I'm 27 and in the final year of my PhD and am just thinking about the amount of time I've spent at uni-this is my fourth degree (BSc, MSc, MSc and now PhD). I'm also thinking about going into clinical psychology training after my PhD which will mean more time spent at uni and five degrees to my name (sounds like complete madness!).

I'm wondering whether the sacrifice will be worth it in the end! Although I'm well funded at the moment, my MScs have left me in crippling debt, meaning that I haven't really been able to save for a deposit for a house, or have much of a life really! My partner has recently got back with me (we're now 6 years into a relationship) but I'm also wondering how my situation affects him. I often think about a parallel universe- how things maybe if I hadn't gone down this route of postgrad study.

I've worked so hard in developing my career and although these degrees have opened many doors for me, I can't help but compare myself with school friends of the same age who seem to be married with 1-2 children! Remaining in education for such a long time, I'm starting to feel that I'm missing out on some of the other aspects of life. Maybe this is something to do with gender roles (female biological clock ticking?!?!) I'm constantly being asked whether I'm married with kids etc whilst conducting my fieldwork.

Has anyone else during their PhD felt anything similar? I guess I will never know either way and I'm sure a large percentage of it is to do with a persons situation and character. Just a thought.

In short, the more time I'm spending at university (to develop my career aspirations etc) the more I'm feeling like I'm missing out or simply feeling that I'm wasting my time! Other aspects such as travelling, getting married, having children seem to be developing in importance (never used to be like that!)!

I was just curious whether anyone else out there has a PhD across two different academic units-and how they manage it.

I've based myself in one department (due to being part of a research team, my first supervisor wanting me there almost all the time and my office is based there) rather than the other department. After visiting the second department (where I don't spend much time at all due to commitments in other department) I felt like I had been dejected and rejected due to non attendance of my second department. I'm wondering whether I've done the wrong here now- and whether I should have been spending time in both departments rather than one.

I know it sounds pretty petty and pathetic- but I feel horrible now. The second department have made me feel really unwelcome :( Perhaps they feel that I've been snubbing them for the past two years, which isn't the case at all! I've just part of a research team within the first department and tend to work all the time in my office!

Oh well-perhaps another case of office politics between the two departments I wonder??

Sorry if this seems to be melodramatic! :(

Just letting you all know that I PASSED my upgrade!!

Yay! I'm soo pleased-although it hasn't sunk in yet. All of my supervisors etc had basically given up on me, but I DID IT!! Should bloody well hope so-after submitting a massive 80,000 word upgrade report!

Can't believe it :)

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I don't know what it is. In the past, they've had problems with my work not being detailed enough, problems with my writing and the structuring of my chapters. Now I've worked and collected hundreds of pieces of relevant work (sups now say that its too detailed-although its relevant), I've improved my writing technique and now I've fixed the structuring of my chapters. They said a few weeks before I submitted that I've conducted an enormous amount of work, but the problem is it's not as linked as it could be. I've now made sure that my points are all clearly linked to my hypotheses and research questions.

I really don't know what more else I can do! I submitted 5 complete chapters; 1) intro 2) 2 literature review chapters, 3) 1 review and presentation of a model (a new overall framework from previous work plus a model of my main IV) and my research questions, and 4) a large methods and methodology section (reviewed all my methodology I've developed and created-linked this to the adv and dis of previous research methodology), decribed details of pilot study and subs revision of methodology, ethics and potential limitations) plus a huge reference list (20,000 words) , tables, figures and appendicies.

What more do these people want?!?!?!

My supervisors email about what to include in an MPhil results section (if I dont upgrade) and only to do more types of fieldwork if I pass upgrade. Perhaps she's only just informing me of the options if I don't pass-but its only just made me nervous, tearful and worried :( She herself said some of my chapters were ok and the ones which she said are fine, I haven't made many changes to....so I'm confused and a little lost :( (But she isn't marking my report though)

(Sorry if I'm being so negative)

I have and she's not replying to my specfic questions about the upgrading. She is responding to questions regarding other stuff I'm doing.

It doesn't look good

:-(

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I'm just considering my options at the moment.

I've just submitted a mammoth upgrade report (probably length of a PhD) and I'm terried that it will be rejected-but I've got a sinking feeling that it will. Judging from my other supervisor who is not marking it but yet reading between the lines of her email, I may have to resort to an MPhil.

Just throwing it out there really-what do people think of an MPhil rather than a PhD???

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I'm really worried that despite all the work, time and effort I've put into it is all going to come to nothing. My confidence really has taken a battering from my very critical supervisors and I really don't know what's going to happen. I'm frightened that their going to say that it's just not good enough. I'm aware that this just be my insecurities here rather than actual reality (I've covered everything they've wanted and more relevant stuff to my project, and they've said that most of my chapters are ok) but I'm still questionning myself! They've pushed me so hard to do this and to get things done (which is a good thing I guess in the long run) and pick at every single thing that I do, I just have lost all confidence! (this is my fourth degree, so rationally, I know I can write well, but, I only take so much criticism before I start to crack!!)

I'm also worrying about whether im on target in comparision with other 2nd year PhD students-I'm worried whether I've fallen behind and am basically not a good student in the eyes of my supervisors :( Maybe I should just stop worrying and just get on with it! lol



In short, yes, I'm sh*t scared!!!

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The seminars I did were always a week after the lectures. I kind of reviewed the material discussed from the lectures so that they could revise some of it and also to allow them to ask me any questions.....may not have been the best way of running a seminar (it was my first go!) but the students in their feedback liked it!

