Emmaki,
No doubt that you were furious. But importantly, you are smart to hold your anger not to say anything at the time, and you made a very good decision. I wish I could have forseen that on my case when my principal supervisor kept on saying that she invited me to 1-1 meetings but I never received her emails:-( and should leave the programme right away. They must have chit chat about me too :-). I didn't realise that the academia is quite a small network, ouch!

Walminskipeas,
I could not agree more on what you wrote and, "The relationship you have with your supervisor is, as I'm finding out, key to the success of your PhD". I never have the experience of "a oood supervisor" so couldn't say. But I could see from my colleagues how successful they are in their PhD process because they have good supervisors. I sit right next to one of my colleagues who has 3 very nice supervisors and I always wished if I could be in her shoes, even just to have one of her supervisors. I have to say, bad supervisors really pull you down even how well you are doing on your PhD, and finally you have doubts in what you do. Don't know if it is because of them or because of you anymore. Sometimes, I feel like I ought to try the PhD again in another univ. and maybe this time, I may be lucky to have a nice supervisor. However, after having bad experience, it is just like having nightmares. It would take time to heal and recover.

I believe PhD is another learning process and if you are good with your work, you will be recognised from anywhere and by everyone. Doesn't matter where you get your PhD! I shall also remind myself of what I just said if I do embark again on a PhD in the future.

Hi Pjlu, I can see that you are a very determine person and you set out your goals very well, which I am thankful for taking the time to write such long message so that I and all others can learn from you. Talking about ethical clearance, I am glad to hear that you have finally sorted that out. I also currently have an issue with that while recruiting the participants for my next study. I was asking for ethical approval since July and my case I thought should be easy enough as I didn't have to deal with NHS patients. But the School was so disorganised that it didn't know what forms that I needed to fill out, it sent my inquiry to the College level and finally I got the answer that I didn't need to apply for one. I double checked with my supervisors as I felt it was odd not to have the university ethics clearance. My supervisors said that as long as I have that email from the College, I didn't have to worry. Guess what, I was criticising by the chair at panel review meeting recently for not having one and my supervisors said nothing. I had to go back to the School and ask again for the forms. I have gone around the full circle. I don't want to count or reply on my supervisor but something like this when you went around and asked people for help. They said why didn't you check with your supervisors. Your supervisors should approve your consent forms and they should tell you what you needed to do. So what would you say to this, it is rreally frustrating.

Anyway, too much of supervision issues. Funny that you mentioned that I should take care of myself well..guess what, I just fell on the street tonight when walking back to my flat due to the slippery because of the snow, I have hurt my hip badly so now I have an excuse to stay in bed. Well, I have to say that for all the crisis that keep on happening to me, I will have to take this as another Christmas spirit! Oh well!

One thing Pjlu, I don't know how you have the strength to do all the work that you mentioned and also finished your thesis in 2010. That is amazing! For me, my self-esteem keeps getting lower and lower as I feel I keep stepping on "S" for the last 2 years. Not that I moan, but after surviving 2 major surgeries, had only 6 weeks to recovery before coming to the UK to do the PhD. My supervisors never asked how I felt even through they knew. I have also gone through hell with supervision issues for the last two years, I don't know how I have survived this far and I am really exhausted!

Pjlu, you are so sweet and I love your "support" story. I shall let you know when I finally stand on the other positive side of the horizon. Can't wait! Cheers.

"I knew it, because later on, when she went on explaining the "problem", my name was mentioned!!!
It was something like "Emmaki seems crap and her research is not interesting and can't have a good result".
I don't know if I am crap or not (I want to believe that I am not) but my research is working fine and so far I have some very interesting results.... I didn't reply to that email, because I thought that the world of academia is quite small and sometime in the future I may need that particular professor"

Emmaki, you made a very smart choice and were lucky. Sorry but I had to laugh when I read your lines even how miserable I am with my case currently.

