Good morning all you beautiful people,

I'm feeling pretty low this morning and have even semi-entertained thoughts of quiting my PhD, the big obstacle in the way of my doing this is that my life would be a billion time worse without it.

I'm just feeling that I'm slogging my guts out and making financial and other sacrifices left right and centre and I'm not getting anywhere. I had a job interview at the uni at which I am doing the PhD (part-time) yesterday and didn't get the job. I also had an appointment with my supervisor at which I brought up the subject of my upgrade and he explained that because part - time PhDs at my uni have to take 6 years to complete and the upgrade happens midway, I won't officially be going forward for mine until May 2011, yes, that's right, May 2011, by which time everyone else on the planet will have published ten books and retired. Although, he did say it would be possible to bring it forward to Novemeber/December 2010, he didn't seem to think I was at that stage yet, and he said things like because you're part - time things take a long time, because you are working etc, etc. But the thing is I work only a few more hours than a full timer I know and she's looking at a three year complete, so I'm feeling really deflated, I thought my work was going well, but, maybe not. My sup also said of the upgrade 'and that's when we'll see and if there are problems we'll...' and didn't finish the sentence. Does ths mean he thinks I'm on my way out? Does he think I can't do this? I dunno, I'm just feeling like I'm strugglig 'up the hill backwards' as Mr. Bowie would say and not getting anywhere. To think I could be going through all this and then come out of it without even an upgrade...

What's really frustrating me is that I know I have it in me, I feel strongly that I am good at this, and that my work has a lot to offer, but I'm loosing confidence in what other, important people think if me, like my supervisor, for example.

The other thing is I want to move cities- either to the one I work at or the one where I study, but I'm worried that my job[s] at the former won't last past next term and I could be left in said city with no purpose for being their come this summer, so I'm a bit all over the place with that too. Plus the family hell.

I thought your feedback and support would probably help me X