Hey Mh270! I don't know much about the downgrading to a masters or the funding situation I'm afraid, but one thing I would say is that the PhD is a long slog and I think that you are completely right to be concerned if at this point you are sure that the topic doesn't interest you. I love my PhD but I couldn't go through it if I wasn't completely in love with my subject, although some people manage to! It might be worth doing a bit of research to see whether there is any way that you can have some flexibility in what you are doing- you say that the topic initially looked interesting so perhaps there is scope to have a shift in focus? It might also be worth searching for older posts about the funding situation- I'm pretty sure other people have posted on here with very similar questions. Where is the funding from? If it is from a research council then if you contact them they should be able to let you know what the situation would be if you decided not to proceed with the PhD. If you are funded through the department I am not sure, but I would imagine that somebody in the financial side of things would be able to tell you without it having to get back to your supervisor. Good luck with it, hope things work out for you. Best, KB

Hey guys, I need your advice yet again! There is a team of us in our department working on similar topics with the same supervisor- about 12 of us, including one male, and we're all in adjacent offices. Now last year after starting my PhD I got quite friendly with this guy. Other people find him a bit odd, he's not really very sociable and can actually be quite rude to people, but we found that we shared a similar sense of humour and started spending more time together. After a while, he told me that he thought we should get together as a couple. I wasn't so sure, and I had to think about it for a while, but in the end I had to say I thought we should just remain friends. This was about 9 months ago. Now since then he has completely cut me off. He refuses point blank to talk to me, even if I ask him a direct question. If I walk into his office to talk to one of his office-mates he either puts his headphones on or storms out and slams the door. My supervisor has even offered to have a word with him, which I declined as I didn't want him to get into trouble over it and I suppose I feel a bit bad that I couldn't give him what he wanted. Anyway, he has recently got funding to stay on and do a PhD in the same team, which means that we will have to do some things together. Today I thought, this situation is ridiculous, so I spoke to him and asked if we could perhaps just even be civil to one another, to which he replied 'that is not going to happen'. Well, at least he replied! But how do I deal with this?! It's not bothering me from a personal perspective, but it's completely unprofessional and I wish we could just get on, but where do we go from here? Any bright ideas anyone? I do feel bad that I didn't feel the same way about him and I'm sad that I've hurt him but I can't agree to be his girlfriend just to keep him happy....Cheers, KB

======= Date Modified 28 17 2010 17:17:42 =======
Hey guys! Just a celebratory post because as you know I have been having a few issues with the amount of testing (and other work!) my supervisor is expecting me to do. We had supervision this afternoon and finally I have managed to convince her that the follow-up study she is expecting me to do is not realistic within the time frame of my PhD, and she was only very slightly grumpy about it! We have agreed that we might try to apply for funding to do the follow-up at a later date, maybe as a post-doc, or as part of a post-doc project anyway, and I have agreed to aim for high numbers of participants in my two participant groups and do an extra small qualitative study in the second group so that it matches the first group. Am so relieved, I have been worrying about it for ages! I guess perseverance does pay off....thanks to everyone who has been offering me advice on how to deal with this! Best, KB

Hey again! I have to agree with the others Wally, sounds like you need time out and a change of scene, even if it's just briefly. I haven't really had any PhD-related issues as such, but I have had problems with depression and lack of sleep etc in the past and it really affects all aspects of your life. I'm not sure if what you're describing is depression or not as I don't know you well enough, but either way it sounds as though you need to take action in some way. I know it can be difficult to take time off, I'm the worst for that, but it really does sound like you need a breath of fresh air, away from the PhD, with friends or family or whatever, and do something you really enjoy. Sometimes even just a short change of scene can make a difference. Might also be worth seeing your GP about the sleeping. It might just be that you're not sleeping because you have work on your mind all the time, but there are medical conditions that can make it difficult to sleep so it might be worth seeing if the doc can offer any help. I don't like taking sleeping tablets but I do go through patches of having to be on them and they can provide a bit of respite! Hope you're feeling better soon, best, KB

