i have been registered for my phd since 2009, i also work full time in a stressful banking sector. I used to read after working hours around 7pm. But lately i just dont have any stamina left in the evenings. i want to finish my studies as soon as this year, so i can concentrate fully on my job, how do i get motivated again? Oh! i am surronded by very distractive, negative people at work, how do i overcome this constant negative energy/critism that puts me down? i need to have a clear mind again so that i can concentrate on my phd,somebody please help me...

Hello, Monty! Just a few questions:

- Are you able to connect with other students (positive motivators) in your program?
- Is there any opportunity available to change your workload or responsibilities?
- Do you have commitments during the weekend that take you away from your studies?

Maybe the negative people around you are a distraction because you're exhausted. It sounds like you need to sit down, calculate the time you need for work and academics, and then come up with a feasible plan that you can stick to. You might have to make some hard decisions about either studying part-time, working part-time, or giving up your job until you finish.

Since you mentioned stress and stamina, maybe you need to incorporate something into your routine that will help you transition from work to studying. For example, a 20-minute "power nap", meditation, a quick jog - whatever works for you to make that transition.

It's fairly common for students to underestimate the amount of time necessary to do PhD work, so I would recommend, first and foremost, to outline an honest, feasible plan about how you will allocate your time. Once that's in place, you'll probably be able to cope much easier.

Good luck!

thanks for the advice, you are absolutely correct about connecting with fellow candidates in the program, there's one who is also my colleague, he seems to be doing fine, he's made a lot of progress with his writing. I will also consider a transition activity, i sed to go to the gym, but i also stopped for no reason, i truly need to pick myself up in order to finish this project, i think i allowed myself to be distracted thats why i suddenly feel like i'm stuck,...a feasible timeline is all i need. thanks once again,...if all proves inadequate, i'll consider a longer study leave ...

======= Date Modified 28 May 2012 08:16:19 =======
Monty, just to give you another perspective on critical negative colleagues-just don't give credence to their negativity. Doesn't mean you have to ignore them, be rude or anything else- just leave their perceptions with them. I found that I used to give a lot of emotional 'air space' to people's very negative perceptions about what I was doing (part-time study-full time work, etc, etc). It caused me to second guess myself and my plans quite a bit and also to try to shape some of my plans around their perceptions. I tended to unconsciously seek their approval I think.

But what i found was that when you completed something and achieved a result or goal, many of the negative people started deciding they wanted to follow similar pathways-especially when they see you come through a challenging and, at times, difficult experience. But they actually see you come through this experience intact and with more options at the other end, plus a higher self esteem and a more positive mind set all round. So you really do just have to 'just do it' as the saying goes. Damations's advice about realistic time-frames, etc is excellent as well.

The other thing is that taking leave rather than going part-time, especially if you get paid during that leave, is a very good option. You mentioned this in your reply below and it is well worth considering. I have about four months or so of full time leave earmarked for the end of 2014 or start of 2015 (long time off-but I am in first year of part time PhD) and that is when I think I will need a large amount of uninterrupted writing time. So I am regarding this and use of my teacher holidays as a way of really catchiing up on the smaller amounts of work done during regular working weeks.
Good luck with it all-and don't let the negativity get to you-especially at this late stage.(up)

As you may have noticed, there are also a lot of positive people on this forum, so I hope you'll come back whenever you need to escape from all the negative energy! ( :

Thank you so much guys for your support and advices, I feel much better about my studies, I am actually motivated since I posted the challenges I’m faced with on this blog. Your advices and personal experiences about studying and working at the same time helped me to realise that there are people out there who understand how difficult it can be to carry on especially when one is surrounded by negativity and discouragement.

On a lighter note, please keep on checking your mailboxes, I might just send the invitations for my graduation soon…wishing you all the best in your careers development:-)

======= Date Modified 31 May 2012 10:00:21 =======
============= Edited by a Moderator =============
*Removed by PostGrad Forum team - SPAM*

Monty, you really need to visit the Academic Joy Web site. Go to the "PhD Candidate" section. You will find there so many resources, tools and advice to deal with your current situation. Good luck.

thanks, i'll visit the site(up)