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Failing

X

Hi all, I am really struggling and I think I am going to get kicked out of my PhD program. I failed my first year viva but then was allowed to resubmit my first year report and redo the viva. I wrote over 100 pages for my resubmitted first year report and just passed the viva last week, so I thought I was past the major hurdle and would be set for formal registration to PhD candidate (currently I'm PhD probationary status, usually students progress to PhD candidate after passing the first year viva). However, my supervisor asked to have a meeting with me and two members of the board of graduate study this week and says that my rate of progress has not been enough to convince him that I will finish my PhD on time (3 year PhD timeline, so I have 2 more years) and does not recommend that I be registered for the PhD. The board of graduate studies said that they will give me 8 weeks to produce enough results to convince my supervisor that I can do it, and then they will decide if I should leave, submit for a masters, or continue on with the PhD. I'm devastated and feel like such a failure for not being productive enough my first year here, but I do not work directly under a post-doc or older student, and my supervisor is away much of the time, so it took several months to get my footing in the lab and learn the techniques necessary to start producing good results. I've been producing good results lately that my supervisor says are eminently publishable, but it seems to be too little, too late. Has anyone heard of a PhD student passing their first year viva but still not being allowed to continue on with their PhD? I'd love any advice and plan to work very hard during the next 8 weeks to hopefully convince my supervisor to be allowed to stay. Thank you all for your help.

T

In most places there are targets for completing students, so it should be within their interest to let you continue on the program. Just work with your supervisor to find out exactly what you need to achieve and then go on and do it.

S

same cases with me,
I am waiting for my viva results, and my sv keep telling me that I am gonna fail my Phd study.
I know how it feels.

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