I completely understand where you are coming from. I didn't connect with any grad students while doing my Masters and now I am doing my PhD from home because I live away from my school. It's really hard some days, but I have found a few ways to make it a bit easier. This forum, for one! Other than that, what I have found is that if you don't have people around you that are doing research similar to your own, you really have to be the one to take initiative and broaden your own interests. Whether it is research related or in extra-curricular activities, being open to learning helps. I've joined up with sports teams, gone to seminars that are not even remotely related to my own research and met some cool people that I do connect with. Most grad students share similar experiences in general regardless of what they are studying. Hope this helps a little. Good luck to you!

Thanks all for your posts! It's nice to know I'm not the only one going through this, even if it doesn't change the situation. Things are looking a bit better after a very direct email to my supervisor outlining the problems I was having. Gonna stick it out awhile longer. Plus, the job prospects if I quit are quite unappealing, which is an additional motivation to continue. Thanks again for sharing your experiences/advice, I appreciate it!

Hey, I'm new here. My husband STRONGLY suggested I find others who have had similar experiences/advice before quitting, which I am seriously considering. Here's the problem:

I am beginning my second year and still have not completed a research proposal, much less obtaining ethics approval, which can take a long time. I have had several committee meetings, however, none have yielded any clarity into what I should be focusing on. Just today, my supervisor suggested that my problem statement and objectives need to be broader which was the final straw. I keep telling him that I feel overwhelmed with the project, and his most recent response was "Get used to it, that's the nature of the field you are in". I don't think I can handle this feeling for the rest of my career.
I am stressed to the point of crying all the time. Thought it would get better after my proposal meeting, then thought it had to get better after my comprehensive exam (which I passed), but no luck. I am miserable.
Sounds horrible after reading through it, but this is my life. I also work from home as my university is in a different province than my home. This, I'm sure, has contributed to some of the problems I am experiencing.
Hope someone can provide guidance or a similar experience?