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has anyone had their supervisor tell them to give up? I am working full time, overseas, away from my uni. I am working on my PhD part-time (just about to start 4th year) and have just started writing up. My supervisor has doubts about my ability to continue. I disagree - I have been struggling with balancing work/PhD but still have until 2014 to submit. Has anyone else had a similar experience? The thing is I am in a really good job which I enjoy and have realised I no longer even need the PhD as I do not want to work in academia. Maybe I should just "give up"?
I think firstly you need to find out from your supervisor why they are advising you to give up. If it is related to the content not being enough for a PhD then can you get a Masters from it? If they have doubts about your ability to mix work and studies then you need to know what areas you need to improve on from their persecpective. I am part-time and started constructing the thesis content at about the 4 1/2 year point. I am not far off having all chapters written with 8 months left. My daytime is taken up with family commitments so am restricted to evenings and also live away from uni now. My supervisor keeps in touch via Skype and we have never had a need for a frank discussion but I suggest you do so. If you give up how will you feel, will you always be kicking yourself for doind so?
Hello Pamelaspage. Sorry to hear that you get such a feedback from your supervisor. I agree with Dunni73, you might want to clarify with your supervisor why (s)he suggests you just give up.
I don't know any other information about your PhD. What I can share though, is my experience as a PhD (second year). For some reason, my supervisors and colleagues have this view that you either work in the academia, or you go out to the industry (you cannot mix both). It's a strange way to look at things, rather idealistic. But my professors believe that research is a job in its own right, it is not there only to supplement what we see in the industry. Because of this, some research groups might only want to hire PhDs who are serious about having an all-exclusive academic job. They might want people who focus on churning out publication by publication, nothing else, and research craves a lot of your attention. The "prestige" with being "out there in the real world" may not be valuable for some very research-oriented people.
If I had to guess, this can be a reason why your supervisor told you to give up. Maybe (s)he wants somebody to focus on academic stuff? Unless he saw some reason that you are not able to balance your work/PhD life (which I highly doubt), there better be some good reason why a supervisor would tell a student to quit.
Maybe it's because it's late and I'm tired, but reading your post actually makes me really mad. You've done all the research and 'all' you have to do now is write it up. The last person to tell you to give up should be your supervisor. He/she is supposed to provide encouragement and support. It's just really bloody defeatist of your supervisor to say that. Besides, if you were to give up, it would reflect badly on the supervisor and the department at your university. I don't understand the logic in what was said by him/her.
As you point out, you have years to get the PhD written up, so plenty of time. Don't listen to your supervisor and think you should give up. It's your decision, your decision alone and you're not in a desperate situation.:-)
Thanks for your encouraging comments. I too think I can finish this but it has really knocked my confidence. Maybe I should just change universities. Really don't know what to do. Although I have two days to make a decision as I need to re-renrol. My supervisor is also saying that I should transfer to an MPhil. What's the point when I already have a Master's?
Hello
Have you had any other academics look at your work so far to give you a 3rd person objective view of your progress and support you in a where-to-from-here process?
It might be helpful. What field are you studying in?
Cheers
a
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Hi, two academics who are on my supervisory panel commented. They said I have a long way to go but didn't suggest I discontinue. Thanks
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