Im sorry as i dont have much advice to give you, I am in a bad boat myself.

but i would like to say, Good luck and i hope it all works out for you :)

Your Mphil may lead you to the best job of your career and you and your family will be realy happy :) (up)

Again i thank you for your messages, it feels so nice to know people care and understand. What i meant with my supervisor choosing me is i originally applied for a 'set' PhD - Ie the supervisors already have a title and a vision of a PhD and i am majorly just carrying out the research. Ive finally finished one method, and my supervisor said my results are interesting, but for the past few weeks whenever she talks to me i zone out and all my head is thinking is - i dont care im tired of this im not interested :( i used to be really interested now i really could not care less :/

With regards to help - i called my local graduate office, they we're not helpful at all and just said go and see the student union. They weren't helpful either and said we cant really advise you on stipend and leaving you have to speak to the graduate office :/

I know its really hard out there and i think that is stressing me so much also, If i leave i have no idea what i would do with my life, career or anything - but if i stay i have 0 motivation and i cry everyday

:-(

hi, Thank you all for your reply.

I am now just getting into my second year of my PhD and i guess i feel extremely frustrated and just tired. It has taken me 1 year to complete a western blot, (which honestly should have taken 1 month) but every time all i faced were problems. My supervisor is really nice but she hasn't a clue about the technique and I feel like i have been dropped in the deepest end of water! I began my PhD straight after my undergraduate degree and i feel no where near intelligent enough or capable enough to continue. I know it sounds silly, but i handed in my draft introduction for my transfer from MPHil to PhD and my supervisor literally wripped it to shreds. I explained that i had never done a report like this before and she was really nice about it - but it felt to me like she was thinking 'why did i pick her, i could have picked somone that would have done way more work by now'

I really cannot see myself at all being able to write or even complete any work to the level of phD standard. I feel anxious whenver i think i have to come to university, i went home and sat in my room for 2 hours crying alone after my draft was handed back to me. I didnt have anyother PhD students to turn to as they all treat me like a child because i am young and havent had much experience.

Im really sorry about this rant, and any advice would be appreciated. I know many students say that is exactly how they felt,but i have a PhD student that works in the same lab who is constantly doing new experiments, his results work, he is reading papers all the time, he even told me he doesnt like to socialise as he likes to focus on his PhD and therefore does not need friends :/ (he only started his PhD at the start of Oct)

:(

Thank you again

Hi, Please can someone help me, i feel like i am on the verge of a nervous breakdown

I have just started my second year of my PHD and i hate it. Hate isnt even the word, i cant stop crying and i constantly feel anxious. the more i think about it properly, i am sure i want to leave. I need some advice however please, i got my PHD on a studentship, the fee's are paid and i also receive an annual stipend. If i change my studies to applying for an MPhil, will i have to pay them back? or how does it work with regards to funding. I will have to complete this year i know - in order to get an MPhil and i will stay till July but after that i really dont want to continue. Please please please help me

Thank you Ejc,

It feels better to know I am not alone in this feeling! I think that's a big problem, I don't have anyone else to turn to, I don't know anyone doing a PhD except people in another field but they often shun me as I'm young. A lot mistake me for undergraduate:(

With regards to progress, at the end of this year I have to complete a transfer report to upgrade from Mphil to PhD and that is terrifying me. We have to have a Viva too and I feel like Im just going to get laughed out of it.

Thank you again for your reply

Hi everyone I was looking for some advice please, I would really appreciate it

I am just getting to the end of my first year of my PhD and I'm not sure whether I should continue. I came straight from undergraduate and therefore found it difficult to begin with. My PhD proposal was already written by my supervisor I just applied for the position. Throughout my first year I have had to repeat experiments again and again all year. It has been a year and I have repeated the same experiment the whole year with no results. My supervisor has no experience with this method and there is no one in the department able to help me. I have emailed external staff yet no luck.

I am becoming very very demotivated and I feel really stressed emotionally. Although I have always been an intelligent student, from the onset I have doubted my abilities but have always been assured by others I am more than capable to complete my PhD. Even now my supervisor isn't worried about the little progress of my work, she says we are getting there and she is really happy with my work, but I just feel horrible

I don't feel good enough, I feel like I have achieved nothing and I don't know why I am doing it anymore. I loved research to begin with and now I feel incredibly anxious to continue.

Please can anyone offer any advice, it will be greatly appreciated

Thank you

:)