Yeah. Nothing new nor shocking.

I just finished my second year and I had this PhD evaluation with someone external to my university.

I was really happy I managed to get this super professor to come here to evaluate my work. He's one of the most important researchers in my field.

He was really nice, he gave me some great suggestions to both improve my work and my possibility of getting a good position in the future. He also accepted to come again for my eventual PhD defense.

I really expected some of the toughest things he told me. According to him, I should do some major changes to my approach to make it really valuable.

I'm happy with me, with my work, with my presentation skills so, what's the problem?

I really think my supervisors are crap, totally disconnected from the research reality. I feel they waste my time with outdated and unimportant shit. It's not the first time I think this, but let's say, I kind of confirmed it. I know I could've done a thousand times better.

Conclusion: I just want to quit and find a 9-5 job outside academy.

ultimately it is up to you. having done a PhD, I thought it was worth sticking it out until I got my degree. But this is different for everyone. As far as your supervisors; you are also an important driver in the process and while they are your supervisors you are pushing the field forward with your PhD. Something to keep in mind as you consider your decisions. Whatever you do decide, good luck!

So you've had some feedback and now you want to quit? Think about it for a few days. I'm sure you will find it makes sense and you will accept it. This is what happens in research.

Academic life is full of criticism, and your professors need to prepare you for this by being highly critical but that doesn't mean you should give up. Your research becomes more rigorous by criticism and advice-it is all part of the process.

That being said-it can really hurt at times.And your supervisors can usually only guide you on the process because it is your topic and your research. My supervisors give very generic advice and we have conversations about the work every 2 months (I'm part time-it would be every month otherwise), but the work is pretty much all mine. They are like a critical friend and they don't have much time for supervision as their other duties and students all need the majority of attention-not to mention their own research. I think a large majority of supervisors would be like this.

However, 9-5 jobs also have people who criticise your work who are also called supervisors. Sometimes they can be fantastic mentors and sometimes mediocre ones. There are also horrible work supervisors out there in the 9-5 working world as well. It is a part of life we all have to get used to once we leave undergraduate studies. Good luck and as Treeoflife has suggested, you will feel better about this in a few days.

valuable idea. Criticism is and will be an indispensable part of both our academic and work life. Even after quitting PhD who knows whether you'll end up working in a book store inevitably bored to death all your life? But criticism can be used in a constructive way to roll your dice and build a better aptitude.

Thank you all.