Others Experiences

[Dal PhDer]

Hello,

I am new to here, and so happy to find a place where grad students can come and chat. I often feel that this process is lonely, and extra hard when you don't have others to discuss the experience with...so..YAY! so happy to have found this place.

I have a couple questions for people.

I am currently finishing the second year of my PhD in Interdisciplinary Studies. I am doing a mixture of environmental sciences, health promotion, and psychology. To date, I have finished my course work, and am in my comprehensive stage. My comps (decided by my committee to be the format of a publishable paper and defense), have been going extremely slow.

I truly believe this is a combination of my supervisor being new (I am the first PhD student) and him not being quite sure how to provide appropriate feedback to further my process- and me not being fully devoted and interested in my topic. I have just recently decided that I want to change my topic, bring in a co-supervisor, and new committee members. Overall, this process, well over-whelming and stressful internally, has gone very smoothly with my department and supervisor (in fact, I give him kudos for being so supportive and almost showing a revitalized interest in me as a student).

Right now I am at a crossroad. To date I have been fully funded and had received a stipend from my supervisor...I have unfortunately gained the inaccurate opinion that a PhD is actually a lucrative career choice- HA! As of now, my funding from my supervisor has ended, and my scholarship runs out in September. If I do not get additional funding through CIHR, my Faculty, ora few minor scholarships, I am in the position of having to take more work (right now I work 10-15 hours on a contract basis).

My questions for you guys are:

1) I know many people do not have full funding throughout this process...how do you manage working more than 20hours AND making progress on their degree?, and

2) Have people changed their topic at this point? And how has that impacted your degree? Networks? Reception from the academic community? ...etc...

During this process I took some time to really think about if this was the choice for me...and I do feel I want to complete my PhD, and I feel my new topic is something that I am quite interested in and would be excited to spend the next few years working on, and further expanding on in my career...but I am almost hesitant to continue on without funding. Having spent so much time and effort in the past two years learning about my previous topic, I can't imagine doing all that AND working extra hours. I know this is a decision for myself, but I was just wondering if others have felt like this, and how they have handled this push/pull of emotions.

Thanks!

[SeriousSillyPutty]

I haven't started yet so I don't have anything valuable to contribute, but since you said you're new I wanted to say "welcome!" :-)

Also, seeing your location makes me happy. When I was little and my mom went out of town, I'd repetedly ask my dad where mom went, because I never remembered. So he'd just say "She's in Halifax." I knew he was making that up, but the result was that I was 14 before I realized that Halifax was a real place!

A friend of my recommended that it is more important to get A dissertation done -- and do it in an efficient timeline -- rather than attempt to do THE dissertation that will revolutionize the field. A dissertation is proof that you can generate new knowledge, but it doesn't have to define your life's pursuits. (At least, that was my friend's advice.) So, I think whatever your project is, you have the potential do do what you're passionate about after the fact. Of course, it would be hard to find the motivation for a project that doesn't interest you, so I get that too. Best of luck! (And I hope someone with more informed opinions posts soon!)

[Dal PhDer]

Thank you SeriousSillyPutty!

Haha! Have you ever been able to make it up here?

I also wish you the best of luck for the start of your program! You must be extremely excited! I think you have made a great choice in coming here before you start! I wish I had found this place earlier. Just reading the posts on here is both comforting and so informative!

I completely see where you are coming from. It is a hard balance of just doing it and getting it done, and also working with something you are passionate about. It is a fine balance. My committee makes me feel like they want me to just get it done (they had a three year timeline which...I am failing horribly with!), but they also constantly question my interest in my topic. For example, I handed in a first draft of my comprehensive to my advisor, and instead of providing constructive feedback, he simple said he couldn't get through it because he didn't feel the passion. And I can understand that...I was funded from a project for the first two years, and it was that project that was going to be the basis of my dissertation. It was not what my background is in, and it was hard to wrap my head around some things because I had no experience and had to teach myself. While I really enjoy my supervisor and research, I was (am) at a point where I feel exhausted trying to prove my interest in a topic that was kind of "given" to me, and kind of doubt whether this is the right choice for me.

I have also taken the last 2 years to get experience in other areas- which is much more important to me than my advisor- he really thinks my time should be focus 90% on my research. I really feel that working on projects (10hr/wk) learning different methodologies and building networks is important (when you get hired onto an academic position, the institution really looks at 'who else' you'll be bringing), and getting experience teaching is critical. I love research AND teaching, so I think a PhD is the right choice- I just need to re-evaluate the construction of my committee and my topic.

This has become a long winded response- which is most just me writing all my internal debates!

In the end- I see a lot of people on here doubting their choice, wondering if they should leave, and trying to figure out if they are happy. It does worry me that I am not fully enjoying my PhD and not as happy and excited about it as I feel I should. I am hoping that changing to a topic that is related to my background and is of interest to me will change that...but it is scary trying to figure out if I am displeased because this is the wrong choice for me, or if it is just some of the finer details of my program.

I am hoping that changing things up doesn't come back to bite me!

[SeriousSillyPutty]

No, haven't been there. I learned about the real Halifax when reading the author bio in one of the Anne of Green Gables books. (Did you know L.M. Montgomery went to school in Halifax?)

This is a great place to vent and muse, and like I said: hopefully more informed opinions show themselves soon! :-)