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Blog: Are PhDs meant to be this stressful?

posted
16-Mar-20, 22:31

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

Hi Simm,

Thanks for sharing. We all have been there, lost in the topic and not knowing what to do. For fidning gap, I try to read a appear and ask myself, based on that paper what else do I want to know? Then I try and find the answers to my questions. If I can't find the answer, I try to guess what the answer might be, search those questions. Then slowly by asking myself lots of questions, I have develop areas of what I do know and what I don't know but want to know, therefore my gap. So for me it is about learning to ask good questions (which was what I was always good at). If you want more or better advice, I would recommend creating a new thread so more people can see it.

Thread: So hard to obtain funding?

posted
16-Mar-20, 22:24

edited about 20 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

I am sorry to hear you got rejecetd. Though don't be too down-beaten as it is only one rejection. There are plenty of opportunities and it all depends on who you are up against. Sometimes you might be competing against bona fide super geniuses or other times a rabble of stoners. You shouldn't be put off because of one rejection, learn from the feedback and improve your next application.

Thread: MPhil on Completion of PhD?

posted
16-Mar-20, 22:19

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

I don't think so unless told otherwise. The PhD is a better degree than an MPhil and awarding them by default is rather redundant. From my experience (could be wrong) they are awarded if you drop out and submit a small dissertation. Though, I don't your particular circumstances and if you had technically been upgraded.

Thread: Is a PhD right for me?

posted
16-Mar-20, 22:16

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

In engineering you should not be self funding PhDs. If your supervisor thinks it can get funding talk with and possibly consider it, otherwise take a job. I would take the lined up job and then consider a PhD later. As a job will not rule out a PhD later and will give you time to make the right decision.

About the PhD, do you like the topic enough to devote three years to it? If you are not passionate now, you probably aren't going to be motivated in three years. Research is really arduous and if you have no interest in research or the project, I don't think you should consider it. Sorry for being so harsh but a PhD is more a battle of motivation than sheer intellect. However if you do are genuinely interested in the topic/project and want to have a career in that specific area, I would consider it.

Thread: How to Start Preparing For a PhD?

posted
16-Mar-20, 22:08

edited about 22 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

Read. Read. Read!

Seriously just read as much as you can about your topic and field. It will give you better understanding of your PhD proposal and help you massively if you do a PhD. Try and find everything you can related to the topic so that you can understand what gap in knowledge you are investigating and how you will go about solving it. This will make writing any applications or grant funding a lot easier, as you have a deep understanding on what you want to study, ie look like a better student.

I wish you all the best and hope other people give you some additional advice!

Thread: HELP WITH MSC REPORT ON COWORKING SPACES

posted
16-Mar-20, 22:01

edited about 24 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

Done

Thread: picking a thesis topic

posted
10-Mar-20, 21:27

edited about 10 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

Quote From lemoncheesecake:
i now feel out of my depth

Is this the real issue of your malaise? Do you actually enjoy the project or field? If you enjoy the work, it is more impostor syndrome and that is incredibly common. You have just started your PhD and I would be worried if you didn't feel out of your depth.

Thread: Tick this box if we can contact your referees before the interview...

posted
10-Mar-20, 20:48

edited about 7 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

I think if they contact your references before the interview you are more likely to get an interview. Talking with your references is probably a better way to sift CVs than just reading the CV. I don't think it will impact your odds of getting the job once you have an interview.

Thread: Is it normal to have no journal papers 1.5 years into my 3.5 year PhD (UK)?

posted
10-Mar-20, 20:46

edited about 2 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

Sounds about right. I think the number of papers during a PhD (and when) depends on the project more than the student. Some projects just have more papers than others and doesn't discredit you as student. Just do the best research you can.

