Hi,
I am a PhD student, finished the 5th year. I spent the last two years writing the thesis as the supervisors advised me to do.
After writing the 1st and 2nd drafts, the supervisors said I should add more experiments to the work.
They suggested some points I mentioned in the future work and want me to do them. I asked them if they already had some ideas, literature, assumptions, and expectations, and they answered no, and this was part of the research.
I have suffered enough last years when I started working on the project. They proposed a topic without being aware of the difficulties, and I spent all the time frustrated alone.
I do not know what to do, I do not have a research community to get ideas, and I do not believe my supervisors know what they want. Few months left for me to submit my thesis.
The last time I tried to talk to a professor at the university, he told me that I should speak with my supervisors.

Any advice on how to resolve this?

Thanks

I am considering quitting the PhD as I feel burn out. I joined a Ph.D. program for three years, assuming a well-structured topic. I arrived in a new country to study, and after one year, I realized that the topic is a mess. The supervisors don't know where I will go. It is tough to publish, and they can't even point me to specific journals. It is difficult for me to write the topic as it is loose with so many parts that are hard to connect. I am very stressed. I have been without sleep for a month. The supervisors keep blaming me that I don't have a clear plan for my work. When I say I don't know, they get upset.
I am thinking of quitting to save my mental health.
Any advice?
Thanks

Hi,
I finished one year of my Ph.D., and I joined a Ph.D. program at a young university. I got attracted by the research methodology announced. I had the feeling that I will join a professional and expert team. The good part that I am employed by the university, which is helpful as a foreigner to sustain a living. However, I have been suffering because my supervisors are not knowledgeable enough about the subject, and it is even hard for me to find relevant work. It is a new topic with a lack of real data. I don't have many options; otherwise, I would change the topic or the supervisors. Now, I lost motivation and confidence, knowing that my work is not efficient or worth publishing. I am a sincere person, and I can't fool myself by pretending that my work is strong and competitive.

Any suggestion on how to overcome these feelings and move forward!

Thanks & Regards