Congratulations Amaryllis, this is great news-well done on your terrific results.

Just read my post from almost 7 years ago with a mixed response of horror and amusement! Horror that it appeared and amusement at my own reaction to its emergence. Given we are rambling on about age (and I support PM133's comments about how we react to these numbers), I thought I might add that after taking off a whole year between the Masters thesis and commencing the PhD mid October in 2011, I have now completed it bar the final gasps of examination and corrections.

I have since had three positions and promotions since that post and have sold house, moved states, bought a 'future townhouse', and am renting it out while I work in the country and learn all about rural politics and lack of services in remote areas and the impact this has on the students we teach (secondary school students). Have also started travelling internationally every few years.

I am now training for a half marathon next year and have been regularly running distances of 10-14 kilometres in fun and charity events. (Had to slow down in the last year only due to thesis and work commitments and now the thesis is done, I can increase my running goals).

All goals achieved later in life, and if you asked me at 30 whether I thought this was all possible...I would have thought I was dreaming. Life is/can be good at all ages and stages.

The timeline for marking examiner reports for PhD's at my university is officially 6 weeks or 30 working days, which is pretty reasonable for a PhD I would think. The 3 month bit is that we are advised that even though the deadline for marking results is 6 weeks, (after which they will start sending the examiners reminders), we (the candidates) are requested not to pester admin before 3 months. I guess after 3 months we can pester all we like :). All in all once you add up marking, report collation and panel review, corrections and timeline for corrections, panel review after corrections, and then admin finalising results, it will easily be 6 months-and that is if it is only minor corrections. I don't think this is unusual though.

Hi Amaryllis, my results/reports are formally due this Friday, although we are warned that examiners often do not keep to the schedule and we are asked to not contact anyone in admin until at least 3 months have passed without a result. Still, I check the online reporting timeline page every few days. (This page is the official record and timeline and we can access this with a password). Yesterday, I noticed that one of the examiners had requested another two weeks after this week and the date had been pushed out until the 8th of December. So at least this particular examiner is relatively organised I guess and knows that they won't have finished it by this Friday.

Iwan, is the professor of the lab the only person you can discuss this with? Does your university provide any other forms of support such as counselling, or a student advisor or perhaps a postgraduate representative or association?

Would there be other postgraduates or staff from Malay or Indian cultures in the faculty who you could talk to (even if they are not in your lab)? And the other person who is leaving-do they or are they able to provide any advice or support while they are present?

It reads like a really difficult situation, and I think PM133and Tru have provided some advice worth considering. Generally unfriendliness, harassment, discrimination and bullying is about the other person/people's issues. And people can be mean, discriminatory and band together just because it is just primary social behaviour in many cases. We think and hope this behaviour ends with school and adolescent years but sadly, often not.

Your particular case sounds very specific and difficult and I hesitate to offer any advice as I am not sure I have any worth passing on.

My personal plan would be to seek to establish some supportive relationships with others (perhaps beyond the lab) where possible and to use cognitive behavioural strategies or professional counselling support to help myself work through the difficult behaviour of those in the lab. I would also rely on processes-following lab processes correctly and just having a plan to get myself through until the end of my time. If there were opportunities to leave, I would but only if they were reasonable opportunities that fitted within my plan.

With your last example, where you asked about the co2 tank and were not aware that you were expected to replace it. It sounds hurtful and also such a little thing for you to feel upset with yourself about. So what! So you didn't know...we all-each and every one of us make mistakes and errors every day. We are human.It is okay. If others get upset about that, well that is really their problem. I hope you don't think badly about yourself for this.

Hi Amaryllis, your tutor may not have received the reports yet. Or they may have only just received them and haven't had the opportunity to comment. Furthermore some tutors may not believe a personal response in addition to the formal reports/results are warranted, while others might. The other thing is that the other people (in your course) whom you speak of, may just have examiners who are more timely with their marking and feedback (for any number of reasons).

I don't think your lack of response from your tutor would be because your tutor doesn't believe that your work is not worth it. Just hang in there for the duration (it is a tough wait) and best wishes for a sound result! :)

Yes, I would think so as well Arnoldtan.

