What a shame and big loss to the world of music and entertainment. He was only 50 and died of a heart attack - almost surreal.

HI there Lostinoz, after reading your post, I feel that you have already made up your mind about what you want to do. You infer that you have been at this point of quitting numerous times, and now you seem to have come up against another particularly difficult hurdle and you're in the same place again. The fact that you state you don't want to be reading material pertinent to your research in conjunction with the statement that you assert you don't want to be doing it suggests that you are at breaking point with it all. Based on what you've said, I'd say for your sanity and general health, quit and get the hell out.

But, maybe there's more to it for you. I don't know.

You're part time, so it plays out over around 7 years doesn't it? Forgive my ignorance if I haven't taken enough notice, but if you don't have a time-intensive job and lots of personal commitments, take your time with it all, take the downs in your stride, reflect on them. After all, you have ages yet (sorry if I sound ignorant). I suppose what you need to ask yourself is what you want out of this PhD? Do you want to be an academic, a lecturer of is it just for personal fulfilment? It's already sapped up two and a bit years of your life, so do you not think you could press on and get it all done? You must have made satisfactory progress and you must be clever because they'd have chucked you off the course ages ago, wouldn't they? It could just be a(nother) shitty patch you're going through (I bloody know!) and when you go through one everything seems so much more dark, insurmountable and hopeless. You could make some progress over the nest month, perk up and feel so much more different about it (that's happened to me!) Feelings are such transient things! Though it may sound cliched (sorry), whatever decision you make is going to be life changing so make sure you've really considered it first.

Oh, as for feeling a burden to your supervisor(s), bah, fxck 'em. That's what they're there for. Christ, you're learning to be a researcher and they're there to help you through it, so they shouldn't even begin to moan! Never feel a burden to them.

Whatever decision you make, and however rambling I sound at this late hour, I wish you the best of luck. x

As my ex(supervisor) said: 'Shit stuff happens in life'. And as I've read on this forum before: 'Worse things happen at sea'.

We've probably all been at a stage where you've got stacks of work, life in general isn't going the way you'd like it to, you have no idea what the future holds and you feel isolated and without any mates. In fact, you look at those around you and you feel as though they have it so much better, having lots of fun and the freedom to do whatever they like. Well, I hope it's not just me at least! I'm at that stage now. I feel like jackin' everything in and running for the hills. My main sup has dropped out of my PhD, I miss my past - and I've just been told I have to develop powers of reflexivity for my research - grrrr, arrgghhh! I'm actually feeling a bit sorry for myself and unmotivated - and that's just not healthy! So, would it be possible to ask anyone interested and willing what they do when they have the mindset (or similar) that I have just described above. How do you stop yourself from indulging in self-pity and remain positive. I've tried to remind myself that I only have another year to go soon, but then I recall that it is the only funded year that I have left and that I have an awful lot to do. Any advice, in any form, whether constructive words or a sharp, verbal slap, would be appreciated. :-(

Chrisrolinski, das ist gute Nachricht. Vergessen Sie nicht, uns alle auf Ihrem aktualisiert Forschung nutzen, an der renommierten Institut, wenn Sie starten!

What is RDBMS?

Very well done. :)

Error 404! You should have stayed quiet - you were actually winning! tut tut

I pigging did it! Just a few minutes ago I sent it off to my sups. Now it's time to sleeeeeeeppppppppp.... Hope you've had a productive journey on the Midnight Express, Lara.:-)

Well, I've managed to get 10, 000 words together for the first draft of half my methodology and I'll hopefully get it fired off tonight to the supervisors before bed. Onwards and upwards, choo, choo.

HI Chrisrolinksi, no it didn't, I've been in bed poorly for the last day, so here's hoping I can pull it together for tonight. Hope you managed to get your aims done and are having a relaxing break. Oh well, here goes, choo...choo!

Well, it's time to dust down the Midnight Express, re-stoke the the coal fire engine and build up some steam pressure, cos - chug, chug, chug...whooooo....whooooo...chug, chug, chug - its time to journey to destination Hard Work during the wee small hours for a couple of weeks now. Have a methodology chapter to write and some (scratch that) a lot of data analysis to do. But don't worry, my train has many carriages so if there are any other travellers, please feel free to register your interest and join me on the arduous and lonely endeavour that is burning the midnight oil. All aboard!:-)