Hi Christian and PhoenixFortune!! Hi everyone else on here!!!

When I went for my interview for my PhD, there was so much positivity around the 'post-grad life' experience and how I will get to meet so many people and be a part of a great community of researchers. Then COVID hit!!! And now like you and most PhD students, I am isolated in my office (the front hall) and don't see anyone from one day to the next!
That is why I am really glad to have found this platform, it is really helpful to know that none of us are really on our own :) And I have read loads of threads on here and can relate to so many it makes me feel a little less alone on this journey. The effort so many people put into trying to help one another on here is amazing! I feel like it's a really positive place and no question is too big or small!

Thanks, Everyone!!!

So I would recommend you to stop waiting for your supervisors to give you advice on what you should do, and instead tell them what you plan to do.[/quote]

I think this is good advice rewt but is a lot easier said than done!
Would you have any more advice on how you can put this into practice?
Like how to approach the thesis, as a whole? or is it better to look at it in sections? or something like that to help clarify the PhD?

To continue from my previous post!!!
I am trying really hard to just suck it up and get on with things. But that is easier said than done. I feel so demotivated with having so little support and I also feel lost and insignificant. I really don't know what it is I am supposed to be doing day in day out! I am having really bad anxiety as a result of this, I can't stop thinking about all the time I am wasting, and all the work to be done and I have only under two years left to do it all! I have been looking at job advertisements but I haven't found anything that I think I would like to do. I really also hate the thought of quitting, I feel I would later regret it in life. Any advice on what to do, Should I have more done at this stage of my PhD? Should I just quit?
I am very open to honest comments, if anyone thinks I should be doing more please feel free to express your opinion. Maybe it's the kick I need to get going :)
Also if anyone else is carrying out a studentship, where their research has already defined I would love to hear from you!!!

Hi there,
I am just over a year into my PhD, I am doing a studentship where my research topic has already been laid out by the funding body. This is wonderful in some ways, however, in other ways, I feel like my hands are tied.
When I started the PhD my fieldwork site was already established but in need of maintenance and a small rebuild. Unfortunately due to COVID the college I study at was very strict on allowing fieldwork to be carried out and completely stopped it from March to August last year. I am very reliant on my supervisor to carry out fieldwork, for health and safety reasons I cannot attend the fieldwork site alone. It is a complex topic that I have limited knowledge of but I was assured that I would have all the support I need when I applied for the studentship. However, I feel now that that wasn't very true. There seem to be a lot of things that are out of my control, such as ordering parts for instruments, etc. Most recently my supervisor said he would arrange a space for us to work together and rebuild some of the equipment needed. This was suggested back in December to happen in January now it's almost March and we still have no space to work. As I am working from home in a different part of the country to the college I have literally had no contact with anyone from the college only my supervisor, as we went straight into lockdown just after I started. I wouldn't know where to even start by trying to book a workspace. Needless to say, my fieldwork site is still not up and running! My supervisor is a nice guy and I get on fine with him, but he is so laid back when it comes to getting anything done. Even trying to arrange a weekly meeting with him is so hard. I have to email him multiple times and he has often completely forgotten that we were supposed to meet (all online meetings).
On advice from my main supervisor on a topic that I could carry out from home, I emailed my sub supervisor (who I have only met once) before Christmas looking for some help and I still haven't heard anything from her. Now I am kind of stuck on that topic which I had hoped I could continue with from home because it requires no fieldwork. My main supervisor doesn't know enough about the area to help me with it.
So one year into my PhD and all I have to show for it is a draft Literature review. No fieldwork, no data to analyze.