Hi everyone,

I'm about 6 months into my PhD in life sciences/medicine, and am starting to get quite down. Although I have quite a nice supervisor, and people in the group are pretty nice, it's quite a high pressure environment and you really are expected to be quite productive and on top of things.

I've somehow managed to be volunteered for a whole bunch of different aspects of the general topic I'm working on (all do relate to what I'm doing, but there's just quite a lot to get on top of). I feel like it's all getting on top of me, and it doesn't help that I'm really disorganised! To do each one of these things, I need to learn a lot of new skills, and I feel that because I've been trying to do so many different things at the same time, each of which is a pretty major undertaking, the end result is that I'm not really achieving anything, and am losing track of everything I'm doing. I have really high expectations of myself, and am quite sensitive to how I feel others around me perceive me, and so all this is really starting to get me down coz I just feel incredibly stupid all the time, and that I'm a big fake, and that everyone around me must realise how clueless I am and see me as a waste of space who doesn't produce anything.

I just have no idea how to interpret a lot of the data that I'm producing, so no real way of knowing whether anything I'm doing is right or wrong :(. Really at a loss as to what to do.....

I'd really appreciate any thoughts or advice.... Thanks.

Hi Sci fi

Im also doing a PhD in life sciences so i can understand what you are saying. However doing a PhD in life sciences is incredibly demading especially if you want to do a good one. I dont know really anything of your specific situation but my advice would be to you that unless you really love the area of research your in get out now or else you will most likely end up depressed. If you do love the area of research for your PhD then its just a matter of giving it your best shot dedicate as much time as you can to reading about the things you dont understand, actively seek out people who "know" more than you and ask them questions, post specific questions on forums like biofourm where people usually reply quite quickly and are helpful. As regards specific interpretation of data your data in life sciences is only as good as the controls you use so really plan your experiments precisely this will require alot of planning time where you literally have to sit down with a pen and a piece of paper and draw everything out. So you really need to get organised if you keep up your disorganisation in my opinon you are doomed to really struggle. Out of curiosty how many hours a week do you work as in my opinon its almost impossible for a PhD student to do well in life sciences without putting in at least 60 hours as there is just so much stuff to cover and learn. At the end of the day in my opinon and that of some of my friends who are doing PhDs in life sciences if you really want your PhD in life sciences you just have to work your ass off and hope for the rewards later in your career.

Hi Myostatin,

I do work very long hours (I am at work at least 9 hours a day, then come home and usually work another 3-4 hours). And I also work at home on the weekends. Part of me wonders whether part of the problem is that I don't get enough time off to do other stuff...

Woooah. You guys must really want it if you work those hours. I've been known to do those hours in engineering, as well. But it makes for no life - why is why I'm exiting my PhD! I don't mean to discourage you at all - if you want it, go for it. But for me, there are easier jobs paying more requiring fewer hours. Good luck either way!

the best thing to do is stop being disorganised :-). Get yourself some large pieces of paper and a wall calendar, oh and some floor or table space. Next write a rough list of what you have to do (titles only at this stage) once you are sure you have everything, put some columns on your paper, one for each thing you have to do. Then you will see how much is there. Leave some space at the end to add things later. divide the columns into rows and then give each row a title. It won't matter if there is no overlap at this stage. for example one column could be something like collect apparatus / learn skill X(what you need to do obviously depend on your subject, so you decide!) then in the appropriate column put a date when you would like/need to have done this. cross ref this on your calendar. Details can go on another list with a number on it, you write the number on the chart, and if you want on the calendar as well. This should get you going. that way each day you can check what you have to do. It won't be set in stone, its your thing so you can change it if you need to. do something similar with the data, if you can put it in piles of similar stuff and then sub divide it this might help. Also if you do need someone to help you, if you have made a stab at sorting it out they will be more willing to give you a hand than if you just give them a big pile of bits - even if what you have done isn't quite right you will get points for trying. Oh, and don't panic, mistakes are part of the process, the only time mistakes are wrong is if you don't learn from them. think positive 8-)

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