Ogriv, my university is one of the top in the UK. and I have been treated very badly and the School is full of toxic. After going through hell, and like everyone else has advised you; go for supervisors who do care for you and your work, not the name of the univ. I have made that huge mistake!

Thanks Sre292. I will have to pull myself up and will always remember this moments when some of you here have shared my feelings.

I have to sume up my story with these lines, "I have gone from being classed by my supervisors as a very good student, have the same level as “Marie Curie” fellowship students and for producing my own research topics within 3 to 4 months into my PhD programme, to be a trouble maker after I brought my case to the School and College asking for a new principal supervisor" Anyway, justice is always blind until we prove innocence.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!

Hi Pjlu,

Many thanks and greatly appreciate for your valuable advice. Sorry for being sentimental but I cried when reading your message. Also thanks to all of you too for giving your feedback and suggestions. I am still sitting in the office now trying to write a letter to the College with all necessary information that I could provide. Hopefully, they can help me with my case with a sound judgment. I feel so sad. I don't know if I should laugh or cry as Christmas should be a joyful holiday. However, all I get so far is misery. Last Christmas I got dumb by a friend. This Christmas, I got dumb by my supervisors and with an official letter from the head of school with full of negative criticisms. Surely, there are others out there right now, who might be much more unfortunate but I have had two Christmas in a role and not joyful but only sorrows. I know what you meant but I am home alone for Christmas. Honestly, no one would like to listen to yours story especially this time. People that I know, they ran away from me. Not to say any bad about this, but I understand how they feel. Everyone likes to hear a happy ending story.

To answer your question, no, not all have to be resolved around the PhD. I know I can do better but it is hard to accept something that was not only about your work but because of the people.

Hi Minnie, I think if she makes sarcastic comments again, just give her a friendly smile but say, "I love to work from home, by the way, do you have a problem with that? If you do, please let me know? as my supervisor doesn't have a problem with me whether i am working from home or in the office". I hope that would shut her mouth off. Good Luck!

Hi Tintedemma & Bewildered,

Thanks for your encouraging. my case indeed such a big mess and actually I landed in a very bad school. I was not the only got the issue, one student over the last summer, has sent a massive email due to supervision issues and unfair justice of how they handled their case. Tintedemma, good luck with your PhD!

Bewildered, I don't think I have done a bad job in regards to my work. I finished 2 chapters of my thesis within 5 weeks in the summer. If I haven't had this kind of headaches and supervisions issues, I would have done much more and be able to defense myself better in the viva. But I passed didn't I. I requested to transfer to another school, becasue this school has someone done some research in my work. I have checked with other universities, and one has 8 supervisors who are waiting to be my supervisors. But I have to pay 3yrs overseas fee which is the problem. In regards to MRes I am very much on the same line with you. I was thinking to ask for MSc degree because I heard other students when they left the university, their supervisors just offered for MSc to give them the credits that they have done a PhD one year. Also, I really don't think it is worth to pay for MRes and to deal with this kind of situation any longer. I have worked with the student adviser for 2 yrs and she said 4 against 1. She said my case is a terrible one. She said I can go for appeal but would takes months to get anything back or if I don't want to pay, I still have to file a complaint. Now a day, I just want to sleep as much as I can. I am really exhausted. I feel that when your body has contiminated with toxic, you will never get it off.

Hi MoonBlue, I have been paying overseas tuition, but received some maintenance from the College. It's hard even asking to transfer to different school and asking for transferring that scholarship. If I accept the MRes, they have to find a supervisor to reconfigure my PhD to MRes project. I don't think I will work with the same supervisors. The relationship has broken, I don't think we could work together even with MRes. They have put me in the position that I don't even believe that they will give me an MRes easily.

