Hi thanks for your replies. I excercise everyday as I cycle to work and I get to go on holiday alot as I get to travel a bit with my PhD. Thing is, I know I am very lucky with what I have. Its a good PhD, I get to go to conferences and to other labs. My supervisors are supportive (at least, they don't openly say I'm crap at what I do...). Ahmadian - It's awful that your supervisors bully you. Do you have mentors to talk to? I hope you stay strong.
And Pinkerkool - thanks - its good to know that things can take a turn for the better!
I guess I've just got to think that this is study - and not work. Its experimental and we are learning as we go along - its not always going to work out straight away. (although I still feel that it shouldn't've taken me 2 years to learn what I have!). Anyway, ta for your comments

I’ve just entered my third year of my PhD (I guess you’d say it’s in Cell Biology – 4yrs CASE studentship). I’m just feeling that I’ve been doing the same assays over and over again and I’m just not getting anywhere! A few months ago I had some good results and we were talking about getting a few more and publishing. However, now the results are negative. I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong – or if I did something wrong previously and all the results we wanted to publish were wrong! I’m just feeling like I’m getting nowhere.



For example, I also can’t get western blots to work – which are supposed to be very easy. I’m feeling now that maybe I’m just a crap scientist. It can’t be coincidence everything is going wrong? I’m only just starting to understand an assay I’ve been working with for 2 years and that makes me feel a tad stupid.

My supervisors think I’m doing fine (unless they’re just being nice?) and keep suggesting that it’s the reagents I’m using, or just that cells are hard to work with. But I just feel that I really should have something to show for the last 2 years! On top of this I have my CASE partners demanding results.



I just feel very unmotivated. I feel like I spend most of my time faffing around, on the internet, not doing PhD work at all. Although I don’t often take breaks at all and often work 10 hour days. I know I need to get myself organised but everything just seems a bit hopeless.



I think I’ll be fine with writing up (I enjoy it and already have my introduction done – and a review published) – just that no results and I feel that maybe I’m not cut out for benchwork.



I just wanted to let all this out, so thanks. If anyone else has been through this or going through this somehow I feel it would help get things into perspective…

:-(