I hate my post doc! I miss my friends and I miss the momentum I had towards the end of my PhD - things were rolling along great, publications were flying out and I was relatively happy and felt like I knew what I was doing/ talking about, Now I am in a different department (same uni) but it is worlds apart and I have changed fields drastically to a more molecular but also behavioural project - but I just don't have the same level of motivation for it. I don't want to read papers at night and on the weekends and I can't come up with amazing concepts and questions - and I am suffering because I am not putting my ALL in. I don't think this is the career for me -but really stuck as to what else I would do. I am sure I won't ever be a PI so, maybe I should give up now before I wreck my health.. ok, sorry to be so negative... having a bad day :-(

@ larry david - that is so funny!! :-) sorry loonyloo- but try your best to get over it - you would feel terrible if you damaged his career - and folk may think you left because something happened, so you may even damage his marriage too... meet someone else and it will all become history.

if it is that much of a compromise, then it sounds like you will really regret 'giving something' up for 'someone' . Resentment will set in and things may go sour.... IMO if you have to think that much about it... it is not so clear that compromising is worth it! does this make sense? for example, give up a job/opportunity to stay with someone - if you really have to think for a long time about this, then that someone is may not so BIG in your mind, and you should go for the job! that is what I would say.. but that is just me, and everyone and their situations are different! I would only compromise for someone, if they were really worth it!

sorry to be nosy, but since this forum is anonymous, what exactly is it that you feel you are compromising on? and what is it that you feel you are missing out on? until you give more info,. difficult to comment on your original post!!

Gosh, it really sounds like you have been through the mill, I really feel for you. And I agree that it sounds as though you are being pushed harder than most - I mean, you have enough data for 3 papers??! and they are not happy? you hint at there being an uncomfortable atmosphere between yourself and supervisors, I am wondering if this is the source of their problem ie it is not that you are not working hard enough etc, but more a personal problem - if this is the case, then they are being very unprofessional - this is no way to deal with that. I am really not sure what to suggest, other than trying to get a second opinion on your prgress/quality of your work. Don't lose heart, it sounds to me like you are trying really hard, and that is all you can do!

I have pm'd you.(up)

what do you want to know?

yes - you really need to move on! plenty more sexy student fish in the sea! :-)

I would hazard, as a rather educated guess (being as I am a Dr) that previous post was laced with irony. You snob!

you are eligible for job seekers allowance if you are seeking a job - which I guess you must be doing? there are older posts about this I am sure.

you should count yourself lucky - I only have one star :$

give it time! you are not behind at all! you have only just started... soon you will wish you could go back in time and have all this spare time, believe me! do some reading or organising if you are stuck for something to do - e.g. set up your referencing on your computer e.g .learn Endnote and start filling your refs in, sort out all your papers etc stuff like this is important and is best done now at the beginning while you have the time...

wow! many congratulations Lara- really well DONE! now go and celebrate! :-D

mm, stop being childish and realise that she is trying to help you! you are her student, it is her job to guide you... if you give up now, she probably will too- and you would rather receive honest and helpful feedback rather than empty praise, I assure you.

"Apologies for the lack of tact here" ... yes, so why are you asking this rather inane question? sorry to be so harsh, but really! You will be judge far more on the content of your CV and what you actually achieved during your PhD - ie papers, presentations.. where you got the money from is of little consequence.