Hello,

Heres a brief history....
Ive been through 4 years of mismanagement (in my opinion) and Ive lost heart in the work. Im asking to change supervisor and for an extension (under consideration) although this might be a further waste of my time. I effectively need to begin the writing again from scratch, but the results are a disorganised jungle. There are plenty of results (maybe), but i have little confidence in them, to be honest at this stage any submission looks unlikely.

The issue....
The thing is, the university is supportive (which is positive) but wants me to go to counselling to 'extract' myself as easily as possible from this situation without problems from a certain special someone and support the request for an extension. I am unsure about this and what it will mean, I also feel Im being put again in an unfair position. I definitely dont need to go to counselling as I consider its out of place, so Id be going for .... ? no idea, but they are pressing it? Does this sound like something others have experienced?

Also, does anyone out there have career suggestions for a 30 years old phd failure in engineering with a much needed GSOH:)

I may have put it in an odd way perhaps, but does anyone have an opinion on this. They would be welcome.

Thanks in advance.

Notime

It sounds odd that the university would make counselling a condition, but if that's really all they're asking in order to support your requests - why not go for it? The service will be confidential, and if you're feeling that you've lost motivation through poor management, it might actually help. At worst it will be a bit boring, at best it might genuinely benefit you. All this only stand of course if you still want to try and write up. Might there also be a relevant academic you have faith in who could look over an outline of the results and give you their opinion?

As for career suggestions, I'm afraid I'm adrift in that sea myself and have no better answers than you! I'm currently attending open days and looking into voluntary work though to try and dip my toe in possible waters. I think it's hard to get perespective when you're in the phd mire, fingers crossed it will all become clearer when we get past the writing.

Hi,

Thanks for the reply. I have been directed to a good academic with a view to taking me on as their student, which is all good, if I can justify it. The thing is, the counselling wont turn out to be confidential as it will support the 'why do they want an extension' bit of the extension form, therefore being on permanent record.

As career bit, Ive been considering another masters, this time in something Ill get a job with.... something in the renewables field.

Again thanks for the reply.

hello Notime,

i would advice you go to counselling. i did that just to get an extension after three years of mismanagement. i also had to start from the beginning and am almost done now, just one year on. unlike you, i had to get a new research question, so you're in a better position.

yes they will keep a record of the counselling sessions, but its only going to be kept for five years under the Data Protection Act and won't matter after that if you are an international student. even if you are a home student, no one is likely to ask for it ever - besides stress is a common illness in this place (assuming you're in the UK) and nothing to be embarrased about. if i were you.. since you have the results and only need to write, you just need a year to come up with that convincing argument. don't let those people mess you up. submit and let the panel - not the institution- decide your fate.

Recorded counselling? Wow, talk about a confusion of the therapeutic relationship!

It sounds like you need to decide what path you really want to follow. If the phd still interests you then maybe it's worth pushing through all this, especially if you have a good supervisor lined up.

That said, my hubby is an engineer who moved into renewables a few years ago and he loves it! So I certainly wouldn't fault your back-up plan :-)

Good luck with the decision Notime, I hope it leads you to something you enjoy.

Hi Notime,

The counselling option might just help you make sense of it, and as JoJo said all counselling sessions are confidential. If requested by the university, the counselling departement may put in a very brief summary of the presenting problem to back up your extension i.e. stress/ depression/ etc. Before you start you can ask what will be reported back, ask to see a copy of it, make amendments to the copy etc. The counseller should equally advise you as to what they will write.

It is possibly the universities way of making sure that they have covered themselves by advising you to find someone to talk it over with.

I can totally empathise with you. I had very very messy data and a years delay due to mismanagement (by the uni rather than supervisor). This year I turned 30, and just couldn't help feeling that I was somehow getting older and fustrated at not finishing yet. I guess you need to weigh up the reasons for staying and those for going. What made you get into doing the phd in the first place?

Unfortunately, the middle of the Phd seems to be when peep start feeling as if they are going nowhere (according to my fellow phd students) so I take comfort in the fact that it might just be related to being in the middle of not quite finished but too far gone to be a new start.

I hope that is helpful to you