Hello there
I'm new just found you guys!

Looking for some advice. I have been doing my phd for about 6 years. I completed all my research etc, and began the write up, I then had a very complicated pregnancy and had a baby nearly 3 years ago. I returned part time and tried to write up but was plagued with health issues. I havent been supported through this much and was given a final deadline of this sept. I had been working towards this but had to go into hospital for an operation in july and recovery has been slower than expected. Though i finally found out the source of my problems and hope that i should be recovering from here on in.

I doubt i will submit in sept, I have written about 1/3 of the thesis, though a lot is there is bits and pieces but needs drawn together. My health isnt great. I will be disappointed to give up as i feel i could have got there, but i doubt i will get extensions again. Do you think i could withdraw for another year then come back to it?

My superisor is also off on long term ill health.

I dont want to have to walk away now, but it feels like i may be forced to! Or should i force myself to submit something in sept, but im so scared it will be crap and i will fail.

Would appreciate opinions

Cel

Hi,

You seem to have been through a lot. If your health still isn't great, I would suggest withdrawing for another year if you can, as this will take some of the pressure of you. If you are able to do this, I would also suggest you try to do some of the write up in this time as well but easy does it.

I agree with Delta. You have been through a very tough time. I would definitely take a suspension of studies and try to work a little bit during this time.
Obviously your health and that of your child are priorities, but I understand that you would probably regret leaving your PhD after having put so much effort. I had health problems after I had my baby too, so I know what you mean. I didn't take the suspension of studies, because I was very close to submission, but now I think I would have got to the end with much less stress if I did.
I would also look into asking for a second supervisor, or a new supervisor if you feel that you need more support than you are getting at the moment.

THanks for the replies

I spoke to the postgrad office at my uni today and took a bit of advice. I guess im worried the committee wont grant a suspension due to the pressure they are putting on me.

I think i will try to get the bit im working on to a decent standard and give it to this new supervisor. Then try and get a suspension. That way they will have something recent to read too, which will show that i am actually working on it currently. Then take some time out, to recover mostly with a little work on it, then come back when i feel fitter.

I think my worries about it all are impacting my health too!

You are right my little one and health have to be priority.

It might be worth checking your university's rules on the maximum length of permissable PhD candidature (if the postgrad office hasn't already advised you on this) to check that you are still within the limits and also to make sure that whatever you ask for is also within them. At some universities there is a point where they have run out of room to manoeuvre and you are automatically disqualified. If you are in this danger zone, and don't think even with a suspension of studies that the remaining months are feasible to produce the entire thesis, and you can produce the medical evidence, you might want to try to apply to suspend studies but also to backdate it for a couple of months so that the time leading up to your operation and the time recovering does not count against the clock. I have a friend who managed to do this but don't know whether all universities would allow it.

I think that your plan looks good. Bewildered is right, also at my uni you can extend your studies to a maximum of 60 months for a full time PhD, and you are disqualified if you don't complete by that date. However, I can tell you that there are quite a few students here who managed to get a suspension of studies without medical grounds. So, it is worth checking, but basically it also depends on how supportive your supervisors and department are. It they have a high rate of students who don't manage to complete they will probably press you to finish sooner rather than later. If you have a medical certificate and you show a plan on how and when you are going to complete, I think it is reasonable to think that they will accept it.

I can understand the vicious circle of being unwell and not recovering properly because of the constant pressure to complete. I have been there. Once I passed my viva (with minor corrections), they were all very quick to jump on the chariot of the winner, but it wasn't so rosy before I submitted. What I can tell you is that it is going to pass. You are going to get there if you really want it.