I have to say it sounds less like he favours her and more like he treads on eggshells around her, but can trust you to get on with it?

If you feel you are not gettting good supervision that is one thing

But a Good PhD should be able to get on with it, without constant guidance (after a certain stage).

Also its not really a game of who likes who (again provided they are not doing you a disservice)

I think you will find that working hard, being dedicated and producing results will gain you more respect than vying for attention in competition with the other PhDs

Don't get me wrong, I know it can be frustrating - but as long as your supervisor is otherwise attentive, I would try and not get too paranoid about it

S

sounds like you did the right thing telling them - they obviously don't want you to quit and with any luck should try be more helpful to you now they know your position.

try and find people to vent to when you are down, BEFORE you get so low you want to quit -

Not long to go now and you'll be done

good luck

S

congratulations - good luck for the PhD

S

don't worry!

The fraud feeling thing is normal - there was a post a few days a go where we talked about it - but its fine

no-one expects you to be a genious the minute you walk in! give it a day or two

only kidding! obviously - it takes anyone a long time to pick these things up and no-one will expect you to know the field and be that inventive from day one! take a look at tje other post from folk who are 6 months in and feel like they have done nothing - that is also very very normal.

As long as its the subject you are interested in, and the supervisor seems keen and interested, the rest will be fine

Well done on the offer, stop being so hard on yourself

Good luck

S

good luck

Stay calm and remember the most important thing anyone is looking for, is someone that is interested.

You've got the interview, so they already like your qualifications - now you have to convince them that you have the personality, and the staying power to complete the job

All the best

S

I think (in a science PhD at least) you have to do a minimun of 2 years lab in the lab

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/schools/sspp/education/courses/research/mphilphd.html

How this translates into other types of PhD, I'm not sure?

but I think 1 year is unlikely

S

I think as Xeno said, they should be taken with a bit of a pinch of salt - but at the same time there is no doubt a PhD is hard and only the tenacious will survive

just reading Xenos post - I think 60% seems pretty high - certainly as I've said in our Uni and experience of surrounding Unis - maybe this depends on the type of Phd you are doing?

Whereas with PhDs - in my experience of the about 30 PhDs that have started, 1 dropped out completely (after dropping out coming back and dropping out again) and 2 failed to submit within 4 years - one of those is because she got a job and it wasn't so important for her to submit but she is still working towards it (slowly), the other I don't know about. so based on my experience that'd be about 3% dropout and 6% fail to submit within 4 years - a bit of a small sample tho ;) (hope my maths is right ;)

Here is a previous link:
http://www.postgraduateforum.com/showmessage.asp?thread=2405&cat=3&keyword=success%20rate&newview=1&stype=TM&category=0

anyway I expect the reason is that most people have to really fight to get into PhD positions compared to degrees and a lesser extent masters so it makes the decision to stop a particularly hard one

I suppose I don't really have the stats on that - just the experience

Drop out rates for our university are quoted as 21% for 2007. but in my experience in the uni (8 years) a starting class of 100 could easily be as few ass 40-50 by final year, with about 80-90% of those starting 4year completing

Masters students, again not as high as that but they do seem to find it easier not to submit their final projects when they are in trouble and I'd estimate at least a 10% fail to submit

preaching to the choir! although possibly not during the day?

If I started that I may have to switch to another programe (12 step)

I think very few people who complete the PhD regret it afterward

I think the drop out rate is very low compared to masters and degree levels

I'm within reaching distance of the end, and despite the frustration and boredom couldn't be happier

If The PhD is something you are passionate about and want to do, you will probably already know that you are going to do it with or without our advice.

Just make sure you make the right choice of PhD, supervisor and make plenty of PhD friends when you start - these are all essential for completing a PhD with intact sanity

Good Luck

S

I think the previous comments make the point well - and I am sure you have considered all of this - but there is really no way to prepare for what a PhD is like -

It not all that bad - but it is very different to what you might expect (even having done the masters). Personally I found the first year quite enjoyable and the following two much harder.

I think that particularly when it gets difficult and you are doing it for pleasure you may find times where you question what your real goals are.

If you look at numerous other threads you'll see reems of 'Help' messages from people considering dropping out - and I'm sure they are from a mix of mature students as well as freshly graduated students.

In my own opinion, regardless of how well you think you know what you are in for, it is just something you have to do to find out.

Your love for research will help you through but it takes a lot of willpower too.

All the best

S

That feeling is normal - just about everyone feels like that (I'm sure there are some that don't) but most I know feel this way at some stage - hang in there and it'll get better

S

taking the paranoia a bit further - I back up the data to disk and keep it at my mums for fear that not only will my computer break - it will most likely be stolen or burned in a fire or both

I would be gutted to loose a weeks writing let alone a day!

still! its probably taking it a bit far