Hi Moonblue, thanks for answering my post. I know it has been a set up from my supervisors. I don't know what to do, transfering or going somewhere, I still have to carry a baggage/history with me. I really don't know what to do as i have only 1.5 year to complete. On one hand, I just want to leave everything behind and won't take anything from them even an MRes. But what will I show for the last 2 yrs on my CV? If I continue a PhD somewhere else, will it good to have an MRes or MSc. For one thing, i just want to get out of the School that I am currently in ASAP. Others told me that I should keep on fighting as they have messed me up severely for the last two years. But I am too exhausted that I don't know if I still have the strength to fight.

Hi, so far no one in the forum has given me any advice, and I desperate for one... at this stage. I have written to the College, and got a reply the dean and his colleagues will look at my case after the New Year. I have requested to move out to different school. I have also looked at the Code of practice for research students and supervisors, it stated that my supervisors should have given me warnings about my work if they thought it was inadequate. They never did and when I asked they even told me that I should not probe them for an answer, and that they were all in one, and I needed to go the panel review to find out.

I don't know if i should file an appeal if the College couldn't help me. And if doing so, will they take my the option of doing the MRes. But there is no guarantee that they will give me MRes at the end even if I do it, which I also need to pay. They have given me all the troubles so far, they can make me struggle again to get thhis degree. I wonder if I just negotiate for MSc and get out. I heard an MSc, you only have to submit in 10,000 and not 30,000 for MRes. Is is really worthy to get an MRes? I already have an MSc in different university.

To add more, I know this has been a set up & the nasty one told the others to back out on my research so I have no supervisors so I have to leave. I went to the student adviser place, she said I can file for complaints but a lenghtly process & i might not win as 4 against 1. I might have to pay for my MRES too. If any of you have had experience to share, would like to hear from you & greatly appreciate. Hydi.

Hi everyone,

Before start my problem, I wish everyone a M. Christmas & a very happy NY!

My nightmare is back (I posted my problem regarding supervision issues a few month back and thanks for the feedback from the members on this website: http://www.postgraduateforum.com/threadViewer.aspx?TID=12740. They were very helpful.

I have had a long history and finally went for a second panel PhD review assessemnt last month after failing my first viva in March. This time I passed and was recommended to register for a PhD. The panel also stated that there is a possibility that I can get a degree since it showed that there has been progress on my work for the last six months.
However, there's a caviar that I needed to reconsider carefully if deciding to continue on: there is no guarantee at the end, and I still might end up with a lesser reward as an MPhil/MRes. This reason related about concerns that my work to-date had failed to meet required standards and that I still havent showed an independent of research and original scientific thought that expected at PhD level.

In this panel meeting, I requested reduction # of supervisors. I had 4 & it's too much & I never asked for 4. But this was arranged by the College & I had no prinicpal or lead supervisor. All 4 shared the same responsibilty. One was not even in my research area. But he's in the same School i registered. He's also a nasty one, always tried to put me down and gave unhelpful criticism in the supervision meetings. I told the panel that I'd like to work with 2 & specifically not with the other guy.

Panel meeting concluded with the recommendation that the school has to find me a principal supervisor & 2nd one within the university. They strictly told me not to approach anyone for this search

Here is the downturn, 2 weeks ago, Head of the School (HS) asked to see me & handed me the panel report. I never received a soft copy of the report & everyone already signed except me. I felt this was odd. HS told me to take up with the chair if there was any errors. He also hinted all my supervisors might walk out on me. & asked me if I had discussion with anyone. I said no. He said he might have to find alternative options if my supervisors were not available. I replied I didn't hear any of this in the panel meeting but I really hope that he can help to find a solution.

After seeing him, I read through the panel report & found some items mentioned were not reflect to the facts that was discussed in the panel meeting. I had to write to the chair asking for amendments

2 days ago, got a letter from HS, stated he couldn't find me a supervisor due to the reasons that I rejected them & others were also walked out on me. Also a lot of concerns about my work quality. He suggested that I should go for a MRes & no offer to continue PhD. He consulted everyone from the College, section heads etc. things stated looked negative on me. Need to hear from your advice, what I need to do? Thanks

sorry I have misspelled "Bulbs" but "Bulb"