Hi all! I'm in the sixth month, and am working solely on my PhD, but everyone I speak to is presenting at conferences, writing articles for journals, liaising with academics in their fields from other unis, etc. I feel like I'm behind or something, that I should be doing more than just working on the PhD. Should I be doing all of those things? I just don't feel ready yet, but I also don't want to be left behind. Because of all their involvement, everyone else's PhD experiences sound so much more full and enriching than mine. Any advice?

First of all don't worry. Within the first 6 months all you should really be concentrating on is getting your head round your subject and getting familiar with techniques you are going to use. I'm about 18 months in and going to be doing my first conference presentation in July this year which will then lead to a publication (hopefully). As for writing articles, it will come in time, there is no point rushing into it if a) you are not ready and b) you don't have adequate data/results to publish. It's easy to compare yourself to your fellow PhDers but at the end of the day everyone's PhD experience is different and we all do things at different times.. So don't be too disheartened by what other people are doing :o)

Hi Bellaz,
I am the same as you and I have done none of those things. Mostly because I feel unconfident to be able to do them yet. I haven't really been pushed into doing anything like that by my superviser either, although it has been suggested I should start to attend conferences. As Tricky says, I think it's all about an individual experience!

I was worried about all the things that I should be doing as a PhD student but I have found now in my second year that things seem to fall into place naturally. For example last year I went to a couple of conferences just to listen and learn and met some fellow postgrads. This year conferences seem more relevant to my topic and I feel I have done enough research now to be able to present it at conferences. No way would I have been ready last year. Re publishing, I am not worrying at the moment but will wait to see how the conferences go. Also I would never have dared say anything to 'proper' academic last year but I know there are going to be some interesting people at some of these conferences whose work I am looking at and I think/hope I would now feel confident with my research to at least talk to them.

Thanks alot everyone!You're right, I shouldn't be looking at what others are doing but instead focusing on my own work. It's just that one of my friends is six months in too and has already written 30,000words, and another was telling me yesterday of a conference that he's presenting at next week whilst also contributing a piece for an edited text. I just feel as though I'm not really monopolising on the PhD experience as the others around me are. They seem to be doing all they can to get their names recognised in their field, whilst I'm sat here on my own, just trying to write! I guess some are more motivated and ambitious than others, and I need to accept that things take more time for me!

I'm definitely one of those people that takes time to get there. I seem to veer off the path quite alot and then pick it up later down the road! I really need to work on my confidence issues. Maybe as time passes, I'll start to feel more sure about myself and what I'm doing.

Remember, however many conferences you have presented at, however many publications you have, if you do not get your PhD you will not be able to get a job in academia. At this stage getting the groundwork done and writing, writing, writing, is going to give you a much better start than spending time trying to get published etc - there will be time for that later.
Everywhere I go the message from everyone is - the priority is getting your thesis written.

i totally agree, i had lots of ideas for papers etc, and trying to grasp everything at the same time, when i told my supervisor what i was doing he looked at me like at a mad person, he also said writing my PhD is priority. I only do it when i really have the spare time, eg my supervisor is looking at the next chunk of work i sent him.
Also, if you have a good realtionship with your supervisor, i am sure s/he will advise you what to do, but I bet 99% will be focusing on your PhD.

With regards to your friend saying they have written 30,000 words in 6 months. Firstly people have a habit of exaggerating the truth with things like this and secondly I know from my first year report that looking back at it now the quality is not as good as it should be and I have already been through it will a red pen for corrections etc.