Hi! I started my PhD in October and have found this forum really encouraging.

My PhD involves lab work, which I am yet to start due to snow/supervisor being ill. I feel like I should have started by now. When you first started your PhD, was it a slow start?

I have been doing lots of reading and written a basic literature search, I am hoping this can be included in my upgrade and possibly my thesis.

I just feel like I am in limbo, not sure where I should be putting my efforts. What should I be doing? I feel like I should be doing more..

Thanks

Hey, I'm in a similar situation to you and glad to know I'm not the only one.
I've been asked to complete a literature review which is due in a few days but ideally I should have started on the research by now. However I had to have foot surgery (elective but bad timing) at the end of October and because my recovery has been very slow I've had to work from home. My PhD involves computer modelling and my sup needs to teach me how to use the software etc before I can get started. But because I've been stuck at home this hasn't happened yet and I do feel like I'm behind. I'm enjoying all the reading because I find my subject really interesting but I'm getting a bit frustrated because it feels like I'm not making any progress yet!

Not sure what advice I can give but keep up with the reading and writing because it will be worth it, at least I hope so for both of us! :-)

Don't worry about not being in the lab yet, every PhD is different.

Not getting into the lab quickly can be very frustrating, especially if you've come from a job or undergrad where you were in the lab lots, but don't worry you've got plenty of time.

Some of my PhD friends who started the same time as me were in the lab in their first week, im now in the second year and ive only just started lab work. But that's ok because not going straight into the lab gave me a chance to do a more indepth literature review and now i have a better view of my research area.

Basically, i'd suggest continuing with your literature review as once you've got that done that's a big bit of your thesis done which you will only need to update slightly over the coming 3-4 years.

Hope this helps!



:-)