So I just read an article online on how to thrive in your PhD (http://neurochambers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/tough-love-insensitive-guide-to.html)
One of the suggestions was to start a blog.. and I thought where would be better than here since I will have some audience to give me advice..
I am only 2-weeks in and I am already feeling like I know nothing about anything...
I came from quite a poor academic background, but somehow managed to get into one of UK's top uni's to do my PhD, with only a BSc degree. I guess the passion and my lab experience won my supervisor over? I don't know, all I know is that I feel I don't even know half of the basics yet and there is SO MUCH I need to cover. Yesterday I asked a very stupid question from my supervisor which thinking about it now, questions my whole understanding of my project - I know the answer now and the more I read the Nature reviews, the more I realise I know nothing!
Should I just start off from the basics i.e. different types of genetic mutations (I'm a genetics/neuroscience student) and work my way up?
Obvious answer is yes I guess.
I'm not really sure what I am asking in this thread really...
I guess I am having confidence issues.. I WANT to thrive and succeed in this PhD and get a Nature paper out by the end of the 3 years because I think this is great research and so important, but right now - I feel very very stupid.

Hey! I'm sure, as others will tell you, feeling stupid is natural and OK. My advice is READ. Read and you will know. : ) It might help to keep a record of your reading, or already begin writing your literature review based on the reading you are doing (although of course you will edit it loads later).

If you get a Nature paper in three years you will be the best student ever... seriously, good luck with that!

But, what you are experiencing is completely normal. I'm a postdoc and I still feel as if I know next to nothing. These feelings are hard to shake. All you can do is keep reading, discussing, thinking and writing and remember that most people feel exactly the same as you.

xD I'm also a postdoc and I feel as if I know next to nothing too. I'm just kind of used to it, so I just don't panic (too much).

In case of a PhD student, a nature paper would be probably more luck than individual accomplishment. Some academics even admit that. I heard something like "Frankly said, we were just lucky" more than ones from an Assistant or Associate Professor. You can almost never predict how good the outcome of a project will be.

I agree with the rest. Just dig through the literature starting with the most important reviews, or even books if you feel you lack basic knowledge of a wider area, and then work yourself to papers. Takes time...

Thank you for the sympathies everyone. It's nice to hear that feeling stupid is normal :D!

I have enough cognitive capacity to accomplish nearly three degrees (BS, MA, and now a PhD candidate), yet I have always found myself to be an average student with feelings of inadequacies surrounding my field of study. I compare myself to many of my colleagues and peers, and even if I am passionate about my chosen discipline, I have to admit that academic rigor and excellence has never been one of my strengths. I love learning, and I believe that I'm a non-traditional learner. For instance in the area of psychology, my strength is in clinical applications more than theoretical analysis and discourse, and my epistemological style is through practice and applications. My research and orals, though evidence-based and clearly articulated, are presented in the most simple fashion, which sometimes seem to lack academic sophistication. I'm concerned that I will complete my dissertation and end up feeling that I have not learned or gained much knowledge from my doctoral program. I can relate to MChan's and Uranio's situations as well, and these concerns almost led me to withdrawing three years ago, but I'm continuing to persevere because of my passion to educate and inspire others someday, and this is what I remind myself when the self-sabotaging thoughts come up. It's challenging. Good luck to all.