bright sides? - (Jun/22/2007 )

Hi guys...

I'm a bit in a bad mood
it's one of that day in which i dont know if i'll manage to finish my PhD..end of second year and no results...few...my boss seems to belive we will but he doesnt give too many indication on the way to go...i have loads of freedom and eventually money, but..i would need a supervisor

other collegues are writing up their thesis..and postdoc are in the same boat...they won't publish but they got their PhD!!

i just want to tell this...plus is an awful summer in ireland and doesnt help the mood!

bye
aleric4u

Hi Aleric4U,

Most people say you get the majority in the results in the last year of the phD. I guess this isn't true for some people but it depends on the project. Setting up techniques and developing reagents takes time. Plus the first year or two you're getting to know your way around the lab and learning about the project. I felt like this too during parts of my phD. You probably have more data than you think. If you need advice and your supervisor isn't around to give it, talk to others in the lab (post-docs, RAs, other phD students), if only to bounce ideas of them to see if they have flaws or there is a better way to do something. At the end of the day, you have some (perhaps too much from what you are saying) control over the project. Take ideas to your supervisor and see what he/she suggests. They may be trying to make you more independent which will stand you in good stead later on. Also people ohttp://www.protocol-online.org/forums/style_images/1/folder_editor_images/icon_open.gifn this forum are good to ask advice and share experiences. You can always leave out details of the exact nature of your work or make it generic, if you're worried about someone taking ideas or following up your work (not that I think anyone on this forum would do that :rolleyes:http://www.protocol-online.org/forums/style_images/1/folder_editor_images/icon_open.gif ).

Weather's not too good across the Irish sea either but it makes the grass green.


Have a good weekend,
Ceri

If you have no idea what you should do, then you are not ready to graduate. Talk to people around you and try to come up your own, rather than from your PI.