I am actually a bright and intelligent person, and I know I'm capable. But academia and research took away all the life out of me. I can do research but I know i am not at all enjoying it. I feel like I'm wasting all my potential (which i could use to do something productive) into something i despise. And what's worse is i have invested most of my life to academia, to the point i don't know what I'm really interested in (because i never got the chance to expolre as research is so demanding).
I literally could’ve written this myself… Doing a PhD weirdly took away my passion for learning new things and my self-confidence took a massive dive as a result. I’m trying to reevaluate my motivation for doing a PhD at the moment and, despite feeling really shit, I’m hopeful that I’ll figure something out in the near future. All I wanted to say is that you’re not alone and I know what it feels like! ❤️
Oof... That hits close to home. Same ❤️ It very much feels like a pyrrhic victory. But, don't fall for the 'sunk cost fallacy'... Unless the situation is a real stalemate and the only way out is graduating, make a U-turn if that's what your gut is telling you to do. I hope you're taking care of yourself ❤️
I totally get it. I quit academic life at the very end of my MSc (after 2 years), right after being kinda forced by my supervisor into extending my deadline for defending my dissertation. I had coursed and passed all credits with good grades, organised meetings, written a large part of the dissertation and conducted most of the hard work alone (which was isolating some microorganisms and, after that, preparing some extracts) in a record time, at least for myself. Then, I would need to "just" do some experiments and conduct some molecular biology procedures to actually get results good enough for the defense. It wasn't a big deal in terms of effort, but I simply didn't see any benefits in continuing it. I would have absolutely no financial aid to go on, I felt burnout symptoms and I was miserable psychologically. My former supervisor had assigned me what was an "emergency project" due to the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, and the experiments had started almost one year late. After the two years, I just felt exhausted, as if my vital energy had been drained. Then, one of my experiments went out completely wrong (my control groups just didn't work as they should, so I would just have to repeat them). Besides that, I had a terrible relationship with my co-supervisor and no support from my actual supervisor. It was the turning point for me. I think it was my first time experiencing actual anxiety symptoms and I decided it just wasn't right for me. Three months after quitting, I feel much better now, and I am still figuring out what is it that I want to do with my life from now on.
I recently passed my phd and felt the same. But I forced me to work on a small project for myself and i got my passion back. Just take a break afterwards and try to do something for yourself. (I programmed a game on which i generated the music and Animations by mayself and I worked a lot in the garden to get some Balance and peace)
Hey, just want to say, your mental health comes before everything else. You say you've lost interest in life, that's awful. Take a break from your PhD, take time off for yourself, talk about it to friends and family if that's possible. And quitting a PhD is the right decision if it continues to harm your mental health. Just know that if you're struggling now, it doesn't mean you'll struggle forever. Things will get better, I want to stress that. Good luck with everything and send me a private message if you want to talk about it more. :) Stay strong!!
@@MrChowboy23 thank you so much! Your reply made me feel heard .. I’m okay now I have talked to my sister which was the right think to do and she pretty much said the same thing but it’s nice to read it again. Thank you for offering to talk you’r very nice and again your words made me a lot better and hope others who might feel the same as i did will read it too.
@@rawanashalaan3272 Absolutely my pleasure! I'm glad you've talked it over with your sister! I'm still young but in recent years I've grown to understand (I think) how damaging mental health issues can be for someone and how important and liberating talking to others about your problems can be. Again, good luck with everything!
3 years later I second this. I've been through 6 months of feeling like a failure to my family and myself. It's taken 2 years of trying, oral interviews not being available and archives closing. I'm coming close to leaving, and this video has really helped calm me. Il be officially leaving next month, but tonight will be the first time I've slept not worrying about my decisions in a long time. Thank you❤
I am almost regret staying longer in my PhD program, it's been almost 2 years. I've been hopeful it would get better but it's only gotten worse and I have completely lost interest in working on anything academic. Good thing I have teaching that distracts me from my project tasks. After this semester (which in Germany end in March) I'll quit and be free!