Dear forum,

I'm just curious as to how everyone in their second year is getting on. :$

I'm approaching the end of my second year, and I have no idea of whether I'm on the right track or not. I'm about to find out whether I've passed my second year upgrade in order to progress to my third and final year YAY!!

I've just submitted five chapters (intro, chapter 2 (lit review), chapter 3 (lit review), chapter 4 (my model and research questions), chapter 5 (methods and methodology section). Due to no real concrete written guidelines within my department on the upgrading process- I've basically written my chapters as I would do for my final thesis. I'm worried as my report at the end of my second year is nearly 70,000 words which doesn't include references, figures, tables and appendicies. My report is very detailed and I've had to keep a very close eye on not going of into tangents! My supervisors have said that I've put an enormous amount of work into my chapters, my supervisor has kindly read through each of my chapters and feels that some of them are ok (which I'm taking as a positive as she's extermely picky about things!)

But, I'm sh*t scared that my markers are going to reject my report as it's not PhD standard, or that I won't be able to cope with the standard of a PhD. I've put SO much work into it, and I'm going to be heartbroken if its rejected a second time. This time round, I've ensured that everything they've wanted is included, I've evaluated everything and have tried to keep it as close and as consise as possible to my research questions. THe problem is, my confidence really has been shaken by their critical nature-so I'm feeling the pressure and I'm not sure what will happen! If there not happy again with my report (despite covering and completing everything they've wanted), I'm seriously thinking about quitting :(

In terms of my fieldwork, by December, I would have completed 3/4 of my data collection, with just 2 focus groups and carer interviews to do.

What are other peoples experiences?-I know everybodys PhD is different, but I would be interested to see how other people are getting on in their second year

Sorry for the long post. Many thanks for reading

Hello Weetabix!

I was a seminar leader at the start of my second year. I thought two groups of undergraduates (20 in each group approx) during 24 weeks of teaching (2 terms). I marked essays, I was an exam invigilator and marked their presentations and gave them an unannouced seminar test. Short of it, I hated it and dreaded each week. It involved loads of preperation (which took me away from my PhD), dealing with problematic group work with disruptive uninterested students (spoiled it for everyone else really) and one particular mature student who liked to try it on with me-ie question the material I was teaching, saying stuff like, oh thats not what we were taught in the lecturers! ggrrrrrrr. Most of my students would not say very much, so it involved lots of coaching to get them to speak and offer their opinions! I was a complete nervous wreak in the first term, but I got used to it eventually! I found being in that position of power very very strange to deal with! Working within a department and being bottom of the food chain to suddenly being in a position of power, was strange for me!

I divided my teaching into two components 1) a review of the lecture material: question/answer format; 2) discussion of seminar topics/reading material. I wasn't as tough on them as other seminar leaders were. If they couldn't be bothered to read the material, then I was going to spoon feed them. They had an unannoucned seminar test as well, so I managed to catch them out if they didn't read the material! ie mark of ZERO :)

I also intergrated lots of group work, I gave them tasks each week (printed and noted on handouts) to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of seminar reading (in terms of methodology) and got each group to give a presentation of the material.

There were some positives though: break from PhD, develop and improve on my communication skills, add something to the CV, extra pay, experience of running and leading a group (which was EXCELLENT preperation for my focus groups).

I'm not sure I would ever do seminar teaching again-but I guess it's not for everyone!

Good luck :)

Hello-I was wondering whether you could help me this.

I'm wondering which test to use for this scenerio: To keep this anon,
I'm looking at the prediction as to whether a person with a certain dichtomous characteristic- (call it A) would be placed in a location with professionals also with with certain dichtomous characteristic-(call it A)

Would this be some kind of matched sample test? or perhaps a likelihood ratio. I know it's Sunday afternoon guys, but any help woul be very much appreciated!

i know how you feel! my PhD is in a different field to my interests, background, training-so I'm finding it very hard and very intense.
My PhD is related, but only marginally. Might be a strength though-different way at looking at things

I agree totally with missspacey. This PhD is cetainly the most challenging and difficult things I've ever put myself though. I'm coming from having recieved 2 demanding MSc degrees yet I managed to contain good results in them (both average 68). Coping with PhD life is on a completely different level to MSc. Not only is the work so much more demanding than at MSc level, the work ethos is completetly different (no fellow classmates, no essays, no structured lectures). Dealing with constant criticism is another feature of a PhD-which I'm not coping with really! People are constantly telling me it will be worth it in the end-let's see what I think in 1/2 years time! I thought the MSc(s) were tough-this PhD is something else. People are not kidding when they see a PhD is hard work, particularly, if the PhD is in a completely new area-as mine is.

I tend to go through phases-sometimes I want to quit, other times, I'm dedicated to my PhD and see it has the ultimate challenge. I agree with the previous posts-see how you feel about your decisions to quit. I think you will find on this forum that many people have thought about quitting! I'm gathering this is a common feature of PhD life. Today, in my own case, I received a message from a friend saying that I should quit. She thought that 'nothing is meant to be this hard'. I was strangly insulted! My friend has dropped out of numerous things and I just felt like who are you to say that! I know that I if I did drop out, I would regret it big time. Yes it's VERY hard work, and most of the time I feel like crap-but when things do seem to work-then encouraging enough to keep going. I also believe in my project (it's a v. under researched area) and I've put too much work into it to quit now.

Good luck with your decision! xxx