Hi there!

I have been having some problems with my supervisor lately (or not so lately). I should be finishing my PhD but still have no first author publications and hence I´m kind of nervous because I feel I will not make it on time. My supervisor thinks this is not important (arghhhh) and this makes me more angry. I blame myself for my first year, because I didn´t have a lot of orientation and I was new to research, but afterwards problems started.

My supervisor likes to explore different areas in research and, from my point of view, ended up knowing a little from this and that but not much in concrete. The problem is that he likes to give advice a lot... but a lot of times his supervising leads to nowhere (experimentally proven). Because I was not having results from his projects I started one of my own with what I had in the lab. After some experiments I told him it was working, but instead of encouraging me he looked for flaws everywhere and gave me other projects to work on. Whenever his ideas don´t work he looks out for excuses and if he does something wrong he denies it. He has one fatal error in one of his articles and even when it´s obvious he won´t accept it!

However, I looked for collaboration elsewhere and I´m considerating taking a second advisor. Since I´ve started talking to others his interest has risen considerably and he is now annoyed by the others presence in the project. I mean... it´s crazy, if he thought it was a bad idea what was I supposed to do?

I don´t like the situation, because I got here because of his horrible advising in the first place and he has not contributed to my project at all.

Sometimes I feel like leaving this PhD and starting a new one, but I´ve spent a lot of time in this one and since the last thing I´m working on is giving results I´m encouraged to continue, but it´s like a torture lately...

Has anyone had a similar experience? Is this normal?

Dear Macia,

Welcome to the Ph.D reality!

Speaking only from experience I can say that things will not get any better.

It looks like you have picked up that your supervisor is dodgy (e.g. advice leads to nowhere, never admits anything etc). And he knows that:)

What will probably happen next, if hypothetically you are to have a problem with your Ph.D during examination you will be left dry.

So make sure you get other people to read it as well and don't rely on all advice given.

Forget about publications, say you will do them once u have submitted to examiners! Its important to focus on getting your Ph.D.

By putting on a second supervisor will serve as a good witness.

I had a second supervisor and a consultant, but still got shafted as these individual's never questioned the senior supervisor's dodgy tactics and behaviour. But by cc'ing everything created a good case so i could then start returning the same tactics and bullying type behaviour.

This process is going to be extremely stressful and you will need to be persistent. Do not give up!

I think you should start documenting the tactics via email correspondence, that way you can then create a memo if it continues and take it your dean or head of school for a quite chat.

You are not the first, this happens all the time especially when students are brighter than their senior supervisors!

In hindsight you will see that these individuals should not be on the Ph.D supervision registrar.

In the meantime keep on working hard, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Also try and contact past students of your supervisor, its more than certain that this has previously happened to them this way you can see what they did to graduate.

If you are to take it elsewhere it won't look gd on your record & also the work u have already done might not be gd enough for the new supervisor(s).

I hope that helps,

Good luck:)

Hi Macia,

I am also having problems with my supervisor right from the start. I suppose I was too naive in the beginning, and didn't research my supervisor properly before accepting the PhD position that was advertised. PhD Supervision register? is there such a thing? My supervisor has not successfully gotten anyone else through the process despite a few efforts.

My supervisor has actually no experience in my area of research. I don't know why he is my supervisor at all. I have had various issues, and on many occasions have expressed concerns to him and others . I even tried to discuss this with the head of research and was simply instructed to do what i was told by my supervisor, nothing else! My supervisor was trying to bluff his way through the process by trying to use a post-doc as my advisor (and let him take all the glory). However, this has not worked out - the post-doc knows what he is up to, despises him, and will not help me despite many requests. Even going so far as to hide vital information from me on the project we are both working on.

In the end, I have now told them I am going to work from home. I ended up in the doctors with various symptoms from anxiety due to the process. I sent them a doctors note for them to let them know I am not well. I cannot face them face-to-face, and am avoiding the whole place (I am not using labs or anything, so this is easy to do!). I am trying to finish writing up, but it is going very slow. I am getting personal advice from a friend who is a researcher and lecturer in a very highly esteemed uni - who is shocked by what is going on.

You are certainly not alone! You are doing some great things to try to manage it though! Wishing you all the best

snoodiemctockish

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Hello Macia,

posts above me are very useful, I recommend to consider advices given and sametime reassert that quitting is not an option specially at this stage.

don't worry about publications, its not always required to get a pass. but kindly submit atleast two papers, and if one get approved before your viva this will give confidence what you require.

best of luck to you.

Thanks john_W78U, snoodiemctockish and itsmardan!

In my case there are no past students... I´m my supervisor´s first PhD student. At the beginning I thought this was good, cause he was young and sometimes worked in the lab. I was so naive. Because he is young he interferes too much and a lot of times leads me in the wrong direction. Sometimes he just talks nonsense and gets annoyed if I don´t agree... I don´t know.

I have to read a lot, search for everything on my own, and if he tells me to do something I have to do the exact opposite or look for an alternative, because he is probably wrong. I don´t trust him anymore. If it weren´t too late I would definitely change him.

I´m very stressed at the moment. I work for long hours, and hope I can go somewhere else to finish my work, and eventually take a second advisor. Like snoodiemctockish I´m feeling very anxious these days :/ My PhD has turned into a nightmare

exactly same thing happened to one of my friend, he requested research school to change his supervisor at later stage, his application was approved and he recently completed his Phd, stress is not the answer please, share your story with other phd students at your uni, get the support from other staff members, I am sure you can do this, you are almost there, so dont lose hope. best of luck