Tudor, my post was not critical of your point so much as pointing out how this is dealt with in the institutions and systems I have worked in. It has been less of an issue than I initially would have thought when I first started helping out on interview panels (in the world of secondary Colleges and school systems) some years ago. The other thing I would add though, is that you can agree to be a referee and not expect to be on a panel, and then be asked afterwards when someone else has pulled out for some reason. However, it has not been an issue even then.

Best of luck with your application and the process A.

In real life it can vary as well. Sometimes it will be unavoidable because you work in an institution and system and are applying for a position within the same institution or system. Also at times selection and interview panels are convened after the position has been advertised and you can find that you agreed to act as a referee for a person and then you have been placed on the selection and/or interview panel.

My working experience has been that you just state your position re being one of the candidate's referee's at the outset before the selection or interview to the panel chair and the panel chair generally allows it.

The final decision is made by the panel rather than an individual so this acts against any bias or nepotism. Usually reference checking might include more than one referee and if you are on the panel and happen to be one of the referees listed for the candidate, other than the panel members asking you briefly about the candidate after the interview, someone goes on and contacts another referee on the list to check.

Congratulations on your offer of position, NIge. Best wishes for the journey :)

Try not to let it bother you and laugh it off, would be my advice. Don't tell everyone if you are worried. I often said 'completing a study' and people assumed I was doing a Masters or just didn't know enough to ask any more anyway.

Many or most people outside the world of PhDs and academia really don't understand what they are or what they involve and there are many myths about doctoral studies and doctorates. Your colleagues are probably just teasing rather than bullying and a lot of it would be 'tongue in cheek', eg-not meant personally but as a light joke. The other end of things is when people believe your PhD means that you are someone with your head 'in the clouds', who has no understanding of the practical or professional world. This myth is common for those of us who complete a PhD but continue to work in a form of professional work such as teaching (schools) or similar. It can also be common in Australia where advanced education can be perceived as elitist, which is not always celebrated in our strongly 'egalitarian' country (beyond the academy or the science lab).

What is more important is what you believe and the genuine support you get from friends or families who love you and support your growth and achievement (even if they don't always understand it very well).

This practice is also becoming very common in the workplace as well. There are mixed reactions to this-some love it-others are distressed by not having a specific space and the change in practice. Having a lighter laptop definitely helps when you are basically carrying around your work station around with you.

I know this won't be cheerful news but it is likely to become more common rather than less. Happening at universities, happening in schools and libraries and also in many workplaces, where sharing facilities and space are on the increase. And when new buildings and refurbishments are occurring, hot spotting and community spaces are being installed.

I have access to this Emmaki. I will pm you.

Just include them in a general acknowledgement to university staff perhaps. So for example you might write....I am extremely grateful to Dr Blank and Associate Professor blank who provided much support, expert guidance in their supervision of my study and in the writing of the thesis (or whatever). I would also like to thank staff in the faculty of blah for their assistance with the study and owe a special debt to the amazing research librarians, who blah and blah.

Your former supervisor who you did not find particularly helpful or supportive is included in the 'staff in the faculty of' bit... not the specific mention. This is a very bland example and is not taken from my own page-but is just showing how in the general acknowledgement you are not omitting your former supervisor-you are acknowledging them in a general statement to faculty staff or something similar.

Unfortunate that they appear to be blanking you both PhdPanic and Tudor. Perhaps they feel pretty awkward about it as well. I know this might not be a popular statement to make but I would think that often a change of supervisors (when it isn't because someone is leaving or has another position elsewhere) could be viewed or perceived as a failure rather like when a complaint is made at work about one by some one else. It can be hard for both parties concerned-not only the person who has made the change. Sometimes it is unavoidable though, so hopefully in time everyone will resolve matters (at least within their own internal narrative of the situation, even if not with the other person) and will eventually move on. Best wishes, P.

Personally, my preference would be to complete an acknowledgements, PhDPanic, and I would include all those who had an input into the PhD. For me, it is very similar to the workplace acknowledgements, where you do make a point of acknowledging and thanking everyone in the team, or who has had a role in a project, even though some would receive very specific thanks for significant roles and others may receive a brief general thank you for their work, support or their input (However, limited this might be). Unless your former supervisor was an active sabateur of your project, who had no input whatsoever and caused only harm and angst (not common) then their contribution has assisted you in generating your project and deserves some formal acknowledgement, in my opinion.

Thanks Tudor :)