Help. Financial worries. Not passed PhD 1st year and really worried.

[yerblurt]

Hi there, could do with some help and advice.

I started a PhD last year but have just found out that I've not passed the 1st year and so cannot progress onto the 2nd year. It's a total shock as I thought I was doing OK but the supervision has been absolutely appalling with little feedback from my supervisor. In addition supervisor has been quite elusive recently and she's due to go on mat leave next month, don't really know what is going on but I'm really worried financially. My stipend will run out end of September.

I can write up what I've got as an MPhil, except there's no money for that, my other supervisor has offered to help out and supervise the writing up for that although he doesn't really have any money. I've asked if they can look into if the funding council will fund this (unlikely) and also asked if he has any jobs, due to meet with him in a couple of weeks when he's back from hols.

My partner works more or less full-time, she's obviously really stressed out. We have a 5 year old and I have a daughter with my ex-wife who stays over regularly under a shared care arrangement.

I'm panicking an applying for jobs left right and centre.

I have worked in the past but wonder if anyone knows the situation regarding benefits to apply for??? We have bills to pay, mortgage etc. Really really stressed out.

Hi, sorry that you've found yourself in this situation. I'm not sure on anything regarding PhD funding etc, however benefits will depend on how much your partner is earning as its based on household income. Can you say an approximate?

If you have been making NI contributions you should be eligible for 6 months of contribution based Jobseekers Allowance, this is not based on what your partner is bringing in.

Just keep applying for jobs!!

BlackberryIce - yeah, applying now. There's at least 3 jobs I can apply for immediately with closing dates coming up.

Rockchick1984 - I'm not worried about PhD funding, that may not cover any write-up period. My partner earns ~29k, 32 hours. I'll be classified as unemployed. I've worked for years so should have enough contributions.

What do you think we'll be able to claim for?

It will unfortunately probably be just the 6 months JSA that you will be eligible for as your partners income will exclude you from most other benefits. Is your other child mainly living with their mum (eg who gets the child benefit) as you may be able to get a small amount of tax credit if she lives with you, however the threshold is £26k if only 1 child at your address.

Rockchick1984 ... god. what a nightmare. Other daughter is mainly at her mums but lives her about 35-40% over the whole year including holidays (and she claims the child benefit so we would not be eligible for nowt).

... god what about all the bills/mortgage... pulls hair

If there have been severe supervision problemsand you still want to do the PhD, you need to kick up a fuss with your department. They have let you down and owe you the support to allow you to continue. This happened to me fitting my MA and once I got the right person on side I got a change of supervisor, an apology and a substantial extension, and am now doing my PhD.

Can't help with the benefits d side I'm afraid but have been there academically and I know gotta much of a nightmare it is, much sympathy.

Gah weird autocorrects, apologies. Hope you get the gist.

Naoko there were problems with supervisor (and she's off on mat leave next month) ... but nothing that I can PROVE in an appeal. I know how these bl@@dy organisations work. They will protect their own and not rock the boat.

There are only grounds for appeal that you evidence.... we had weekly meetings, the uni will say that's enough. She hardly read any of my stuff and I had little education... I know it's not supposed to be spoonfeeding and I don't expect that. Just feel like I've let people down.

I'm getting details of the appeal process sent to me.

I'm meeting with my other (decentish) supervisor in a couple of weeks to discuss things (he's on hols). He knows I've not been happy , but they won't rock the boat for other academics. It all stinks. I'll still ask though but I dont' think I'll be able to continue. The funding is attached to taht project and that supervisor. What a crock.

Anyway I've applied for a job today (closing date today!) and there are 2 jobs with closing dates next week ... going for them too.

How do you fail a single year? When I did my PhD there was no assessment that I had to pass/fail other than my thesis after 3 years. I think my supervisor had the power to get my funding (Engineering ans Physical Sciences Research Council) if he didn't think I was making any progress, but even then one of the lads I did my PhD with was given a boot up the bum, and got on with it.

Good luck with job hunting anyway. What's your field?

It's something my university has started doing as well with most candidates, Bike (I avoided it due to the MA fuckup on their part, I think they felt guilty) - you get accepted onto the PhD on a provisional basis, and after the first year there's an assessment which you must pass to be allowed to continue. Alternatively they sometimes accept people on an MPhil with option to upgrade to PhD if doing well after the first year. There's a review panel. It's all horrendously stressful. (They make me do the reviews anyway, it just doesn't have the power to boot me off, especially seeing as I'm self funded).

Yes, it's a relatively new procedure at some universities.

It's not actually for our benefit, it's for the organisation to cover it's own ar$e - if a student doesn't pass at this stage/submits for an MPhil (which I'm doing) then they university doesn't have to register this as a 'fail' - so it doesn't come up on their figures ... all to protect them rather than educate us...

Blimey, I'd have no chance then. All I'd done after a year was a lit rev and gather tonnes of data.

@ Bike : field is bioinformatics, but my background is also in molecular biology so I've got tons of practical hands-on bench experience. Hopefully that will help with job hunting.

Quite, we had to do a literature review after 3 months (which was half-baked as I was getting to grips with new techniques) and the rest of this year has been spent getting data, analysing it ... and yet you're supposed to be an expert in this field? Feel like I've been set up to fail.

There are a couple of trainee embryology posts on ivfnet at the moment.

Best of luck to you.

serin thanks.

I'll have to stick with what I'm skilled in rather than totally re-skilling (at 40) and I've got a shed load of experience in molecular biology/molecular genetics.