======= Date Modified 26 54 2010 11:54:54 =======
has anyone had their supervisor tell them to give up? I am working full time, overseas, away from my uni. I am working on my PhD part-time (just about to start 4th year) and have just started writing up. My supervisor has doubts about my ability to continue. I disagree - I have been struggling with balancing work/PhD but still have until 2014 to submit. Has anyone else had a similar experience? The thing is I am in a really good job which I enjoy and have realised I no longer even need the PhD as I do not want to work in academia. Maybe I should just "give up"?

I think firstly you need to find out from your supervisor why they are advising you to give up. If it is related to the content not being enough for a PhD then can you get a Masters from it? If they have doubts about your ability to mix work and studies then you need to know what areas you need to improve on from their persecpective. I am part-time and started constructing the thesis content at about the 4 1/2 year point. I am not far off having all chapters written with 8 months left. My daytime is taken up with family commitments so am restricted to evenings and also live away from uni now. My supervisor keeps in touch via Skype and we have never had a need for a frank discussion but I suggest you do so. If you give up how will you feel, will you always be kicking yourself for doind so?

Hello Pamelaspage. Sorry to hear that you get such a feedback from your supervisor. I agree with Dunni73, you might want to clarify with your supervisor why (s)he suggests you just give up.

I don't know any other information about your PhD. What I can share though, is my experience as a PhD (second year). For some reason, my supervisors and colleagues have this view that you either work in the academia, or you go out to the industry (you cannot mix both). It's a strange way to look at things, rather idealistic. But my professors believe that research is a job in its own right, it is not there only to supplement what we see in the industry. Because of this, some research groups might only want to hire PhDs who are serious about having an all-exclusive academic job. They might want people who focus on churning out publication by publication, nothing else, and research craves a lot of your attention. The "prestige" with being "out there in the real world" may not be valuable for some very research-oriented people.

If I had to guess, this can be a reason why your supervisor told you to give up. Maybe (s)he wants somebody to focus on academic stuff? Unless he saw some reason that you are not able to balance your work/PhD life (which I highly doubt), there better be some good reason why a supervisor would tell a student to quit.

Maybe it's because it's late and I'm tired, but reading your post actually makes me really mad. You've done all the research and 'all' you have to do now is write it up. The last person to tell you to give up should be your supervisor. He/she is supposed to provide encouragement and support. It's just really bloody defeatist of your supervisor to say that. Besides, if you were to give up, it would reflect badly on the supervisor and the department at your university. I don't understand the logic in what was said by him/her.
As you point out, you have years to get the PhD written up, so plenty of time. Don't listen to your supervisor and think you should give up. It's your decision, your decision alone and you're not in a desperate situation.:-)

Thanks for your encouraging comments. I too think I can finish this but it has really knocked my confidence. Maybe I should just change universities. Really don't know what to do. Although I have two days to make a decision as I need to re-renrol. My supervisor is also saying that I should transfer to an MPhil. What's the point when I already have a Master's?

Hello
Have you had any other academics look at your work so far to give you a 3rd person objective view of your progress and support you in a where-to-from-here process?

It might be helpful. What field are you studying in?

Cheers

a

======= Date Modified 27 Oct 2010 07:42:33 =======
Hi, two academics who are on my supervisory panel commented. They said I have a long way to go but didn't suggest I discontinue. Thanks

Good luck.:-)

I worry for you because of your attitude shown above. it's probably this same thing that makes your supervisor say you should give up. you may have been struggling balancing, but when you get to writing up you need to change your priorities and give more time to your phd. writing up is harder than you will ever imagine. its the hardest stage of the phd! my suggestion is you can only continue if you are COMMITTED to getting the phd. am not saying if you think you are interested.. but if you really want it. phd and academia do not necessarily go together and only you knows why you enrolled. if the reason you enrolled still inspires you, you should continue.

re transferring to another uni - this will depend on how cooperative your supervisor is. if they are definitely going to fail you, there is no need insisting on being with them. however, if you also don't plan on changing the attitude above, moving to another uni will only result in the same complaints. it is your phd and it is up to you to give confidence to your supervisor.

i speak from experience of having a supervisor team say my work was rubbish. i changed my supervisors twice, restarted after 3 years and did the final two years away from the uni part-time. i have handed in now and am expecting my viva soon and my latest supervisor is quite confident i should be able to pass.

what i can say is:

1) decide whether you want it and are committed to doing whatever you have to do ( financial and emotional) to get it and whether you are going to believe in yourself - and not in what everyone else has to say about your ability.

2) if you want it, do what you have to do to remain in this uni. starting at another sets you back timewise.

3) try to appease your supervisor. ask them what you can do to raise the standard of your work and do it.

4) be prepared that they may already have made their mind up about your inability to meet the phd standard (mine had!) and therefore keep looking at other unis for supervisor who can agree to a transfer for academic (is your research better done at another location?) reasons.

5) start liaising with new uni while you prepare a decent draft to allow your supervisor to judge your work.

6) if after handing in, your supervisor is still complaining, contact director of research asking for new supervisor on academic grounds. at this point you really need to be showing that you have addressed all the committees recommendations and you have the ability but your supervisor is probably not the right one for you on ACADEMIC grounds such as methodology etc. don't cite personal conflicts. academics protect each other and they will gang up and turn against you.

7) write to the dean of school and discuss in CONFIDENCE your options and at this time if you have found a potential academic in the school, talk to them about being your supervisor. be prepared that your dean may support your supervisor. (they did in my case!)

8) book appointment and prepare a presentation of your good work and present to potential supervisor. show them you are phd standard and it would be easy to supervise you as a phd. ( you need to be on ground for this!)

9) hopefully they should agree to supervise subject to a transfer being approved by the school.

10) determine not to repeat mistakes of the past for instance: a) being complacent with feedback. b) missing deadlines c) handing in substandard work 4) working with a supervisor who is aiming for an MPhil while you are aiming for a phd.

sorry i have been a bit harsh on the attitude part. it's because it's key. if you address it, you are on your way to solving this problem and getting that phd. if you don't, there is no point at all in continuing. no one wants to supervise a student who does not really want a phd

Jojo, I worry you've got the wrong end of the stick. When I read what Pamela has written I get the impression this 'Maybe I should just 'give up'' comes after the knock from the supervisor, not before. It's an effect not the cause.  If attitude was the problem then I doubt Pamela would have gotten to the 4th year and writing upstage, and that they'd disagree with their supervisor so. That fact that someone's contemplating stopping a PhD under such circumstances isn't really the sign of a bad attitude or work ethic. I dunno', maybe I'm wrong.

Pamelaspage, I can only echo what some of the others have said really. Keep going. You've gotten this far and you're right based on what you've said to expect to be finished writing up by 2014, even part time. Try and find out why your supervisor thinks you should give up and if there's any way to address it then do. Otherwise keep going. It's your PhD and your work.

======= Date Modified 27 Oct 2010 14:58:13 =======

Hi,
i agree in sentiment with Jojo ...  does anyone ever need a PhD?   No, we just bloody want one... and if you bloody want one then you have to fight for it.

You have done brilliantly to get this far but you're at the toughest part now.. maybe your sup is using a psychological technique to get you to fight - mine doesn't need a psychological technique we just seem to fight all on our own. ;-)

If you want it, go for it .. we're here to help you !  not with the writing up but with the rants and raves.

If you're absolutely sure you don't ( and will not regret it) then leave it.. life's too short. 

Let us know what happens though. 

Chuff