======= Date Modified 14 Jul 2011 17:51:49 =======
======= Date Modified 14 Jul 2011 17:48:05 =======
Well my funding ran out for my PhD last year, I had finished my analysis (science PhD) and I decided for financial reasons to move back to my parents house and finish of writing my thesis. Anyway my supervisor insists that I send them my chapters so they can correct any mistakes that I do, which seems fair enough. Well it would be fair enough if my supervisor actually gave me the feedback in a reasonable amount of time. I mean it usually goes like this, first I email a chapter to them and they say they will read it in two weeks and get it back to me, so two weeks passes nothing, and I email asking when I can expect to get the feedback, they say they have been busy and the will look at it within a week. Again another weeks passes and nothing, so I email again and the same excuse comes and this continues for about 2 month on average before I finally get something back. This has really slowed me down and quite frankly I am sick of waiting around for them to read the chapters. I mean its only a few hours work, maximum of 40 pages per chapter, so why do they continually put it of, and prioritise other things before it. My second supervisor has complained to my supervisors boss on more than one occassion about this but it makes no difference, my second supervisor has also recommended that I make a formal complaint if things do not start to speed up soon. The same thing happened for the paper I wrote on my work, it has been sitting on their desk for two years waiting for them to read it so that it can be published. I have gave up hope of that paper ever getting published. Anyway the fact is I have written my thesis it has been fully written for over three months now. I have been dripped feedback for all but the last two chapters over the last year, and rather than waiting for this dripped feedback for the last two chapters I have decided that I am going to make a formal complaint if feedback is not had by the end of July and I told my supervisor this. And I also told them that I fully intend to submit my viva with or without my supervisors consent at the end of july. I am aware that this could backfire on me, but I really don't care, I cannot continue financially to go on waiting for this to finish before I find a job, and god knows I have tried to get a job (no prospect when there is no idea as to when I will finish and no publications) I want to finish this and draw a line under the whole thing and move on with my life. Anyway I thought I would share my frustration and experience with all of you.

I don't know if your University has a Student Support and Development Unit. Mine has, and I finally had to take refuge in it when my super was behaving like yours, although also attacking me. I can't be more grateful to the service given to me. It was supportive, instructional and motivating. My advisor was a PhD examiner in my own subject and was exceptional in every way. But before calling in that support I'd tried to get some alternative help from anyone and everyone in the department, and it was useless.

So first I'd say - call on others in the department. Then call on Director of Studies. Then, if all else fails, get help from wherever, as I had to. It saved my life and my thesis. Up until then I'd felt so angry with the way I was being fobbed off and delayed.

It really was the last resort, but in my case it worked wonders.

I had a very similar experience with supervisors and comments, so can fully appreciate your pain. There's a couple of things you can do: get advice from the regular university sources (as said elsewhere), state to your supervisors that you are going to submit on Date X (and keep to it! I did this and it kicked one supervisor into life) - you may find that they wake up, alternatively try and be more critical in your writing and review your own work (I had to do this, it's hard, but you'll probably get more out of this and will understand your work more - try and think of how you would review your work as a peer reviewer, don't be overly harsh but think critically about your work). The worst thing to do is to do nothing and keep faffing around waiting for your supervisors to keep giving you excuses/fobbing you off, as any comments you do get are probably going to be rubbish or the result of a rushed read. If you're happy with your work and you feel ready to submit, do it! Personally, I think that some students with poorer supervision actually learn more and become more independent (although it's not a fair system, crap supervisors should be sacked!) - I'm aware of some students who had too much supervision and help and are probably worse off for it.

You've been given some excellent advice on this thread. I know it's extremely frustrating as I had to wait 18 months for my first feedback and up to then had been pushing for it. It's very difficult to stomach but much more so when not in receipt of funding I'd imagine. As I've said, some excellent advice on this thread and so there's not much more I can add.

I hope it all works out.