[How To Finish PhD with an Unsupportive Advisor]

I deeply appreciate the advice on this topic. Our faculty chair is also my academic advisor, I'll seek him out this week for advice. Forget to consider life after this process so the advice to be careful not to burn bridge is so great here. I'm really encouraged reading these responses! Thank you all!

[How To Finish PhD with an Unsupportive Advisor]

Hi all!

I'm [supposedly] at the end of my studies, but I've had what I feel is an awful advisor/student experience and I’m concerned it’ll prevent me from finishing. I’m currently finishing writing up my dissertation. The majority of it is written, I completed my last science (work) chapter earlier this week and am now working on my introductory and concluding chapters. 

Short version:

Problem: I haven’t gotten meaningful feedback on the last 60% of my research work and it stresses me out! Put short, my thesis is three mini-projects, with the last 2 being spin-offs from the first that was actually published. I submitted the work for my 2^nd project last September (as a thesis chapter) and the work for my 3^rd project last February. My main feedback, concerned the number of citations, formatting of the paper and introduction. Is this normal?

 

 I ask for feedback all.the.time regarding my research and I just don’t get any. I have no clue if my analysis is sound, techniques are good, just nothing. We actually had a group meeting, two of is other students presented on their research about 10minutes (They do get regular meetings and feedback). When it was time for me to go, It didn’t go so well. He asked me to present on a paper I found a week earlier, so I started with that before my research. Well….it was a 25 minute tangent lead by my advisor on why the people in the paper are wrong. I didn’t get to present on my work because they all had to go. It was really frustrating.

On top of that, I can’t even manage a meeting with my advisor at best, maybe once every two weeks, because he is “to busy” (but he wants me to be in my office all day Monday-Friday, it’s crazy). It really has me worried. Any advice? He also does not want me to confide (or ask advice) from any of the other faculty concerning what is going on. I remember once, I was talking with the faculty head in the hallway (my advisor was running late for one of our meetings). While we were talking, I spotted my advisor standing awkwardly nearby, before he interrupted our conversation (rather abruptly) and sent me to his office while they talked. What do I do!? I literally feel helpless at this point.