word about the larger project (and my PhD project)
* I drafted all of the ethics proposals, project summaries etc
* Ended up taking minutes of each of the meetings which were relevant to the two projects
*Loads of reading to get to grips with the subject material

They seemed to be very glad that I am looking to get a PhD and not an MPhil. Thinking about it, dropping out is just not my style! I think the last thing I'll do is drop out-I know I will kick myself if I did!

I just think the only thing I can do is focus on being the best I can be-that's all I can do, and try to focus on my PhD and try to bracket off the emotional crap I'm going through right now :)

Thanks for the response guys!

Well today, I spoke with both my supervisors. They seemed very shocked at my feelings of dropping out. They were nice about it however and said that they would obviously like me to continue as a PhD student, but if I feel that its too much, or they feel that I'm not up to scratch, they will tell me (which I don't doubt for a second!). They also don't want me to go through the stress of the PhD if I don't feel I'm able to cope with it. I explained to them that I'm going through a rough time personally and its bad timing. I also went onto say that the field is a little different from my comfort zone, so its taken some time getting used to it! I went onto say that my confidence is at an all time low, and that might have something to do with it! In sum, they've asked me to keep them informed and to talk about my feelings with them.

I feel a little relived about telling them, but I'm wondering now whether I've been too honest with them!

This PhD has some serious disadvantages though, and although it has its advantages, if I had the choice, I'm not sure I would have gone down the PhD route. I've lost so much (partner decided to break up our 5yr relationship-and I'm sure its partly to do with me starting on this course, so I'm dealing with guilt and regret ). My confidence is also at an all time low by constantly critical and pushy supervisors who probably regret taking me on! despite all my efforts:( I'm hanging on by a thread and by peoples comments that it will all be worth it in the end.

-3 years of constant funding (a definite plus for me given the difficulty of obtaining psych relevant jobs and a chance to clear my career development loan for my MSc)
-3 years of obtaining relevant experience in a clinical field with a clinically relevant PhD.
-Good career prospects for futher clinical training (I'm going to try and get into the clinical psychology doctorate after this PhD).
-Chance to develop employable skills; in my case teaching experience-I would NEVER become a teacher, but its still good experience!
-Chance to get some decent peer reviewed publications with my supervisors
-Yes, can work where I want too; although my supervisor gets v.annoyed with me if I'm out of the office for long periods of time
-Chance to really read and research interesting relevant stuff
-Chance to meet so many different new people
-Sense of pride getting to PhD level (although we'll see whether I get there given the pending upgrade result!).

Hey! Hypothesis and SillyBilly! I'm a Croydon girl! I'm definitely not a chav and I know how to open train doors lol :)

I've spoken to my supervisor yesterday and I explained the basic structure and what I've included in my report...She said that it sounds fine...worse comes to the worse, she said that I will have a chance to resubmit..

Feeling crap :(

I just think that if I was just focusing on my phd only, maybe things would be different. I'm not though! All of January I was away doing fieldwork for another non-phd related project; which meant I've had real limited time to focus on MY phd! Also teaching as well which takes its toll. They've made changes now so that I'm just focusing on my PhD now with occasional assistance on fieldwork, but still, maybe this is the point, I should be getting used to juggling things around.