Failure to upgrade from MPhil to PhD

B

i did my transfer meeting today for the first time I was trying to answer all their questions carefully, well sometimes I asked for a clarification inorder to answer the question my document consisted of 7 chapters including literature review and my experimental work unfortunately they decided that they are unable to transfer me to Phd and I should re do it within 6 months and resubmit my document I am really sad and shocked as I have been working really hard and scared that the next transfer they will not upgrade me to PhD level and I have to finish my work with MPhil!! so scared to think about that,I will receive their report with comments and clarifications next week but according to their comments today that they want me to continue the analysis of last chapter in order to help me to generate my unique contribution to knowledge but actually I answered that question but may be they want more? I do not know?? also they were not convincing that I am able to transfer now to Phd they did not say that I have to repeate my experiments they gave comments regarding my lit. review chapter and comment about the graph I made I think it was minor erros only but still I am not sure because I did not receive their report. I am sad and embarressed that I did not show them my ability to have the upgrade I thought I will pass with some feedback because my supervisors told me that my work is scientifically ok? and it looks substantial,so I am not sure what went wrong. I am so scarred now and disappointed phd is my dream , I don't know what to do I really want to get the upgrade and I am afraid that I can not finish my thesis on time because of that , I have 1 year and a half left to finish my Phd, help any advice?

B

Quote From BKA:
i did my transfer meeting today for the first time I was trying to answer all their questions carefully, well sometimes I asked for a clarification inorder to answer the question my document consisted of 7 chapters including literature review and my experimental work unfortunately they decided that they are unable to transfer me to Phd and I should re do it within 6 months and resubmit my document I am really sad and shocked as I have been working really hard and scared that the next transfer they will not upgrade me to PhD level and I have to finish my work with MPhil!! so scared to think about that,I will receive their report with comments and clarifications next week but according to their comments today that they want me to continue the analysis of last chapter in order to help me to generate my unique contribution to knowledge but actually I answered that question but may be they want more? I do not know?? also they were not convincing that I am able to transfer now to Phd they did not say that I have to repeate my experiments they gave comments regarding my lit. review chapter and comment about the graph I made I think it was minor erros only but still I am not sure because I did not receive their report. I am sad and embarressed that I did not show them my ability to have the upgrade I thought I will pass with some feedback because my supervisors told me that my work is scientifically ok? and it looks substantial,so I am not sure what went wrong. I am so scarred now and disappointed phd is my dream , I don't know what to do I really want to get the upgrade and I am afraid that I can not finish my thesis on time because of that , I have 1 year and a half left to finish my Phd, help any advice?

B

Is anyone with the same situation or to advice how to make it better for next time? I received their report with their recommendations but I do not think their recommendations will prevent my progression to PhD?

I

Hi BKA, I am sorry to hear what happened to you. Are your supervisors able to provide advice? Perhaps, you can schedule a meeting with them and discuss your plans? Do you have any publications so far?

B

Hi Infinitycat, thank you for your reply, no I do not have any publications yet because we were waiting to finish my reliability study and it seems when I finished this study was at the same of my transfer I will have a meeting with my supervisors next week and I received the examiner recimmendations: 1- finalise my literature review chapter? while its almost completed I have 2 headings left! 2- shorten one of the experimental chapter to look for the reader as a pilot work 3- continue analysis the last experimental chapter to generate the unique contribution to knowledge 4- represent the data of my validity study and reanalysis ? this chapter needs only to calculate the mean and SD and it was done on artificial rig to check equipment suitability and I show the results about which equipment should I use? for me I do not think their recommendations should prevent my progress to PhD I am really a hard worker even my supervisors wrote a report before the transfer that I am working hard and they are happy with my progress. I felt now embarressed and lack of confidence and the delay now will affect my last study that I should start with it after the transfer I am afraid that next time even when they will see my progress they will not transfer me because of the time limit to finalise my final experiment? does that will affect their decision?

B

I thought that their recommendations will be something personnal like the student unable to present her work or it seems that she did not understand her methodology or results? something like that but I showed them that I understand my methodology and resukt so why they want to resubmit my work? I think because my supervisors did not send me their comments for each chapter they commented only on lit. review and validity study while the rest they said we do not have time and just be honest in the transfer? maybe this affect the panel dicision??

T

Well maybe you thought you did well, but they didn't? Maybe you thought you were being clear but they didn't?

You need to wait for their report and see what they said, then tackle their requests with the support of your supervisors and go from them. Treat this as an experience to improve if you can, but also remember that other examiners might have passed you, so actually your work may be perfectly fine...

B

Thank you for your reply Treeoflife, they send the report and their recommendations were1- finalise literature review chapter. 2- shorten ch. 3 to look like a pilot work for the examiners 3- continue analysis the last experimental work to generate the unique contribution to knowledge and represent the data in my validity study. Do you think these recommendations could prevent my progress to PhD?? I will appreciate your reply and any comments from other PhD students please. all the best to you all.

B

I am just worried that the delay now in my progress will affect my final study If
I will have enough time to complete it or not?

M

Quote From BKA:
i did my transfer meeting today for the first time I was trying to answer all their questions carefully, well sometimes I asked for a clarification inorder to answer the question my document consisted of 7 chapters including literature review and my experimental work unfortunately they decided that they are unable to transfer me to Phd and I should re do it within 6 months and resubmit my document I am really sad and shocked as I have been working really hard and scared that the next transfer they will not upgrade me to PhD level and I have to finish my work with MPhil!! so scared to think about that,I will receive their report with comments and clarifications next week but according to their comments today that they want me to continue the analysis of last chapter in order to help me to generate my unique contribution to knowledge but actually I answered that question but may be they want more? I do not know?? also they were not convincing that I am able to transfer now to Phd they did not say that I have to repeate my experiments they gave comments regarding my lit. review chapter and comment about the graph I made I think it was minor erros only but still I am not sure because I did not receive their report. I am sad and embarressed that I did not show them my ability to have the upgrade I thought I will pass with some feedback because my supervisors told me that my work is scientifically ok? and it looks substantial,so I am not sure what went wrong. I am so scarred now and disappointed phd is my dream , I don't know what to do I really want to get the upgrade and I am afraid that I can not finish my thesis on time because of that , I have 1 year and a half left to finish my Phd, help any advice?



Hi BKA, I just wanted to say, whithout knowing anything about you or your PhD, that I was taken aback from the wall of text with no punctuation. If this is reflective of your writing in general I dont doubt that they would have their reservations. Maybe you should try to slow down and explain things more calmly?

B

Hi Mattfabb, thanks for the reply. Actually my writing is good they told me that in the meeting but maybe here when I tried to explain my situation , I was really nervouse and depressed so I did not bare in mind about the punctuation!

B

and English is not my first language so when they told me your writing is good , I took it as a compliment.

T

I think if you do what they have asked you will pass the upgrade.

B

Hello Treeoflife, thanks again for the reply. I will do my best and I hope I can pass the upgrade next time.

I

Hi BKA, are your trying to upgrade into PhD program after doing MPhil for one year?
Sometimes, as it happened with friend of mine, you might think of changing topics and graduate with MPhil first.
However, if you are happy with your topic, it helps to work out a strategy with your supervisors. It seems like you already have a working plan provided by your examiners. It pays to divide it into achievable milestones so you can track your own progress more easily.

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