Bad judgment call simply means that it was not the best decision you have made. Koturu has made some really good points in addition to what everyone has said. I think that as much as you can, try not to mention it. As for your supervisor, if you are worried that it might come up in your reference letter, you may wish to speak with your supervisor on that issue.

Its a really competitive market out there, and you really need to stay on top of your game.

Rory

I admire your need for honesty, i guess it depends on motive. Most times when we build resumes, its about presenting ourselves in the best light to employers. To me it feels like a dont ask dont tell policy here. If you are not asked, i dont think you should mention it, but if you feel the need to, Think about how best to mention it without making yourself look bad.

Employers are not as patient as they once were. I guess if you are going into academia, they might be a little more understanding, or then again might assume that it may be a reflection of your motivation and attitude to work. I honestly think that since you did not finish, you shouldnt mention it. If you are asked, you can just say it was a bad judgement call. Plus as Jojo rightly said an Postgraduate diploma or certificate might be the way out. talk to your school about it

Hello Florence

I just wanted to drop a line of encouragement. I hope things work out for you in regards to your writing and hopefully your supervisor will be more understanding. Good luck(up)

Hello Sasa

Its sad that your having a tough time in your doctoral studies. I am in my first semester of mine and its in a field i am completely clueless about. I am interested in communication, but the program i am taking is communication that is heavily grounded in philosophy and rhetoric. My first few weeks were frustrating because i couldnt understand a word in class due to my zero knowledge about philosophy. I have learnt to take it one day at a time and i am hoping my second semester is better.

I just want to point out that its impossible that you havent learnt anything, it might be little, but its something. Secondly, how far along are you in the program? it may still be a bit early to know what your thesis is, besides ideas change and evolve if you give it time. Third, i understand what its like to see your friends living life while you work your way through school. At 23, you are young and should be proud of being able to get admitted into a doctoral program. Its important to note that people have different destinies in life and you should not compare yourself to your friends. I have come to realize that sometimes-people look happy and settled on the outside, but inside they are all messed up and long to have what someone else does. Fourth, there are other options besides academia and research, there is consultant work. the good thing about being a consultant is that you get to specialize in a field you enjoy and make money doing it.

All that being said, my aim is not to dissuade you from you decision especially if it is hell for you, i just want you to see other possibilities, maybe try to find the positive in negative situations and work on minimizing the negatives and increasing the positives. e.g, i find that leisure reading on subjects i am interested in not only broadens my knowledge base, but its interesting because i can apply the new ideas i am reading about to what i already know and eventually use it for my thesis.

Another thing is learn to separate public from private. Public life is school work and outside work, private is your personal life. Work hard, but remember to make time for yourself on a personal level. Go out, see friends, join dance classes, learn to play an instrument, develop a skill, have something that you love doing that helps you de-stress. I am 25 and i live in a different country from my family, its difficult, but i find that having friends that i see from time to time helps, and i am trying to cultivate a leisure reading habit (not novels although that is also a good idea) and find a sustainable hobby.

You will be fine. Good luck with your decision making process :-)(up)

======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2010 04:49:26 =======
======= Date Modified 17 Nov 2010 04:48:53 =======
Hello Rory

I think that your best bet would be to not mention it on your resume, and if it should ever come up, just say that you were curious about the subject and failed to realized that a subject orientation would have served a better purpose than you doing an actual masters. But for the most part, don't mention it if you are embarrassed by it.

If you feel like you must mention it, you can highlight your achievement during the program, but then that could go either ways. My two cents would be to leave it out. Its not necessarily a bad thing, however the market is highly competitive and you want to leave little room for doubt on the part of potential employers.

Cheers and the best of luck. (up)

P.S no need to be embarrassed, no human being is perfect. Infact we are not meant to be perfect:-)(up)