Well i get up at 7, then run out of the house at 8 to make sure I'm in by 8.30 - without breakfast 99% of the time - only to find myself asking 'Why did I bother' as I always spend the first hour or two time-wasting on the internet anyway. Maybe I should watch a bit of Will and Grace in the morning too it sounds much nicer

Well I just got a book called 'How to Write a Thesis' by Rowena Murray and the title of the first chapter is 'How to write 1000 words an hour'. So supposedly you could write 8000 words in an 8-hour day!!! I will tell if it works once I've read the book

RogueAcademic - you have a problem with my username... seriously??? Unfortunately it also happens to be my actual name so I guess you'll have to take your issue up with my parents.

As for your username, I think you've misspelt it - it should start in 'A' and end in 'hole'.

Peace Out.

Wow Rogue you're a die-hard romantic aren't you? What gives you the right to dismiss someone's feelings as immature? I'm not saying she should act on her feelings but I think she should have the right to use any words she wants to describe the way she feels (inc. 'love'). What's it to you?

Corinne, I agree completely. I don't understand the need for such harsh responses to somebody who probably feels bad enough as it is. People on this forum can be very supportive up to a point but the second they don't like something they are downright mean. Perhaps it's the informality of this type of communication that does it - or are you people this rude face-to-face aswell?

Anyway Lamp, I have to say I do agree with the general advice on this thread (if not the mean sentiments of some of the posters!)... just try to forget about it, don't say anything and don't do anything!!! Maybe you should take a break or something to clear your head? Good luck with your dilemma, I don't envy you

P.S. It sounds from your other thread that you have got loads of work done, I don't think you have anything to worry about!

Hi pineapple,

I did my upgrade last March and was TERRIFIED at the time but actually it wasn't so bad in hindsight. I had to do a report on what I had done so far and also a proposal for future plans. The external examiner that the department got for me was only able to be involved on a particular week so I had 3 weeks to get report, proposal and presentation together!!! I nearly went insane in the lead up to it

But looking back now it was actually OK - I think they are really 'on your side' and want you to succeed, so I don't think they are trying to catch you out or pick holes in what you're doing (like they might be in the final viva - now that will be scary!).

Good luck and I hope it goes well

Hmm this thread is making me think... I have been wondering lately why I felt I was able to do great work as an undergrad/MSc but nowadays I can't seem to do any of the 'higher thinking' that you are talking about sylvester... But now that I think about it I always did that kind of work at night! Maybe I need to go back to that way of doing things?!?! But same as you bulbs I have been trying to fit in with my partner's working hours... Another problem is I teach a few early morning classes so couldn't stay up too late or they'll think that I'm a zombie lol!!!

But it's definitely something to consider so thanks Anything's worth a try at this stage

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the advice, it's good to know I'm not alone! I actually had a meeting with him last week which went quite well - I think the other supervisor may have had a word in his ear because he said that he knows he hasn't been giving my work enough time etc.

So we'll see how it goes now, hopefully I will get more feedback from now on. Now I'm slightly terrified because that also means handing up work more often (and getting judged on it more often) but I guess that's a better situation to be in - at least I'll get some work done hopefully!!!!!

So I have two supervisors, one who 'can't' give me advice because he doesn't even know what's going on and one who 'won't' because she doesn't have a PhD. Most of the time I'm happy enough to just plough ahead with my work, but my big worry is - which one of these people will tell me if my work is a load of crap??? Or will they let me get to the viva stage before I get any inkling of whether my research is good or bad???

My question is what should I do about this??? Or should I do anything? Am I just overestimating the amount of help I should get from my supervisors in the first place?

Thankfully I do have a second, more supportive supervisor - she was with me since I started as an MSc but when I transferred to PhD register obviously he had to take over as he has a PhD and she, unfortunately, does not. She is great for moral support, but now that I have transferred to PhD she doesn't want to take 'academic responsibility' for my work and doesn't feel like she can give me the advice I need.

Hi all... I've been having some problems lately with my supervisors and don't know who I can ask about this expect people here! There must be someone who's been in a similar situation???

I think the main problem is that I don't think he (Supervisor One) actually knows what my research is about - whenever I send him something he either doesn't open the email at all, or does open it but shows up to the meeting without having read it anyway. Every time we meet I have to remind what stage I'm at but even then he doesn't seem to remember - for example at our last meeting we agreed I would hand up my literature review the week before Christmas... and then yesterday got an email from him saying that he wanted to see the first three chapters ASAP!?!?!?!

This seems quite out of alignment with what I've been told - I'm being put under pressure to be finished within three years (even I though that would take a miracle ) and it's made out that even going into a fourth year, let alone going on past that, is not a good idea!!! Who to listen to?!?!?!

The thing I think about whether you will regret it or not is that once you make the decision to leave academia you will be surrounded by a whole new set of people (in whatever job you go into) who probably won't give a toss whether you have a PhD or not! Which will make it much easier to cope with the fact of not getting one... It's only when you're still in the middle of the whole academia craze that you feel like you 'should' get one.

That's what I'm hoping anyway! Good luck with whatever you decide!!!

Hi there, I just saw your original post for the first time... I could've written it myself! I am also two years in and not so happy... I feel like I'm waiting for my life to start at the moment and I'm in limbo till the PhD is finished...

I don't know if I have any advice for you because I'm in the exact same situation - but I think if you want to do something else then you should at least look into it. I just had an interview for a job in a different area - I don't know if I will definitely leave yet but I want to at least see what else is out there for me!