Loosing enthusiasm - (Dec/04/2008 )
Hello,
I want to know if anyone of you ever felt the same thing.
Recently (to be exact, since I`m going to my final year in PhD), I started to loose my enthusiasm in doing research. Last year I was like crazy gathering information about places I would like to work after graduation. But now? Geeze..I even have to drag my body out of my bed every morning and I can`t wait to go home as soon as possible every day.
I thought I need a vacation, so I went to my home country and stayed there for like 3 weeks. It was fun. But now I`m back to my lab, I felt worse than ever.
I`m scheduled for my defense in December 2009. But I don`t know what I should do after graduation and I hate for being clueless.
Really sorry for this rants, but I hope anyone can help me.
Thanks!
If U wan to know there are more like U then go to the subforum 'ranting and raving' of this 'chit-chat' .. there are many. Almost every PhD student goes through what U have mentioned - there is no exception limiting it to 'humans'.
Being lazy - not wanting to come out of the bed - thinking U should take a break = all are so human. I wonder how U were before this. U sound much normal now. But, we have our dreams/wishes/necessities/etc/etc for which we need money. .. and that should be a good motivation to push ourselves. If U think U r not one of those who would push yourselves to extreme for money then there is another solution >> work - earn - and all the extra U have that U really didn't want to work for = send them to me. I happily accept any kind of donations/gifts/awards/etc/etc.
Haha..yeah, MONEY is a very good weapon to fight this laziness. Maybe I should take a closer look on my iPod, clothes and shoes and try to remember where they came from 
But still, I really hate the way I`m doing now. Are you sure it`s normal??
Because as far as I`m concerned, people around me here just keep working and studying and working and studying and drinking and working and studying all the time.
Well, honestly, I was like them too, except the drinking part and I`m not as bright as them.
Believe me, I need to read like 100 times just to understand a new concept which is written in English, while they just practically glance at the paper then do it. And they don`t even speak English!
So, the "me" before, really studied and worked hard just to be a normal PhD student in their standard, but the "me" now don`t even care how little I know.
A friend of mine said that I`m just going through a (PhD) phase and I`ll get over it one day (hopefully!)
I guessed before I looked where U r at
This is not normal PhD phase but Daigakuin Rygakusei Phase. Having known this. . . I am shutting up and saying nothing more .. may be I too need the answer 
. I do the drinking too though Dear Nikou,
no matter what country you are in, every PhD student goes thru that phase of "why I am doing this?" etc. It is very normal. I nearly quit 2 times and then realised I had done so much work, I might as well finish. Now I am finishing the postdoc and going thru a similar phase as I contemplate looking at professorships ...
It is just part of the normal ups and downs of life as a scientist.
Hang in there but only if you enjoy it.
AussieUSA
I am also in my final year...actually final 2 months.
I am also going through similar phase...sometimes not motivate to write my PhD thesis...other times spent 5 hours writing
I must finish...must finish...must finish before Feb next year...Then I am going to Tokyo Disneyland 
and try to find a job 
.
You may wish to buy some book about Speed reading from Amazon.com.
This could be optical illusion. There are much more resources other than the paper they glance at written as protocols in noodles-like characters.
Hey BB, I also just noticed that you are in Jpn too!
Actually, I do speak, read, and write Japanese, so I don`t really have problems with the language and communicating with people here. I think my bigger problem is I take a longer time to understand something new compared with other people, in other words, I`m a slow-thinker? Knowing this, I always read more than other people do, like 100 times for English and 300 times for Jpnese
To AussieUSA, thanks, I`m kind of noticing that I`m not alone. The thing is, I just can`t find anyone like me in my place here 
But you`re right, we had done a lot, so I should at least complete the work = graduation.
To Minnie Mouse, here in Jpn, people are used to find a job before they really graduate. Technically speaking, I should start finding job like NOW 
Anyway, good luck for your defense! I`m sure you can do much much better than me to fight your down days.
Just remember about the Disneyland plan 