I'm about 8 months into my PhD and I'm starting to wonder what I've been doing for all this time. I feel like I've been working really hard, but I don't think I've done anything worth while. I've spent a lot of time trying to get experiments to work and learning techniques. Is this what most people do in the first year? I've been speaking to another PhD student who is at the same point and they are always going on about the ground breaking work they are doing and all the things they are discovering. I know that things can't be like that for everyone all the time, but it still leaves me feeling deflated.

Didn't you have to do a progress seminar or presentation after 6 months?

I haven't got anything significant at all yet, just learning techniques and trying to get things to work to take to the next stage. I wouldn't worry about it, every PhD is different so some people may make lots of progress to begin with and others it might take longer.

I am in the same situation , 8 months and there is no result. It started so well and i was so excited and motivated but now...i feel totally burnaout.
My supervisor keeps saying that if i work harder from now on thinks might change, but working so hard the past 8 months without making any progress is not reassuring at all.
I am thinking to quit and try for another PhD topic but i don't know how to explain the reason for leaving to other supervisors and i don't know how they gona take it...

JA have you talked to your supervisor about it?

Hi MichaelA,

Its nice to hear that someone else feels the same. I've got a meeting with my supervisor today so I'll talk to him then. He is very supportive of me so I'm sure he'll try and think of a way to move forward.

I hope you decide not to quit! Have you got another supervisor you can talk to or an experienced postdoc around that could make some suggestions? If not then maybe try talking to your supervisor again.

Hi,
I talked to my supervisor and he admitted that the last 8 months were indeed unproductive...He took part of responsibility but overall he said it was my fault! But i know i was trying but the directions i was given were wrong and it is his fault.
Most of the time he was busy with a project that is more significant to him..project that will allow him to go to conferences (i.e Hawaii!!)

Have you got a second supervisor to rely on when your main supervisor is busy? If not, could you try to have one appointed?

I have an advisor (like 2nd supervisor) but he is a professor who is even more busy than my Dr supervisor and besides he knows as much as i know about my subject.
The main problem is that many new supervisors don't know how to supervise or even how to teach. They just give you a subject they tell you few thinks and they let you do the rest...and if you ask a question you get the same answer again and again!

Most people have little progress in their first year. The person with groundbreaking research is either very lucky or just a little full of his/her own importance I'd say.
Some people don't get results until their second/even third year. I got mine the end of second year and in third year.
Are there some postdocs who could help you, or could you get different views on what you are supposed to be doing? Supervisors can just be indifferent, mine is. He's off to loads of conferences, I usually hear about it the week before.