Wow, sounds like lots of people are having a really hard time of it! Maybe I'm just deluded because I'm only halfway through but overall my PhD experience has been a really positive one. I have become more and more interested in my topic over time to the point where I am that fascinated by some aspects that I lie awake at night thinking about it all. I have realised that I really do want a career in research although I know that it will be tough and competitive etc. I'm a lot more confident than I was in many ways and have made a lot of really good pals- I think that has been easier for me than some people though because there is quite a big team of us working on similar topics and I have also made a lot of friends through my teaching commitments. I enjoy writing papers, I enjoy testing, there isn't much about my PhD that I don't like. I have found teaching a bit stressful at times and have also been really stressed about my workload some of the time, I think that's the only downside I can think of really. I have supervision this afternoon and have planned the whole 'reducing the workload by scrapping the follow-up study' conversation for then, though I don't suppose it will go down very well! I guess all this might change when I get to writing up stage, and then I will have a better feeling for all the negative effects of a PhD. Oh yes, and I've put weight on too! Seems to be a common theme! Best, KB

Hey Phdee! Yeah, I published my literature review and it was so long that I actually had to split it into two papers (both papers are 10,000 words!) and now I have also submitted the other one for publication too. One part of mine was published as a systematic review and the other part I have submitted is more a theoretical discussion than a systematic review. I think it's a great idea, it's good to get publications under your belt and also great to get feedback from reviewers about your conclusions and possible future directions on which your research will be based. I wouldn't worry too much about how 'high standard' the journal is at this stage- I was very lucky with my first paper and got it into a really good journal, but the second part has gone to a much less prestigious journal, basically because I want to get it to the right audience and the journal is appropriate in that sense, but also because I am also less confident about it than I was about the first one! Definitely, go for it! Good luck, KB

Hey Owenrog. I don't know much about computing, I'm in psychology, but I think the general experience of starting off is probably pretty similar! The first week or so was pretty much just settling in, meeting the rest of the team and getting set up my office really. Then I went through my project proposal in detail and read/re-read all of the references from it and made summary notes on each of them. I also followed up references from these articles that looked useful. I spent about the first 6 months reading around the subject, making alterations to the original proposal based on the literature I had read, finalising the research questions and how I was going to address them. This resulted in a final proposal and a literature review which were submitted for my 6 month review. To some extent it depends on how specific your project proposal was- some people find they can get going with the research straight away, for others it takes the best part of the first year to sort out what the plan of action is. One thing I would say is that you should meet regularly with your supervisor and together you should set goals for your next meeting- that way you keep a sense of direction and your supervisor is up to date on your progress. And chat to the other people on the team or other PhD students around you if there are some- the other PhD-ers under the same supervisor as me offered me loads of advice, from how not to piss our supervisor off to where to recruit participants from to who to speak to about finances etc, so make the most of your resources! Good luck with it all, KB

Well that makes me feel better :) They seem really interested in what I do and always ask loads of questions about it- the subject is kind of relevant to them as they have both had parents with dementia- but when it comes to reading about it they can't stick it out! I don't really blame them, it does get pretty technical, especially with all the stats, but it would be nice if they persevered a bit further than the abstract! Oh well, I know they're behind me all the way so I will let that one go...Best, KB

Hey all! My mum and dad love playing the whole 'proud parent' thing right now, and will tell anyone who will listen that I am doing a PhD, have just had a paper published, etc etc. But when it comes to actually reading my papers, they won't! They always ask for a copy but then get halfway down the first page and say it is too complicated/they don't understand it etc, so they don't carry on! I would kind of like them to get an idea of what I'm doing seeing as though they have been so supportive (both emotionally and financially) through my education- I thought it would be nice for them to finally see the rewards of what has been a long and difficult slog, but they're having none of it! Do your friends and family read your work? Best, KB

Hey, congrats Rick, hope you have chance to chill out soon and enjoy the feeling! Best, KB

