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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

to have a moan about my studies and invite you to moan and/or offer wise words?

54 replies

LRDtheFeministDragon · 07/05/2012 14:02

It really is just a moan, nothing serious, but if anyone else is also in the mood for a moan and particularly about work/studies, do join in.

I am working (still) on my PhD and have had a plan to finish by the end of this academic year (September) which my teachers agreed would be doable. I've kept checking with them I'm on track and have been. Suddenly they're insisting I could take another year to finish but are being cagey when I try to work out why. I'm feeling really glum about it because an extra year will be expensive and, frankly, I feel like a failure for not getting done on time. My plan is just to get my head down, work hard, and prove I can do it, and I have done a load of work since I saw them so it is going ok. I just can't shake feeling down about it.

Also, it is bank holiday and raining! Grrr.

Over to you ... moan away.

OP posts:

redexpat · 07/05/2012 15:06

Is there something in it for them? Are you self funding and are they trying to get more money out of you?

UnnamedFemaleProtagonist · 07/05/2012 15:08

Sorry to hear about that LRD. You can get your head down and get it finished by then can't you? September (the end of, anyway) is aaaaaaages. At least I don't need any reading between now and then

Lorelai · 07/05/2012 15:10

I'll moan with you. I am 3 essays away from finishing a diploma I have been working on for almost 3 years now, and have lost all motivation. In fact I should be writing an essay right now...

It really isn't helping that I will be starting a degree in September and I am starting to get a bit down about 3 more years of always having an assigment/reading that I should be working on.

imnotmymum · 07/05/2012 15:11

Stick with your plans and show them ! If they have any underlying worries then they would be honest with you at tutorials ? Maybe they just trying to ease the pressure off you. That said my dissertation due in week today and I have not even finished methodology section yet, I work better under pressure so if you same you will get it done ! Good luck

mrsbugsywugsy · 07/05/2012 15:12

I'm at home studying too so I feel your pain. At least the rain means we don't feel as bad about not being allowed out to play

I'm due to finish my course (a masters) this year but there could be a delay in getting ethical approval for my final project. There's not a lot I can do about that apart from keep my fingers crossed.

Original poster

LRDtheFeministDragon · 07/05/2012 15:32

Thanks everyone. Sorry to those of you who are also moaning!

red - no, AFAIK they've nothing to get out of me. They are very conscientious, I think it's just a setback.

unnamed - keep telling me I can do it! That's what I need to believe.

lorelai - ouch. Sounds like we are in the same boat - it is so hard to get motivated once you have a wobble, isn't it? But three years - you're nearly done! Do you have celebration plans when you finish and before you start the next three?

imnot - ooh, I hope they are being honest! If this is a gentle way of saying it's shit I'll be so cross. You are right about the pressure though - it can be a good thing. Best of luck with your dissertation - you can do it! What subject is it?

mrsbugsy - that sounds a bit tricky - it seems really tough there's an uncertainty you can't plan for. Hope the approval comes through soon.

OP posts:

Lorelai · 07/05/2012 15:49

No celebration plans really (no money as it is and I will be leaving my job to do the next course!). But, that said, after my last post I put my head down and have now at least got a plan on paper for the next essay, so I am part-way there! Let's see how many words I can write before I come back on here!

Get your head down too and prove you can do it!

drcrab · 07/05/2012 15:52

Have you finished your data collection? Are you analyzing/writing up? September is 16 weeks away. Have you broken down the chapters and sections so that they are doable??

Sorry if this wasn't the purpose of your post!! Good luck with it all!!

Original poster

LRDtheFeministDragon · 07/05/2012 15:56

Oh, you need something to look forward to lorelai! Even if it is just promising yourself you will have a really lazy day when you sleep in until midday or something. But yes ... onwards and upwards with the writing! (I should too).

drcrab - ah, sorry, I'm arts (English Lit, for my sins). I had full drafts of all my chapters over a year ago. I just need to keep re-drafting until they are really saying what I want them to say.

Thanks for the good wishes - I do need to think of it as 16 weeks, that's quite scary but also a good reminder!

OP posts:

Lorelai · 07/05/2012 16:01

Oh, that sounds quite promising! Surely if you are that close to finishing you will be fine for Sept - I can't see why you would need another year!

