Overview of tru on PostgraduateForum.com

Overview of tru

Signup date: 18 Mar 2015 at 11:28am

Last login: 28 Dec 2023 at 9:49pm

Post count: 415

Recent Posts

Judging whether to working under a Potential Junior Supervisor at a Prestigious Institute

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Please take a break, maybe even a couple of months and then try looking for a job. After you got a job, you can try to look for a PhD again so you can choose a good one without desperation. You are tired, stressed and confused at the moment. No one can make a good rational decision in your state. Stop. Take a break. Then try again.

Judging whether to working under a Potential Junior Supervisor at a Prestigious Institute

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Quote From monkia:
I totally agree with you, and I am afraid of course to jump in another bad experience, however, this is going to be interview by the end of January and have to travel to the country institute for conducting the interview. One of the big concerns now is my financial situation as my contract is ending by the end of this month and I don't know whether they are going to renew it, indeed I need a vacation, but I have to financially stable, it is not easy. The other supervisor he told me he doesn't guarantee to get the fund, but he will deposit an application for me, I felt really good with another potential supervisor, however, this isn't definite. However, I agree that this junior supervisor is weird, but I will give it a try and see in him in person and see whether there are other applicants rather than me with him. Thanks again for your advice and wish for me the good luck.

I don't think you should waste your already limited finance to travel for the interview with the junior PI. It is also a very small world. The likelihood of you finding a other supervisor while interviewing with him is very small. No other supervisor would be that rude to take in another supervisor's finalist candidate. You may wish to rethink this. Additionally, what if the junior PI tries to power pressure you into accepting the position? Like introducing you to all the big players in the instute as his future student? Are you in the right state of mind to say no? Turning an interview down due to change of circumstance is always acceptable.

If finance is your main concern, it would be more rational to apply for jobs and work while searching or waiting for better opportunities. Take a break from phD. I think you need it.

Judging whether to working under a Potential Junior Supervisor at a Prestigious Institute

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Quote From monkia:
Hello Guys again,

Now there are different updates! This junior PI has selected me as a finalist candidate to visit the institute although he didnot reply to my emails. In this official email, I have to do presentation and so on. As you may know, my current situation is so awful and working on topic way off from my background and also not interesting. Moreover, there is no other opportunities in the recent time, someone promised me, but have to wait another year. I really feel lost, but have no options.

There is always an option. It is very weird that this junior PI is forcing you to be his student. He probably didn't get any other application at all, hence his desperation. My opinion is that it is better to wait one year for an awesome supervisor than to get one now who is awful. Don't jump into another bad PhD. Have a break too. Your health needs it.

PhD Affecting all of my Relationships (family, friends, partner)

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, Fifthyear,

Ah the joy of the final year.... not... I do remember without fondness how I felt then. The stress of toiling away while no one truly understands you does get to you sometimes. And you envy what others have in their life that you don't.

Don't worry. As TreeofLife says, you will find it changes for you once you finish your PhD.

1.5 months into PhD and I'm really struggling. How long to give it before considering quitting?

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, YorkFuller,

1.5 months is too early to judge if you should or shouldn't continue your PhD. Give yourself another 2 months to try it out. Aside from sports club, you can join postgrad clubs. Try to sort out your personal life too. If after a total of 3 months you still have not settled or if you feel strongly that PhD is not for you, then you may go at that stage knowing that you have tried.

I'm failing grad school

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, doradorawis,

I agree with the advices given here. You do need to get counselling and talk to your advisor about your issues. The counselling should help sort out your emotional and mental state while the open discussion with your supervisor may buy you some time and even additional help to sort out your PhD and get you back on track.You have been through a lot of hardship. Please seek help to get through these difficult times.

I need some advice, I don’t have a good relationship with my supervisor

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, Zena85,

I agree with Tudor_Queen. Change supervisors asap. This one does not appear to be the right one for you.

Judging whether to working under a Potential Junior Supervisor at a Prestigious Institute

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, monkia,

Let's see. You said:

- "my feedback about him is not relatively good"
- "he always replies late or forgets unless I sent a reminder"
- "he does not read my emails properly, do mistakes in my name"
- "concerned that he might be a not good supervisor"
- "although I have asked for Skype to clarify certain points, he did not reply"

My advice - Forget him. Your gut feeling is that he is not a good supervisor. Trust your gut and don't make a decision out of desperation.

On the recommendation letter, is it possible to get a general letter from the Prof that is not addressed to any one supervisor/uni? That way you can just send that letter to whomever you want to apply PhD with.

Entirely lost motivation and interest in PhD (after 1+ year)

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

It sounds to me like you prefer well-defined tasks with shorter focus time. That is why you excelled in your BSc and MSc and enjoy your tutoring, research assistant jobs.

To self fund and continue down a PhD which you have no interest in is torture. Would you consider applying for a full time position before leaving PhD? You have only invested a short time (1 year plus) so this is an option.

Living as Dead and Disappointed

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

monkia,

I agree with kmcmahon. Go get help immediately. Your life is more important than a PhD or research study. Everything else can wait until you sort out your health.

PhD or job offer

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

If it is the industry you are after, does the internal job help you progress towards that goal? If yes, perhaps take the job over the PhD.

Considering that you are not wanting to get into academia, having a PhD is not necessary for your career. Some companies sponsor PhD for their employees too as part of prof dev, but only after a few years of work so you don't have to completely rule it out.

Supervisor problems

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, JohnGalt,

You have outlined two terrible supervisors. The primary one is an inexperienced supervisor who clearly doesn't give guidance and is powerless in front of the secondary supervisor. The secondary one has toxic personality and again doesn't give you any guidance.

How are you funded? Are you on scholarship? If you are, would you consider changing to a different supervisor? If you are self-funded, you have an even stronger reason to change since you are not getting any guidance despite paying. Characters don't really change, so if things are already so bad in the first few weeks, imagine how bad it would be like in a few years. Don't wait for situation to change. Take action if you can.

Help locating thread from a while ago... the person who failed their viva, had a battle, and won

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, Tudor_Queen,

Are you referring to faded07's post https://www.postgraduateforum.com/thread-48150/ ?

Submitted thesis, now dreading viva

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Hi, Cookyy2k

All your worries here are just speculation of what could be. Don't downplay your work or contributions.

Lack of publication - It is understood that where there is patent application or industrial collaboration/NDA, there could potentially be delay in publications. Explain this when asked.

Lack of results - Explain that there was time spent assisting with the industry's research group. And that there was experimental issues while testing a particular deadline project.

Niche area of novelty - All PhD are on a specific narrow topic. Elaborate how your use of the equipment generated data that have never been analysed in the manner you did and the impact.

Prepare the best you can and all the best. Don't give up before your viva.

Are these signs of a toxic postdoc relationship?

tru 415 posts
6 years ago

Quote From cypress:
No, the postdoc funding does not come from the gov department, it comes from the postdoc fellowship. I suggested I extend the gov job another 2 years with postdoc funding from a separate entity.

I suspect that your suggestion to use another funding source to extend the gov job by two years costed you the job, even if they liked you very much. It is highly unusual for a gov or industry job to be extended by an external funding. Unlike academia where you rely on different funding sources to continue employment.

Why didn't you wait until you at least had a written offer before asking about what happens after the contract? That one year contract might have been a trial to see if you could be a fit and lead to a longer contract or permanent position.