Starting to Hate my Thesis Project...

[ahimsa000]

 

At the beginning, I chose to work on this project under a PhD student and I grew to like it after I started getting better at optimizing the protocols and stuff. Then around the end of the second semester, I started to think that it's a really dumb idea and there are several parts that don't even make sense. To top it off, my PhD student supervisor lost his main source of funding for this project, and the PI has told us that she'd make sure we would get the basic supplies we would need to finish my part of his project. 

 

I hate this project because it's just a bunch of qualitative analysis and I feel like I'm just making pretty pictures (I'm primarily doing IHC and histological work). I proposed a way to quantify the work, which would require some funding, but I'm in a position where that is impossible. Also, my PI thinks I have enough data, and I disagree with her. I'm worried because I can just imagine myself presenting this at the seminar and thesis presentation next year and I will be totally uninterested because I don't see the point anymore. 

 

I don't think I can keep asking my PI to help with this since she's in a tight spot and I'm also pretty sure she doesn't care a whole lot anyways. I'm not sure who I should talk to about this. I don't want to sound ungrateful, I just want to get the most out of this program and I don't think I'm being challenged enough. 

 

Does anyone have any ideas on how I can improve this situation? I understand that I most likely won't get any magical funding source within the next few months so I can pursue the idea I had. How do I handle this? Thanks guys! Sorry for the long post. 

 

-SR

[EdNeuroGrl]

I would talk to your faculty adviser and the PhD student you are working with. I would be blunt and see if you can explore some other options. 

 

Another thing I have heard A LOT is that it is really common about mid way through to start hating your thesis/dissertation. Keep in mind that someone had to think the project was worth-while in the first place to approve it. ALSO keep in mind that null-results in science are still useful and should in principle be held as just as important as positive results. You can work through the project and present it as it is. You may want to go back and read through some of the literature that got you interested in the topic and that may help you get fresh motivation and perspective.

 

When you said:

"my PI thinks I have enough data, and I disagree with her. I'm worried because I can just imagine myself presenting this at the seminar and thesis presentation next year and I will be totally uninterested because I don't see the point anymore."

 

Why do you think collecting more data would have any impact on your interest in the project? Why don't you look at what you have and see if it is useful as enough? Your PI has been through this sort of thing a few times, and does deserve some of your trust.. 

 

I would think through some of this, make a list or discussion points, then call a lab-meeting and see if you can get everyone on the same page.

[ahimsa000]

Yeah, you're right. My PI just left the country and will be out for a month, so I'm going to have to talk to my direct supervisor about this. I'm going to be completely honest, I usually hesitate to confront people with these types of things and stay pretty quiet, but I'm really unhappy about this so it's about time. 

 

Ok so I think I phrased that incorrectly about the data thing. I have already worked on several different aspects of this project, and I believe that I deserve to put this in my thesis. She made it seem like I can only write about one little portion - which is really frustrating to me. It's not about the positive/negative data at all, it's just data in general that I worked really hard to generate so I feel like I need to include it. Ah, anyways, I think I'm just being too negative. Maybe this is just a mid-program crisis. 

 

I'll discuss my concerns as soon as I see my supervisor. He's pretty understanding about this kind of stuff. Thank you for letting me vent and for your advice! 

 

-SR

[EdNeuroGrl]

It is a really tough situation to be in! I have been burned by being too hesitant, so now I try to get to the problem before it festers and I am really unhappy. :-/ Usually there is a way to turn things around that is much easier the sooner you bring it up... Hope it goes well :-)