I hadn't seen your earlier post about how you were feeling. I do agree with pm133 that talking to someone who can help is the first thing to do right now.
Best, Tudor

On the other hand - do you really need research / theoretical texts for this? I don't know what your proposal is on, but perhaps it is enough to say, for example: "people have different personalities and some may be less confidence and/or less verbose than others, and therefore, I would moderate the focus groups to ensure that one or two persons did not dominate the discussion".

I have no clue what your research is on - but it may be that you can get away with a sentence like that if it's just a little consideration you need to make for your project (as opposed to something theoretically relevant to your ideas/project).

Hope this helps!

Tudor

It's not my area but I know there are journals on personality. Checking out a recent article on personality (sounds a bit broad - but you haven't given any more detail) might be useful - in particular the first few paras of a decent introduction to an article often will include references to key texts / theories.

Best of luck,
Tudor

Hey, sorry to hear about these bad experiences. Try to switch asap to one who has a good reputation or you already have had positive dealings with. As for abstracts... really the best way to learn is to look at ones that have been accepted and, in a way, imitate them. Also, do you have some sense of what might be going wrong with your abstracts, or do you feel happy about them? What I mean is - is there a problem potentially with the idea itself or do you have some writing issues? Getting a few second opinions could be helpful. Don't be shy to show your work to others. You may get someone who is willing to give you some actual constructive feedback to help you. All the best, Tudor.

You're not old. Congrats on making a good decision. All the best in looking for a new and better opportunity. :-)

I think we can be inclined to "give the benefit of the doubt" a bit more in academia (as students/junior level people) than we would in other contexts. Why? The hierarchy/power thing I suppose. But warning signs are warning signs, whatever the context. And just because lots of other supervisors may behave the same way doesn't mean we should accept it. In reality, supervisors need decent students as much as students need decent supervisors. So, find someone better - you're worth it - someone who can at least spell your name right after multiple interactions.

I totally agree with tru. TRUST your gut feeling. 99.9% chance otherwise you will regret it. That's what we have such feelings for.

Do you know what - you could have a similar scenario - similar objective facts (e.g., late replies, a bit scatty, whatever) but your gut feeling is good, i.e., you aren't worried, you get the sense it is going to work. In that case, I'd say go with it. But when you feel uneasy / uncertain plus all the above... please listen to your instinct. It'll only get worse once you're actually his student and you can't quit easily (without fear of losing your funding etc).

I am a bit confused about the technical points of your post. Why do you need a generic letter of recommendation? Won't the professor support your application elsewhere?

Fixed-term RA posts might be ideal - interesting projects, short term then you move on. I find this rewarding and varied. Disadvantage of course is the lack of security.

This is it! Thanks so much tru! : ) I don't know how you pulled that one off so quickly! I'll forward it to my friend. And thanks again, Faded, for sharing your experience with others.

Tudor

Oh yes, I know how that can feel. A friend of mine walked in to one too, even before finishing her PhD. It's different for everyone. Hope it works out for you soon!

Hi Nesrine,

Have you broadened your net to include research assistant jobs? This is what some of my friends (and I - although I haven't yet had my viva) have done... that way you a) stop feeling rejected, b) get a foot in the door - can take on postdoc responsibilities and may get extended as a postdoc... Just a suggestion - might not even be relevant in your field.

Other than that, chin up - you'll get one in the end.

Tudor

So far I've been searching failed viva, ordeal, nightmare, journey... but no joy.

(Incidentally this came up, which I found quite amusing: https://www.postgraduateforum.com/thread-6173/)

Whoever it was had posted extensively about their experience...

Any bells ringing?

Hi frequent people on this forum,

A friend of mine has just failed her PhD in law, having had no pre-warning that this might happen and being given no option of corrections or appealing. I seem to recall someone quite recently (maybe about 3-6 months ago!) posting on here about the ordeal they had been through after failing their PhD in quite shocking circumstances (expecting that they would pass) and appealing (although I'm not sure on what grounds) and eventually being awarded the PhD (finally success at the end - we all posted our congratulations - it was a mega long journey for the person though - a serious ordeal). Basically, I am now trying to find this thread so that I can forward the link to my friend to see if she can find it useful at all.

If anyone remembers the thread (or maybe the person who wrote it will read this!) or any key words from it then please let me know. I will continue trawling through...

Cheers,
Tudor

I think I'll omit it from the lit review of the paper I'm writing but just let my mentor know about it when I send her the draft. That way, if she thinks it should be included, I can edit it in. Thanks for your help folks : )

Thanks Nad75. Yeh I was confused - it looked like a conf paper cos it was so short!