Thread: Bad Timing May Ruin my Future

posted
10-Mar-20, 20:23

edited about 10 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

I agree with Tudor_queen and pm133. You can always take a productive break from academia or suggest your own project. However, I am going to suggest something else, a multi-disciplinary PhD. You love your field but is there another semi-related field at your university that might be willing to co-supervise you? If you have two supervisors in different fields, it will be less of a burden for your supervisors and the supervisors with admin duties/too many PhD students might be interested in supervising you then. I understand you love your field but doing it with a side relish of another field might allow you to do a PhD at your University.

Thread: How competitive are postdoc or research jobs nowadays? Tips on application?

posted
10-Mar-20, 20:10

edited about 23 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 2 weeks ago

From my limited experience (still a PhD student), the post-doc market is very competitive unless you have a connection to the PI. I am sorry to say it but more PhD students graduate every year than post-doc jobs and unless you have an inside connection it will be always be competitive

On a side note my second supervisor hired a post-doc entirely because he knew one method. She never met him before the interview and he knew very little about the field except how to do a very specific polymerisation method that was crucial to the project. My supervisors attitude was she can teach him everything else and he could teach her the polymerisation method. I know it is hard to know what is important beforehand but you should be thinking what can you bring to the role/project. So instead of being generic about what you know, what makes you special?

Thread: Concerns About Sharing Research

posted
03-Mar-20, 21:18

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 3 weeks ago

I actively share incomplete data sets. I treat each step of the process as something different and create different files. So it easy to send a data of my results of my supervisor without giving her any of methodology or raw data. I can also send it to other people knowing that they can't steal my work but they have my final results. I don't know if it is applicable to your field but it might be an idea to only share parts of your work. Enough for them know what you are doing and what you have achieved but without any of the useful bits.

What is plagiarism. They should not publish any paper and you have proof you shared it with them if they do try to publish your work. However you are part of a team ie, the department. In my opinion they do have a right to use your work and share your results, as the most fundamental part of research is dissemination. There is no point doing great work but hiding the results and not telling anyone. In general, I think it is fair to talk about others people work if the original author told you about. By sharing the paper they might have thought that you wanted them to know and that you were going to publish it soon. Not crediting you and pretending it is was their work is wrong but using the results you presented them is fair.

Thread: You ever feel like you've lost your way?

posted
03-Mar-20, 20:40

edited about 7 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 3 weeks ago

Quote From overthinker:
However, my prospective supervisor frequently butts heads with those in my department, creating an awkward working environment sometimes.

That is not a good sign. I know a couple people who have a supervisor whose has been ostracised from the department. There is open contempt for this supervisor because of a personal matter. They have trouble collaborating with other PhD students because there are several members of faculty who refuse to work/publish with this supervisor. I don't know how many other problems they have had but students have to be relatively sufficient, as there will be less support from the department.

Also personally, my supervisor gets along well in department but the lab technicians hate her. They straight up told me that they do not like her email warrior attitude. They understand I am not her and get along fine with the technicians but if I have a certain issue my supervisor can not help me. As if i involve her, my issue turns into an argument, with me stuck in the middle. It is an utter pain being stuck in the middle and it does impose some limits to what you can normally do.

Thread: Appraisal comments and how to deal with them

posted
19-Feb-20, 00:00

edited about 8 seconds later

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 1 month ago

Focus on the good parts. You mostly got positive feedback, which is what you should be thinking about. Seek to build on your strengths rather worry about your negatives. It is difficult breaking the impostor syndrome cycle but should take compliments at face value, ie as compliments. They like your work, so what is wrong. I know you feel you can be better but your supervisor has praised your work, so it must be good enough. So I don't think you should be worried about it.

Thread: Is it good for a phd topic change on first year

posted
18-Feb-20, 23:49

by rewt

(view my blog)

posted about 1 month ago

How big of a change is it? Most people's PhD changes through the course of 3 years as the work develops. Like, I greatly simplified my project and focused on a particular concept, as otherwise the experiments would be impossible. You will need to refer to your proposal and see how you can link it with the new topic. If it is a sub-topic in the same overall field with some cross-over you might be ok. Otherwise if it is a big jump you will need to check your funding source.