Hello!

What a relief to read this thread!

I'm 5 months in and starting to really worry about how little I feel I've done.

I've read LOADS but not started properly writing anything down yet. I still don't feel like I've gotten a grasp of my subject yet. Thankfully I'm finding it interesting but there's just SO much I feel I need to know. Maybe things will become more structured when I start writing things down.

Do any of you think you're missing some really important literature?? I'm worried what I've read so far is not enough, even though I've read alot.

Hope I still don't feel like this in 6 months?

I think there's always something out there for you to read- that'll be of some importance. I've been doing some reading but i would say not a lot (i know i need to!) Saying this, i have just got a 200 page basic electromagnetic design material to go through

I'm certainly worried about missing the important stuff, but also concerned that the stuff I'm reading is maybe not all that relevant to my research! I seem to keep getting lead off at a tangent and I'm not at all sure that the issue I'm researching now is the same issue that's detailed on my proposal! Do we get the opportunity at the end of the first year to change the focus of the project?

The first year is the least productive as it's filled with procastination and office cricket.

You're right in a way. The first year is mainly gaining ground and finding your feet. At the moment i am working on something that isn't in my proposal, although it is vital to achieving the overall aim of my research. I think after a while you get to know the specific area that are worth pursuing and the rest just leave behind (or becomes less important)