I have serious doubts about whether or not I am good enough to complete this PhD. I have work to be handed in on friday (it is now early hours of wednesday morning) and I am struggling with it. Have arranged numerous meetings with supervisor but conversations seem to be cryptic. I have been working flat out on this work for some time but it really is getting me down. I cant remember the last time I was this depressed and Im only 4 months into the PhD. Please advise?

Thanks InRush, it is surprising what a good nights sleep can do! I am now ready to fight this thing to the bitter end and if I am told it is not good enough then at least I gave it a shot.
(These feelings are likely to change in the next hour mind you. I will keep you posted)
Cheers

Hi,

Just wanted to say that I know how you feel I have constant doubts about whether I'm capable enough, but then I'm like that about everything!! I'm also 4 months into my PhD and I have really bad days where I wonder if I will ever make it to the end. I hope it gets better for you soon. If it all gets too much have a good moan about it(moaning tends to make me feel better)!

Good luck :)

Keep in there Bazzab! The first year and a half of my PhD I was convinced I was far too stupid to complete it, and that sooner or later someone would realise this. I`m almost at the end of my PhD now and I still have self-doubting days, but they`re not quite so bad. You learn to deal with the supervisor thing - about two years in I realised that I could actually make sense of about half of what they were talking about!

That is very , very normal to feel like that...almost every PhD is going through ups when you feel like the most talent PhD on the Earth and through downs when you think that you are addmitted just by mistake and soon everybody will discovered that you cheated. The problem is that dows are more frequent that ups:)) Keep your head up- PhD is about hard work not talent, really:)))

All I have done the past few days is moan to my girlfriend on the phone. Declared I was going to quit at one stage but I have not quit anything in my life so far and dont intend to start now. The point about feeling like a fraud is absolutely true. I often feel this way when people ask what I am doing as I am still unsure of a research question (but I am slowly building up knowledge of area which I hope I can begin to analyse for gaps).
Thanks for the words of wisdom though folks, it does make you feel more comfortable in the knowledge that others have felt the same way.
I am considering staying overnight in the office to get this report finished by friday. What are your opinions on that?
Cheers

Don't work all night, you'll just be totally shattered tomorrow and won't be able to do your best work. Do a few extra hours then go home and have a good meal and an early night. Take care of yourself!!

Ann is right, not taking care about yourself (not enought sleep, good or excercise) will make you feel more miserable and what even worse- depressed. Take care about yourself (I know it is easier to say than do- I am bad in that as well).

yep - i am 4 months in as well.... i know how u feel. I feel that other people may be more suited to this role and people are soon beginning to realise this. I guess we just gotta hang in there,.

BTW, I am in the second year and can say to you that in my year those who were too-self-confident did not pass the first year:))

Well it has come to it. I am staying the night in the office to get this completed. I will be staying up through the night to get it done. My biggest problem is I leave everything to the last minute and I am worried that i can not do a PhD in this way. So, once this work is in, I will make a conscious effort to start having a bit more consistency. I may be being a bit hard on myself because I have been working on this report flat out for two weeks now (plus previous reading). It may be that I just up the tempo when things are not going to plan. What are your thoughts? Am I going mad?

Well I suppose another point to take away from the anecdote is that you are never fully aware of what is expected of you until you submit work. Therefore, this exercise will definately prove worthwhile for the feedback I get and it has increased my knowledge of the area 10 fold.
Still at office! Scary times!

don't work to hard and keep having snacks to keep your brain working. Good luck with it.

Well it has beaten me. I am going home to sleep because my head has stopped working. Going to be up nice and early in the morning. Probably best thing to do I think.

Back in feeling fresh and rejuvenated. Few more hours to go.