Hey Tony3433, I just want to re-iterate what others have already said really. I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that racism/discrimination is to blame for your lack of success so far in applying for PhDs. There are people from all over the world studying for PhDs in my department- probably more students from overseas than from the UK...I know it's really tempting to try to find something to account for being rejected but I think it's unlikely that your colour is the reason. I have had severe mental health problems in the past and I was worried that I might be discriminated against on that basis when I was trying to get a PhD sorted (a while ago I was told that having a mental health record and diagnosis such as my own was worse than having a spell in prison on your record!), yet I received several offers of funding in the end for a project that I designed myself (with the help of my supervisor). If you are good at what you do and you have potential then if you keep trying I believe you will get there in the end. So keep trying! It is so competitive to get onto these funded projects- there are probably dozens (if not more) of applicants for every advertised PhD and they will probably short-list and interview maybe 5 or 6 applicants. That means that dozens get turned away with a very standard letter of rejection like you have received, without any details regarding why you have been unsuccessful. So just keep going and you will get there in the end- most people have to make a number of applications before they finally get a PhD. The other thing is, a lot of studentships get awarded through departmental funding, and often go to people who are already at the university and are known to their potential supervisor. Would it not be possible to try to obtain funding at a university where you have completed one of your masters degrees? Also bear in mind that you don't have to apply for advertised PhDs- it is quite possible to work with a prospective supervisor to design your own PhD project and then apply for funding for that project from a research council. It might be worth thinking about. Best of luck with it, KB

Hey Natassia! Glad to hear that you're managing to battle on after you've had such a tough few months! I think this does all sound positive, and it sounds like you are now in the position to start formulating your ideas more precisely and getting going with a formal application and so on. Supervisors vary a lot with how many PhD students they supervise. My supervisor is currently primary supervisor to 6 PhD students and second supervisor to another couple (and in charge of several post-docs, research assistants etc), but I have some friends who are the sole PhD student for their supervisor, so it does vary a lot. I don't blame you at all for staying at the same uni- I have stayed put after my BSc and MSc for similar reasons to your own and I don't regret it one bit. What's more, if I can stay for a post-doc, I will! The main thing is to be in the best place to research what you want to research, and if that is where you are then great! It might be worth thinking about different sources for funding- departmental funding is one way forward but there are lots of others as well, so when you speak to your potential supervisor it might be worth exploring those options a little more. I know of nobody in our department who is having to self-fund, and there are over 80 PhD students across the 3 years, so I think with a little perseverence you will stand a reasonable chance of getting funding, especially given your excellent undergrad result etc. Anyways, sounds like it's all going well at the moment, well done for staying on top of things and keep us up to date! Best, KB

Ooooh I'm awful for working when I'm unwell. I just try to battle on regardless, although I have to be a bit careful because my participants are quite a vulnerable group of people, so if it's anything that's catching I would have to cancel my visits. I mean really people shouldn't come into work when they've caught something in case they pass it on to everyone else, but if everyone took a week off whenever they caught a cold then the country would grind to a halt, so most people seem to grin and bear it and keep going in our department. To be honest even when I've been ill in hospital I've taken bits of my work with me, I just can't stand being away from it for too long and I hate having nothing to do...I'm a sad case! Best, KB

Hey Maria! I think the best thing to do is to just keep a bit of an eye on her...it could just be a phase, and lots of people need to find something they can control in periods of stress, but it's not good if it goes too far. I wouldn't make too big a deal of it explicitly, but just be there for her if she needs to talk. I suffered from an eating disorder back in sixth form and once you're in the grips of it, it can be really hard to get yourself out of, it's like a slippery slope. I'm not saying your friend has an eating disorder, but probably best to keep an eye out just in case it starts to get too extreme...Best, KB

Hey Phoebe! As you say, every project is different and there seems to be quite a variation in priorities for the first year of the PhD in different fields as well. I'm in Clinical Psychology, so different to you, but by the end of first year I had completed my lit review and submitted it for publication, finalised my proposal and obtained School and NHS ethical approval, started recruitment and testing (but only right at the end of first year), and had a very rough draft of my second paper. It certainly took most of the first year just to get up and running, so I don't think you should be too worried at this stage. Most people I know took their first year to finalise what they were planning to do, apart from the folk who had started an advertised PhD where the protocol was already very specific and already had ethics approval etc- they were quicker to get going than the rest of us! As long as you have something to show for your year's work then you shouldn't have anything to worry about, just keep going! Best, KB