I just started my PhD this year and after 10 weeks I'm trying to work out what it is that I've been doing for the last ten weeks! I'm wondering whether I'm doing enough work (averaging about 30 hours a week and very worried this isn't enough) and am just not sure what I'm supposed to have achieved at this point. Most people seem to have spent their time on their literature review. Whilst I've been getting to grips with this I've also been doing some primary research (I'm in history) which means I've felt pulled in two different directions. In other words I don't really feel like I've got a handle on either. To top it off, when I'm asked about what I'm doing it all seems incredibly vague!! Am I
a) Normal
b) A slacker
c) Paranoid
d) All of the above
Would appreciate any help from anyone for a newbod :)

I choose (a) Normal.

When I started, it took about 3 months for me to work out what I was supposed to be doing and the whole time I felt useless and a fraud for being at uni.

In the end, I only worked it out by asking my supervisor to explain everything to me like I was 10 years old. It was completely humiliating to have to ask that, but at least I understood then and could work out what I had to do to start. I am sure he has forgotten all about it now, so I don't care that for a couple of days afterwards he must have been asking himself "what kind of a moron have I taken on here?".

The whole sitting down and writing a lit review ASAP seems a bit pointless to me. I still find information now (4 years later) that I could have mentioned in the lit review - but back then I had no idea about looking beyond my immediate field for answers and ideas. I wouldn't stress about the LR too much. I am confident it will all fall into place for you in a few weeks. Good luck!

Thanks Piglet! Sitting in front of the computer at 12 at night trying to work in between checking my ebay summary probably hasn't helped my state of mind. I appreciate your kind reply. Hope your day is going ok and maybe if I wallpaper my ceiling with your reassuring words I'll actually sleep tonight. Best wishes - Sassy

my definition of a PhD would be that it is four years spent not knowing what you are doing. If you think you know what you are doing you are either:

a) drunk
b) delusional and in need of medication
c) doing it wrong

the trick is to learn how to *embrace* the not knowingness

LOL. Thanks aliby! That's great - I really like the idea of embracing my not-knowingness! He he - feel better already. Thanks again for making me laugh.

Thanks! That's a really good tip. I too have been adding up the hours, and I spend most of the 30 hours in front of my computer, but I could see a way of extending this just by spending some time thinking about the subject and writing notes. I think part of the problem has been feeling like I need to be reading or writing in those 30 hours and when I feel unable to do either anymore, I just stop. So thanks, I'll try that today and just start writing my ideas down as they come to me - that way I might get more done!

Hi Sassy, dont worry its perfectly normal to feel like you dont know what you're doing! I started a PhD in History last october and I'd say that it was only in this term I started to feel a bit clearer and more settled. Your first term is best spent reading around your sublject and getting an idea of the area you want to work in. Don't pressure yourself too much, Out of the 35 hours a week you spend in writing/reading/ sitting in front of a computer ect, you can easily loose time stressing, doing little nigglling tasks that dont feel like work but have to get done, and some days you'll get more done in less time, or less done in the same amount of time (I hate those days!)What you have to realise is that as long as you try your best, dont spend the day watching day time tv and importantly give yourself some time off once in a while, otherwise you will crackup, you'll be fine! All the best D x

Thanks deiseal, I really appreciate it and feel a lot calmer and hopefully more able to sleep. I am going to have a nap as my brain is fried and I didn't sleep last night. Until I wrote this I didn't realise how stressed I was feeling - it just suddenly creeps up on you. But with all the words of reassurance I don't feel so alone which is nice! Hope your second year is going well and hi to everyone above - hope you all have a good day and thanks again for taking the time to soothe the nerves of a newbod!

no problem sassy, take care and enyoy your nap...and anytime I can help just let me know D x

If you did know what you were doing after 10 weeks we'd have to shoot you for making the rest of us look bad.

I'm at the same stage as you and I have no idea where this is going

I think ebay has a lot to answer for