Hi all,
I have just joined this forum because I'm feeling extremely confused and need to talk to people who've been through the same stuff as me.

I have worked in molecular biology labs as a research technician and then as a research assistant for the past 7 years and always loved it. My current supervisor encouraged me to take on a PhD because (in her words) "it would be a waste of my talents if I didn't". I'm 6 months in and I can't seem to shake this feeling of boredom and frustration with my project. I guess its because now I'm thinking of my work in terms of a thesis and not just the 9-5 job.

Can anyone give me any ideas of how to get out of this slump?
Thanks

Did you expect the PhD to be a happy relaxing experience?

Yes! Why put in so much time and effort for something you don't enjoy?

Then don't. I really don't know what you expect people to say on here.

Gosh Labmonkey, they haven't been very symapthetic on here so far have they!

The only advice I can give is to work out why you are doing this, what is the end goal?. Personally, mine is for a career change after spending 10yrs in industry and management consultancy I needed to make a different future for my family, so when I (regularly) get the dips of enthusiasm (read as boredom) I just go back to what is the purpose of doing this. I simply cannot go into lecturing without it -and if I want that as a career I must finish.
In my experience (and it is different for everyone) the PhD goes in peaks and troughs, good times and very bleak 'what is the point in it all times', without an end goal in sight / purpose to it all, the bleak times are very hard to work through. Don't know if any of this helps.

hm, labmonkey, you defy some economic theories! one theory goes that people are much more motivated if they do something for themselves, out of intrinsic interest, than when they do something because their boss told them to, just in order to earn money. so from that point of view you should be MORE motivated now that you are doing the same work but for yourself!
or is that the point? do you feel you are not doing it for yourself at all, but rather for your supervisor (or someone else)?
or are you troubled because it is a longer project than the ones you have worked on before, so that it seems to be going nowhere or that there are no visible benchmark steps to achieve?

Careful Labmonkey. Apparently on the forum unless you find your PhD some sort of 3-4 year torture other members just aren't interested. Enjoy doing a PhD ..pah!!

I found that I really enjoy my PhD when I'm progressing and getting data which will contribute to my thesis and makes me feel that I'm achieiving. This is obviously not all the time, in fact quite rarely. Moreover, it has turned out that this didn't really happen at all in the first 7 months of my project.

Rose tinted glasses? Apparently you didn't enjoy the job as much as you thought as you left it to do a PhD for some reason.

Frustration, I kno very well. Not boredom, though.

Do you feel like you are in control; or is the topic something personal for you? I think these factors are the most important.

Even I am going to be very unpopular with this - I really understand what you mean. I am bored stupid and it is something you really are not allowed to say as most people find it very hard work. For myself I try to analyse why I am so bored and changed my attitude towards it. I see it as a 9-5 job now, try to keep connection up and running by publishing with my old collegues and just don't take it that serious at the moment. I am sure there will be a time when I am going to get really busy and unable to cope but at the moment there is just not enough to do - I was working in research before as well. I would try to enjoy the quiet time, set yourself tasks e.g. I am going to write a lit rev paper and try to go to e.g. training courses on things you are not familiar with or anymore.