(oh, and I managed 200 words before I felt the pull of MN!)

Original poster

LRDtheFeministDragon · 07/05/2012 16:09

200 words isn't bad. I managed, erm, 38.

I hope I won't need another year. I am going to get my head down now and try for a good hour or two.

Thanks so much everyone - and good luck.

OP posts:

Lorelai · 07/05/2012 16:23

Go for it! Good luck :) You will have to change your nickname come Sept - LRDPhD!

Original poster

LRDtheFeministDragon · 07/05/2012 16:30

I'll rhyme!

OP posts:

imnotmymum · 07/05/2012 16:32

The use of reflection, critical reflection and triple loop reflection within a Foundation Degree course. Seemed so interesting 8 months ago now I am bloody fed up !! That said I cannot wait for next Monday a bottle of bubbly ! I am so sad though I am happy to be finishing so I can clean the house !! And bake...

mrsbugsywugsy · 07/05/2012 16:40

I am trying to write something up at the moment and I HATE it. It all makes perfect sense in my head, but when I put it on paper I sound like a rambling idiot

drcrab · 07/05/2012 16:52

Good luck! Think you must be half way there. Having a structure and a clear method of headings/subheadings help. Also it may be that your supervisors want you to write each chapter as a potential publishable paper.

DialsMavis · 07/05/2012 17:10

Oh it's disheartening isn't it LRD? I am only at undergrad level, finish tomorrow. But I had similar issues with my dissertation a while ago. My supervisor was really encouraging but left me to get on with it (very busy, hardly saw him), then I gave him a draft and he basically said it was shite but have me no constructive criticism. I was so upset, I restructured it and he was really pleased. If he had told me that the structure was the issue it would have saved loads of worry and heart ache. What's your PHD on? Good luck, I am in awe of people who study at your level: my head is a shed after just a basic degree!

entropygirl · 07/05/2012 17:13

hmmm so firstly what is the topic LRD?

Secondly can I get some sympathy for people having to mark? I have so far done 7 out of 26 scripts and am already losing the will to live....

LaFataTurchina · 07/05/2012 17:15

Good Luck LRD :)
I reckon you are even more than half way there (assuming you've already done about 2.5 years) - this really is the final stretch!

I'll have a moan, I'm thinking of applying for a PhD this Autumn time and all my friends keep trying to put me off - there have been many comments along the lines of you know you're going to have to get a real job eventually/can't put off life for another 3 years etc. 'Tis very annoying.

DialsMavis · 07/05/2012 17:15

What are you marking Entropy?

Procrastinating · 07/05/2012 17:20

Marking here too. I just finished 32 scripts and have another 40 coming in. I lost the will to live a long time ago.

bettybat · 07/05/2012 17:26

Oh heaven's, I feel for all of you!

I'm 2/3 way through a Chartered Institute of Marketing diploma...and completely sick of the sound of my own voice in essays! It's becoming unbearable. It's not that it's hard as such, it's that I am sick of writing the same kinds of things: the objectives in the digital plan align directly to the corporate objectives and blah blah blah. I must right the same kinds of words a billion times over - objectives, strategy, plan, tactics, so and so's methodology.

I actually cannot stand it.

Massive kudos to those working on degrees and PHDs!

bettybat · 07/05/2012 17:27

Write, not right!

Maybe I've failed already, with that kind of writing

LumpyLatimer · 07/05/2012 17:31

LRD I have a really weird bit of advice

However hellish it is, however much you hate it now, however much you wish you'd never started the fucker, when you finish your PhD it's a little like a bereavement and lots of people end up actually weirdly depressed.

so, if worse comes to worst, and you do have to take another year, then think of it as another year of purpose and achievement and identity. Because when it's over it's over, and it's such an odd feeling. I wish i'd done mine part time so I could still be doing it, and not have reverted back to being Just Some Office Drone instead of a student...

PorkyandBess · 07/05/2012 17:33

I am trying to get my next stage of professional membership.

I have just submitted a year's worth of diary and a portfolio of a year's work and CPD, all of which was signed off as complete by my assessor.

It has just been returned to me as incomplete. I am so pissed off as my assessor has let me down in that he just glibly signed everything off, and I never wanted to see it again!

Thank you, it feels good to moan.

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