Dear all,

I have just started a PhD and am unhappy for various reasons.. firstly, there is no real outline for the project and we seem to be directing the project towards backing up results previously obtained by another student, rather than setting out a project from the start. Secondly, the project seems to have little evidence for its theory; a recent talk by the post-doc on the same work left me asking many questions about the validity of the project and the number of skills I will learn (very few!). Everyone seems to be of the opinion that I should give it more time but how long?? Deadlines for PhD applications are fast approaching if I wanted to reapply and I also wondered about if it were possible to transfer a studentship from one establishment to another?

Any advice is very welcome!!!!

Well have you spoken to your supervisor(s) about your worries and if so, what did they say?

Ditto. DanB has considerable experience to bare on this issue.

Glitter, are you saying that you got kicked off your PhD becasue you told your supervisor how bad you felt? What did he/she say? I ask because, from what you said, that sounds nothing short of disgraceful!

emz2u I can really understand what you going through! I am stuck in a similar situation. I'm currently a PhD student on a 4-year programme so doing my 1st MRes year at present. I decided to apply for PhD after enjoying my undergraduate research project. However, so far my current lab has been nothing like it. Whereas other stdents are working with a Post-doc in other labs I have to manage on my own!! My lab supervisor is a clinician and he's hardly ever about. I have only been taught how to do western blots and that's all I ever do!!! I have tried explaining this to the course organiser and to my supervisor but both just don't seem to do anything about this.

I will be transfering into a new lab in February and that gives me a bit of hope for a better time but before that I will need to write a report on the time I spent in my current lab and to be honest I won't know where to start. I have poor results and no sense of direction. My supervisor shouldn't have taken on a student when he knew he couldn't dedicate the time and supervision need. I feel really angry that I need to pay for this lack of thinking. I was really looking forward to doing a PhD after enjoying research so much as an undergrad but now all that enthusiasm has beeen taken away from me and I think I will leave after I have done my MRes.