I know how you feel, even though I am nowhere near the end I feel like my work is a heap of you-know-what 99% of the time!!!

I heard something recently that might help though... Another student at my uni did their viva recently and apparently they didn't actually have any findings at all (don't ask me why, this is just hearsay!)... but because the process that they went through was original in itself they passed the viva. So I think it's more about the process that you went through to get where you are, rather than having groundbreaking results!

I'm really questioning at the moment what my reasons are for continuing with research that I have no interest in... and if I'm honest with myself it's probably because I'm caught up in the whole competition of it all... I think I got hooked on getting good grades during my undergrad degree and just want to be the best/get the highest qualification possible but I don't actually have that much interest in my area of research :(

The only good reason to stay at the moment is that I can't find a good enough job to make me want to leave!!!

Wow this is a popular thread!!! And sums up everything I've been thinking recently :)

I feel like I'm caught up in this weird little academic bubble, where the PhD is the be-all and end-all of life... but I've started to notice that nobody outside of the 'bubble' gives a crap about it... In fact jobwise I think you're worse off if you do have a PhD - the only place you're better off is in academia, where non-existent jobs are dangled in front of you like a carrot!!!

I totally agree I'd love to go back to undergrad level and learn something for enjoyment's sake - and something that doesn't make my head want to explode just from trying to understand it!!!!!

I definitely think I'll start a degree in psychology or something (i'm in computing at the moment!) but I'll do it part time... That's one thing I couldn't go back to - first year undergrad full time and no promise of money for 3/4 more years

It is really funny for me to hear you say that too, because just last night I was saying to my boyfriend that I have a constant feeling in the back of my mind that I'm about to be 'found out'... That if my supervisors look too closely at my work they'll go 'hang on a second, that's a load of c*@p!!!'

I think these worries are natural... try to remember when you read other papers that they may not be written by students but probably people who have been researching for years!!! And even if they are written by students, those same people would probably look at a paper you wrote and shake in their boots aswell

Yes I know the feeling completely! I have had a major block about writing anything for about six months now Scary stuff... And littleme I am the exact same one good week is always followed by three really bad ones!!! But hey I guess we are all in the same boat

Hi there... I realise this thread is a bit old so sorry in advance, but just came across it now!!! I am just looking for some advice in a similar area...

I am currently doing a PhD in computing and my original undergrad degree was in computing also. What I ended up doing for my PhD is a bit too technical for my liking so I've started thinking I'd rather get into the 'human side' of it all!

My idea is to finish the PhD and then do an undergrad degree (part-time!) in Psychology - so then I have a degree in both subject areas... my question is would I be qualified to do research that merges computing and psychology, even though my PhD is just in computing???

My supervisor is quite similar and can be really critical... Most of the time I try to take it as constructive but it can be soul-destroying when you've worked really hard and you don't get even one positive comment!!!

I don't think I could ever talk to him about it though because I'm not good at controlling my emotions and my tear ducts in particular - so I would definitely start crying!!! T

he problem with that is that he is head of our department so is my boss for the part-time lecturing that I do... I feel like I can't show any weakness or he'll think that I can't handle pressure and won't give me any teaching responsibilities in the future!

Hi katesays,

Yes there is at least one other Irish person on the forum... me!!! I just discovered it a short while ago also and have got some great advice so far! I am nearly 20 months into my PhD now, and I know what you mean about feeling like you are only getting started! I transferred from MSc to PhD about 2 months ago... as far I'm concerned I'm starting my PhD now, but as far as my supervisors are concerned I'm half way through, with only a year and a half to go!!!

Scary stuff... Anyway welcome to the forum, nice to have a fellow Irishwoman here!!!

Thanks rutherford... finally got the transfer thesis done last Friday and had the transfer viva, and all went well - what a relief!!! Advice will definitely be useful for future reference though :)

Thanks for the replies, and thanks for the dated folder idea bakuvia! It is good to know others are in the same boat jojo... I am just not used to having to get so much done so quickly i guess I like taking my sweet time on these things

Just for example, my supervisor said to me yesterday that all my references (about 30) in my proposal are too old and I should replace them with ones from 2006 and 2007... and come back to him today with that done.

Continued...

So that means searching, selecting, reading and writing about 30 new references... in one day?!?!? Seriously, is it just me????? Am I like the world's slowest reader and I just never knew about it up till now? Because he is making out like this should be no problem at all...

Anyway, glad to find this place... I can't believe I didn't know about it before!

I am about 16 months into my research and I'm currently transferring from the Masters to PhD register (transfer thesis due this Fri, transfer viva next Wed :( ) I have to write up what I've done so far and then a PhD proposal too...

The problem is that I just never seem to have enough time to do all the things I'm meant to do... I have been working on the transfer thesis for about a month now, and here I am with two days to go and still a mountain of work to do!!! Maybe it is my fault for procrastinating over one thing or another, but I always seem to be panicking at the last minute...

But also, my supervisors seem to have a really unrealistic expectation of the amount of work I can do in a set period of time - does anybody else have this problem?

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