Hi all,
I intend this to be my last post, although I shall still lurk around from time to time I am sure.
I really felt like I should give one last bit of encouragement and advice to those of you who are really struggling with your PhD. Maybe you feel like you haven't got enough data, or you've got very limited sub-standard supervision. Maybe you are on the brink of quitting but an inkling feeling that quitting would be wrong keeps you plodding on.
To all of you who are encountering these types of worries and problems I just want to say that was me throughout my whole 4 year journey. I never, and I genuinely mean never, thought I was going to finish. I struggled with crippling doubt, very little supervision, inadequate sample sizes and financial issues. There were tears, months of little progress and hold ups all along the way. I nearly quit not once, not twice but three times. The only thing that kept me going was not wanting to be a failure to myself, my family and friends. Not the best of reasons but it was mine. I now know that you should only continue because YOU want to. If I had asked myself that question the answer would have been yes.
Last week I passed my viva, something that always seemed impossible. If I can complete this journey, an individual with mediocre intellectual ability, anyone can with the right amount of support. If you encounter problems, please, please seek help, do not try and battle it alone. Anything is possible with a tiny bit of support and encouragement. If your supervisors are useless, seek advice elsewhere. Most importantly be kind to yourself. Sleep, eat, exercise. Too many PhD students fall into the cycle of loneliness, depression and despair. If you are encountering issues there is always a resolution, most of the time it requires taking a break, stepping back from your work & looking to the bigger picture
Good luck to you all, you'll get there :)
