I'm finding it impossible to write! I wonder if this has something to do with my note taking as I'm reading. When I try to sit down and write, I look at my notes and don't know where in the world to start! I realise that maybe when I finished reading a piece, I should have written a 500 word synopsis of it, which is what I'm going to start doing in order to get some clarity and see how everything fits together.

Nice one chris! I've got my fingers and toes crossed for you here!

iHippo, I am hearing you loud and clear! The way you're feeling is absolutely normal. I started in October and am feeling everything you're saying. I'm trying to treat the PhD more organically now (this is only a recent decision in the past week or so), so instead of looking at the PhD as a whole (which is so overwhelming and dispiriting), I'm just taking it day by day. I reckon that's the only way to cope. Just take it look at it as a process that evolves in slow, small incremental steps. I can assure you, you're not alone in feeling like this.

I too have concerns about this xeno. It's true, academia is changing dramatically with each year. I know that the RAE (Research Assessment Exercise) is constantly stepping it up, and keep introducing tougher criteria. I do wonder just how much academia will have changed by the time I've finished my PhD, but when I start to think about it, I get too panicky! I know of an academic who recently resigned due to all the pressures being placed upon him to conform to the new measures being implemented. I'm well scared, but I don't want my fear to stop me from finishing the PhD.

I just wanted to say, this forum is such a comfort. We may not have people around who are sympathetic, but we've got each other to rant to! Thanks for all the support--diamond.

mokey, I'm going through the same exact thing, and like yourself, I haven't made any friends in the department either. It feels like you're walking alone on a long road that's so foggy you can't see what's ahead and there are no signposts guiding you. Sorry for the cheesy analogy, but that's how it feels right now! The loneliness is quite overwhelming, isn't it? Nothing could have prepared me for this. I can totally sympathise with you.

Hey everyone--just curious as to what stage in your PhD you should consider presenting at conferences and publishing articles. I only started my PhD in October, but am already feeling like I need to start considering these things. I don't feel at all ready yet, am just trying to get my head around my topic. At what point in your PhDs did you start to present and publish?

Let's see, yesterday, in order to avoid my PhD, I: baked a cake, tidied the flat top to bottom, reorganised the kitchen cupboards, cleaned out the fridge, watched nearly a whole series of Friends and spent two hours on youtube. God, it's scary how good I am getting at this. Why the amazing focus when it comes to doing anything else besides my research?!

I just got annoyed with myself--reading my post again, it sounds as though I'm treating my sup like a deity or something. He's just a man! It's strange, I've never paid any attention to 'rank', and have always treated everyone the same.

Also, when I'm in the uni library, I don't like leaving my stuff alone, so even things like going to the loo becomes a pain because you've got to pack all your stuff up. I guess I'm paranoid, but I had my stuff stolen from the library last year, and I'd only left my desk for two minutes.

bellaz, that sounds like a great energy regenerator. I tried that before, but then found I spent so much time wandering around and faffing about, that, in the end, I only got one hour's reading done! By the time I'd actually found somewhere different to study and settled down, I'd wasted most of my day, and often wasn't in the mood anymore. I find studying at home the best, as I can go to the loo, make tea/coffee, be comfortable. I actually feel more distracted in the uni library strangely!

I think I may have overstepped the line with my supervisor, but the problem is I don't know where the line is! I was attempting to have a casual conversation with him (i.e. unrelated to my research), and he didn't respond well. Where are the boundaries in the relationship between sup and student? Is the student expected to be purely formal in their interraction with their sups? Other PhDers I've talked to have a very open relationship with their sups, so I'm not sure what I've done wrong. :(

Cheers olivia! All your advice is very useful indeed. You're right, I'm not breaking it down in little bits, but instead trying to take it all in at once and it's really overwhelming me. Cheers for the tips.

mokey, I can totally relate to everything you said! I'm in the same predicament. I sit at my desk, all primed to work, and then it seems everything distracts me. I don't know what's going on with me at the moment, it's like I'm 'not in the mood' for intellectual work, like I'm wanting to do more simple things. This has come from nowhere, because when I applied for the PhD, I was so geared up for it. In fact, I did more PhD work in the three months leading up to the PhD than since it's actually started! I hope this passes soon, because at the moment, my inertia and general lack of interest is worrying to say the least!

Has anyone had extended periods of inactivity with their PhD? I'm talking weeks rather than bad days every once in a while. For the past couple of weeks, I haven't been able to get myself motivated at all, and am finding every distraction under the sun. I'm sure my computer is the worst of the culprits, so I was thinking of not turning it on, or even hiding the bloody thing! I'm concerned about the severe lack of productivity which has gone on for two whole weeks. For some ridiculous reason, I fear I'm going to get caught out for this lazy spell, and then I realise that we don't have anyone watching over us, only our sups who we meet with randomly. Any advice on how to get motivated again? (i.e. open window. proceed to hurl computer out of said window.)