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Feeling a bit lost - PhD

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  • 24-04-2012 9:02pm
    #1
    judgefudge
    Registered Users Posts: 915 ✭✭✭


    Hi guys,

    I started a phd about 6 months ago. I know when you start these things they tell you to look out for 'Imposter Syndrome' so I'm trying to bear that in mind but to be honest I don't think I'm good enough for this. Its not that I don't think I'm intelligent enough, I'd say I am. But I don't have the focus. I sit around distracted and waiting for home time when I should be reading reading reading. I've found reading the hardest thing to get productive about. I'm just starting to lose heart. If I'm feeling like this does it mean maybe its just not for me?

    Any advice/experiences appreciated. :(


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    #2
    ilovesmybrick
    Registered Users Posts: 1,142 ✭✭✭ilovesmybrick


    Hi Judge,

    I'm at the six month mark myself. I have to say when I first came across 'imposter syndrome' it freaked me out a small bit and I spent too much time finding all the ways I fit the bill. I found that the best way to deal with it is to talk to people (not in academia) who came out the other side. It does help to know that a lot of people feel this at some stage.

    As for the productivity problem I've always had certain issues with sitting down and forcing myself to do study, no matter what the topic. The only thing that works for me is to have a specific workspace-I also break the work up into two to three hour blocks over the day, few hours in the morning, a few in the evening and maybe a few at night. I'm in the humanities so I don't have to worry about lab times and stuff which is great because I like to work at night. TBH though it's only in the past few months I've begun to figure out how to work in a fashion that suits me. I did get worried about what I perceived as my lack of progress until I realised that I have years to get the work done. That helped me get back on track a small bit.

    Not sure if any of this is helpful, but I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one who has these feelings at this stage!


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    #3
    Monotone
    Registered Users Posts: 2 ✭Monotone


    Hi,

    Everyone I have spoken to experiences "Imposter Syndrome". I'm over 2 years into my PhD and it still creeps up on me, I'm not sure it's something that ever entirely goes away. There are still difficult times when I wonder whether I'm cut out for it.

    The reading can be very tough going (and let's be honest, it can be plain boring). I have terrible problems remembering anything I read which made it seem pointless, if this is a problem for you I suggest starting a lit review to keep track of things. I would have started a lit review at around 6-9 months because of the growing pile of papers which I remembered nothing about! Really, writing just forced me to think about what I'd been reading rather than just read it a quickly as possibly just so it was "read".


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