Thank you everyone - it's good to hear from people who've come out of the other side of my situation. It makes me feel so much more positive. Well, I've just indulged in a chocolate bar and a hot chocolate to cheer myself up and I'm going to use my sugar high to get some planning done!

Hi Tom
I'm in a similar situation right now. What you may need to consider is what you will get out of your PhD at the end. Keep an eye on the big picture. If completing your PhD will help you further down the line then keep this at the back of your mind and it may help you get over stumbling blocks like this. If a PhD won't really help you, or you don't want to continue in that line of work, then I agree you should seriously question whether to carry on when you feel so unhappy.

Hope this helps
robber

I forgot to add that it doesn't help that my fellow PhD students have generated good data so far. We even had an undergrad in the lab for a bit and she generated enough data for my supervisor to base a paper on! I just feel useless, like it's just me being crap at science that's the problem.

Help!

Hi Guys

I've just gone past the 12 month stage of my PhD (biochemistry) and so far NOTHING has worked. Well, experiments have 'worked' but they didn't show any interesting results. I, along with my supervisor, have come to the conclusion that the hypothesis of my PhD is a load of poo. So now I have to come up with a whole new hypothesis and experiments, with very little help because my supervisor is so busy.

12 months ago I would have relished the challenge. The problem is I have become so demotivated after 12 months of working really hard and generating no data that I've lost all enthusiasm. I just want to leave academia all together. It doesn't help that before believing me that the hypothesis must be wrong, my supervisor took some of my experiments and did them himself. That left me feeling very demoralised.

Has anyone overcome a similar problem? I have a really good relationship with my supervisor. It would be a shame to leave but I'm so demotivated I dread coming in. And I'm not paid enough to feel that way!

Thanks!

robber

I saw this letter too and I must say it added to my current depression regarding my financial status (currently paying for essentials on credit card - not good).

Maybe we could get the public to worship us by setting up a science gossip mag complete with paparazzi style shots of us in the lab. eg. ooh look at her vpl in that lab coat. We could also get picks of us rolling out of a club at 4am. Unfortunately in my case these would have to be staged !

Yes but you didn't have to do those things, you did them out of kindness. I do lots of things for my fiance but out of love, not because he needs mothering! My future mother in law expects me to do these things for him. BIIIIIIIG difference.

Hello H, I am new to this forum malarkey. Congratulations on being a Mrs!

Lol claireg, you're not so bad after all

Oooh that is a lovely idea. In addition to giving my relationship a well needed boost it will also give me something else to think about other than pining over the other man (good God I'm really becoming pathetic now!).

Thanks shani, how did you become so wordly wise?!

Sorry claireg, yesterday was a bad day. Didn't mean to be, well, mean!

Okay, I'm going to stop going on what are effectively dates with him. That should solve a big part of the issue. Thanks piglet. As for the double dates suggestion, just to make you all think I am a total cow, he has a long term gf that I am quite good friends with.

I think a big cause of this whole situation is that I am bored. My work has taken over my life, and planning the wedding is taking up the rest of my thoughts and when I see this other guy it's exciting. I need to find something else to do.

By the way claireg, you could just apply and see. I went straight from a bachelors to a PhD and so did most of my friends.

Yes, but it wasn't exactly necessary to put it in this post. Are we all expected to bow down in worship or something?

Why do people that did their undergrad degree at Oxford or Cambridge always feel the need to point this out at every possible opportunity? No one cares.

Thanks guys. When I think about it, a relationship with him would pretty much suck. I'll just have to remember that the next time I see him and hopefully that will curb my feelings. It's just a bit worrying that my first 'other interest' since getting together with my fiance is his best friend! Calling it an awkward situation would be an understatement.