I'm kind of new, I'm about six months in and still feel lost. When does it all become clear??

I'm worried about not getting teaching either! When I started my supervisors said I would get teaching but I've watched the number of modules available for me to teach reduce. There are now not that many and all the full-time lecturers have the modules, leaving none for me. It is very demoralising. I hope you get it sorted out. Good Luck.

I'm in the first year of my PhD and don't know who to talk to about this. My department is composed of several different subjects, mine being the smallest. I actually did my post-grad in this department so have been at this uni for a while now. However, the head of the department is trying to get rid of my subject area and this has left me very worried. He is on a one man mission to improve the research reputation of our department, and is pushing for his subject area to be the most prominent, while getting rid of others he does not think are as important. Already the modules in my area have been greatly reduced, which has left me worried about a job in the future, or even teaching experience in my second and third year. I can't speak to any of the other students in my department, because there are no other students of my subject matter. I am worried that my PhD will be worthless, if I ever get it. I am so worried about the whole thing that it is making me lack motivation. What is the point of putting so much effort in if my subject will be obsolete anyway. I also don't think the head of year likes me because I am not sychophantic like the other students. I think he has a bit of an ego and likes it being rubbed, which I refuse to do. I know this probably sounds a bit silly but it is actually just quite cathartic writing it down because I've been so worried about it. I've already heard him speaking quite dismissively about my subject matter, which makes me feel awful. I know I can't do anything about it, but it's making me feel miserable. Thanks for listening.