Hello all,

I am working on underwater acoustic communication at physical layer level and all I can do so far is some extensions to existed schemes. I need to do a more profound work for my PhD. What else can be done in this field?

Thanks

These days I am trying to contact with a postdoc with the same group in another country, and he is helping me technically when I have problems. However, the problem is not here. The problem is that I don't have a definitive plan, and always change directions. Even the postdoc doesn't help me in crystallizing my ideas and to make a problem statement that is significant. In my master thesis, my supervisor gave me a problem and I put all my effort in it. Of course with some troubles, but I always knew where I should focus. The situation now is different, I don't have a clear-cut problem, and this triggered a great hesitation for further investigations.

Yes I agree getting the big picture is not impossible but harder. And I agree that I should work it out by myself, but it is extremely hard. My little ideas are not worthy because all are extensions, and my supervisor made it clear once "we don't want extensions, we need something smart". Deep inside me I feel my extensions that I am doing is just to fill some work.

I don't know, may be I am complaining a lot, but my experience in PhD is terrible. I am so exhausted emotionally, physically, and psychologically. My life is simply miserable now. Honestly, I don't see myself finishing my PhD degree, and this is the worst part in the problem, because I really want it but I can't achieve it. My supervisor wants me to graduate next summer and I still don't have any journal paper.

Anyway, thanks Pjlu for your interactions, I really appreciate it, and thanks for the wishes.

Thanks for your reply.

Actually, I am a PhD student in Electrical Engineering with specialization in wireless communications.

I don't have a clear cut hypothesis. As I said all I do some extensions to what has been done in the literature. I read a lot of papers and I can understand them very well, but it seems that I am unable to find gaps and unsolved problems. I have problems drawing the big picture. I believe I am competent in doing the math and analysis, and my supervisor actually praised me in this regard, but my problem is that I can't settle down on a topic, because I always think these topics will not lead anywhere as a PhD dissertation.

I know I need to figure it out myself, but I have being trying so hard without use. I guess it is the ADHD that I suspect I have. But no one cares about this, I guess.

Regards

Hello all,

I am a PhD student in my 3rd year, and still not settling down on a topic and no major contribution has been made. I have a conference paper, but no extensions can be made in my opinion. All I am doing so far is just to extent works in the literature, and try different combinations, but again without a major contribution in the sense that something new and that fits a PhD dissertation.

My supervisor is a very nice person, and is supportive all the way, but he isn't helpful technically speaking. He hasn't guided me not once where and what to read in the literature, and he has no technical knowledge on the topic I am researching in. So, basically all what he is doing is providing me the fund, and to read what I write and to comment on it (not in content, but in terms of organization and rephrasing). If I have a technical problem, he won't help me out.

Whatever I do he asked the question: "what is your contribution, compared to what have been done in the literature?". This is a fair question. I am not saying that this is only his fault, but I think a PhD supervisor should do more than reading and making your writing looks better, especially in the first and second years.

I am so concerted now since this is my 3rd year in my PhD, and I am so frustrated, and I am not seeing any conclusion to this problem in the near future. What should I do?

Thanks