Feeling miserable

[Hello_Kitty_Horror]

Hi Everyone,

I am in my 8th year of a PhD program. From the outside perspective it looks like I am "so close" but the reality is I have a good year and a half to go. Currently trying to muddle through studying for comprehensive exams in April. Have been procrastinating here for 30 + minutes instead! Please share how you may cope with similar feelings...

[a fragrant plant]

I know someone who quitted after spending the past seven years trying to write a dissertation (in humanities). She's now working as a secretary. I personally think she should have just bitten the bullet and submitted whatever she had written (whether she would pass or not is another question). But deep down in my heart I admire her courage of quitting after spending seven years in graduate school. I think to a lot of PhDs letting go is more difficult than writing a dissertation.

[Golden Monkey]

I know someone who quitted after spending the past seven years trying to write a dissertation (in humanities). She's now working as a secretary. I personally think she should have just bitten the bullet and submitted whatever she had written (whether she would pass or not is another question). But deep down in my heart I admire her courage of quitting after spending seven years in graduate school. I think to a lot of PhDs letting go is more difficult than writing a dissertation.

Likewise (sorta,) my sister quit her master's in journalism because the policies of the department pissed her off. She had 2 credits to go before finishing the degree, and now she's also working as a secretary. There is nothing wrong with working as a secretary, but it IS a bit unnatural for someone with two bachelor's degrees and 98% of a master's to be working as one. At this point, so much time has elapsed that it would be really difficult for her to finish the degree she invested so much time, effort, and money into.

I guess you could either admire her for sticking to her guns, or think that maybe she should have bitten the bullet and gotten through it.

[newms]

Are you willing to walk away 1.5 years to conclusion after investing 8 years of your life? However, there is something to say about not wasting more of your time if you've already concluded that you don't want to finish. It really is up to you to decide which is more important to you - getting a 'return' of a PhD for the last years of your life, or the next 1.5 years that you would be spending being in a program you're not happy at.

If it were my decision, I'd do the best I could for the next 1.5 years to finish. Others might decide that 8 years is enough already and move on.

[wtncffts]

Hi Everyone,

I am in my 8th year of a PhD program. From the outside perspective it looks like I am "so close" but the reality is I have a good year and a half to go. Currently trying to muddle through studying for comprehensive exams in April. Have been procrastinating here for 30 + minutes instead! Please share how you may cope with similar feelings...

Well, my experience doesn't come close to yours, but I recently completed my MA and while writing my thesis I often felt this way. In the end, when submitting it, I had difficulties with my advisor, who didn't want to sign off on it until I made some changes. I basically said that I needed to submit it at that time (to avoid fall fees), to please give it your full consideration, but don't pass it if you really believe it's not up to par.

Just a question: how is it that you're doing comp exams in your 8th year? In my field, most departments require you to do your comp exams by the end of second or third year and in order to pass onto ABD and 'PhD candidate' status. I'm just curious.

[StrangeLight]

Are you willing to walk away 1.5 years to conclusion after investing 8 years of your life? However, there is something to say about not wasting more of your time if you've already concluded that you don't want to finish. It really is up to you to decide which is more important to you - getting a 'return' of a PhD for the last years of your life, or the next 1.5 years that you would be spending being in a program you're not happy at.

If it were my decision, I'd do the best I could for the next 1.5 years to finish. Others might decide that 8 years is enough already and move on.

spoken like someone who isn't in graduate school.

i know many promising, intelligent people that have dropped out of grad school pretty deep into the process. its not that they don't want to finish. it's that they can't (physically, emotionally, mentally) do the work required to finish. nervous breakdowns are pretty common in graduate school and they don't always come in the first year or two.

a colleague of mine was ABD, off doing research in europe. all he had to do was read and write, not worry about teaching or coursework or comps, and he quit. he drives a cab now. he's way happier than i am. another promising student who left before i ever got here was apparently miserable in the program. lots of people thought she was actually rude, mean, negative. she quit and now all anyone says is how happy she seems. all the time. genuinely, thoroughly happy, like a totally different person.

also, you can't just decide to sit your dissertation defense. your committee decides that, and if they think the OP's work is not ready, they won't let him or her sit. unless the OP is running out of funding, in which case he or she would just be removed from the program. some schools do have upper limits on time spent at the PhD level (8 years, 10 years, etc.).

to the OP... i have no real advice. just hang in there, or quit and be happy. either/or.

[The Dudester]

I'd take a leave of absence. If you find yourself happier, maybe you should quit.