Research frustration - (Apr/22/2009 )

I trust everyone has ever gone through this in your research life.

See, me.

I have been stuck with cloning problems for so long time.
In the first year of my master, I think I was good at cloning, everything was just going so well and I was definitely going to graduate in one more year.
However, the longer DNA fragments I cloned, the more I got depressed from failure.
Now, the forth years of my master, I completely lost my confidence and feel so distraught with so much pressure.
I don't know what the problem is with me or with my operation, and I also can't get real help from anyone else.
I start doubting myself, I doubt whether I was suited to do research, I doubt that I learn nothing in these years, I doubt that I could find a job of research assistat with no skills, I doubt my existence, I doubt all....

I try to be optimistic, I try to encourage myself to hold on straight to the end...

But eveything just seem not to trun well forever...

I got exhausted.


Have you ever been through this frustration? How've you gotten through it? Teach me!

The most important thing is not to let any frustration from research effect you personally; simply because it is not worth it.
Frustration is a big part of research and many people might go through it sooner or later.
Going through this phase can teach you a lot - much more than any big success can.
In fact, at least 80% of initial experiments I start, fail partly or completely; and the pressure of course just increases; one has to publish...blablabla, things are not working I was sure they would.... .
But one has to realise that failure belongs to any research, though hardly anybody would admit failure.
It is not to say that you always have to smile while your cloning fails. But to take it personally will also not lead you through this phase.

I am sure that once you left this phase behind, the next frustration (which is always around the corner in research ;-)) you will take much easier with more distance in between.
I can't really give you a recipe about how to deal with frustration since everybody has to find another way. Take some days off and get some time and space between you and your work - just a few days might well be enough.
It is always good to question the work and the approaches one takes but the biggest mistake is to start doubting yourself as a person!

All the best!
Oh, and maybe if you paste some questions here about your cloning somebody might have ideas... .