I am at the end of my first year in my PhD program and slowly realizing it just isnt for me. I am so grateful that I, unlike many others here it sounds like, have an absolutely wonderful advisor and department. Because of this I have felt like its my fault for not wanting to finish, but it is doing more harm than good right now.
@@firdevsu9056 Surprisingly I have actually stayed in. I had a good talk with my advisor about my expectation from the program and my own personal life/timeline and we were able to make some adjustments. My field is anthropology and actually conducting fieldwork is an important part of that. I decided to make a final decision after going to the field, since right now I have only been doing theoretical work which I don't enjoy.
Very articulate and brilliant, loved this one. Soo many people have these questions because of the social cost of not going ahead with a Phd. Thanks for answering them.
I would add one more reason ( which is my case right now). I am thinking about quitting because I am not learning the skills my supervisor promised I would be able to learn when I started the PhD.
update: so a year ago I talked about my issues with my supervisor and of course she promised changes and more help but after just a few months it all broke down again. So after 2.5 years of my PhD I informed her that I will be quitting and today was my last day in the lab. Looking back I think I should have quit a year ago but at least I know I tried everything and I will never regret quitting. Also, I used the time to come up with a different plan for my future and I cant wait to put it into action. After years I am actually happy getting out of the bed in the morning. And now it feels almost comical when I think about how much I cared about it even though I knew it wouldnt help me in my future at all.
@@demetronix Thank you for this update... I'm enrolled in a PhD program (this is my first year) and have already decided it wasn't for me... I was thinking about just taking the Master's but at this point I don't feel like that it worth it either. I'm glad that you are happy to get out of bed as that is the feeling I am looking forward too as well. This program has weighed more heavily on my mental health than I thought it would. :')
Hi Andy - your videos have been a great source of information as I am working on a PhD proposal. It was hard to come to realisation that the relationship with the supervisors would be untenable. When every email and meeting begins with how they don't have time to look at the proposal and then give off the cuff feedback it has not given me hope for the future. So I have decided to return to the workforce instead. This decision was made in consult with family and friends but your videos really helped me to visualize and realise how the future relationship could be.
8:25 "Where you have lost interest in your normal fun activities." I realized I wanted to leave when I realized that I had no fun activities to speak of. Any escape I made, even for a weekend, would get some kind of scathing email from my advisor about not notifying them about what I was doing on time that wasn't even scheduled in the first place, even when I made arrangements weeks ahead of time with the research group to show up for research meetings remotely. Unfortunately in my case, the option to change supervisor was nonexistent. I basically would have had to reapply because the funding was tied with each advisor.
Thanks Andy! I actually decided to quit my PhD at that one institution and now I’m just short before a new start at another institution in another city. Best decision ever - there’s always another opportunity coming around
I do not agree that you have the power to change supervisors in the way you describe. That certainly has repercussions (you are the one seen as difficult, not them), so it is not unproblematic. You seem to ignore the power relationship that exists between student and supervisor. That is why bullying occurs. Other members of faculty will not go against another member of staff for a student!! The student is seen as the one with the problem!!!!
I agree that it can be politically challenging to change supervisors. I have seen it best navigated without conflict and pointing the finger. People can come to some sort of agreement like I did when I changed my primary supervisor. If a student is being genuinely problematic (unmotivated with their PhD and confrontational) then I agree that it can be hard to change. Typically, even the other members of the faculty know the issues with each other's supervising style more than they do their own. If you are having a professional or personality clash with your supervisor and approach another to take over without accusing your supervisor of wrongdoing but rather explaining the situation I think there is much more chance that they will understand your situation and agree to take you on.
Same here. I quit after having passed my qualifying exams. Which upgraded me from being a PhD "student" to "candidate." And that was after failing it the first time. Passing on the second try. So I quit KNOWING I was capable. I knew i was capable when i failed the first time. I just didnt have the time to study. But i re did the exam to PROVE to myself that i could after taking the proper time to get through all the info. But when it came to walking into the ACTUAL RESEARCH that I had proposed. I just DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT. LOL. that's why I quit. And I found other interests I wanted to pursue. Which I have pursued since then.....also to your other point, my advisor was def distant from jump. He was known to be negligent. It just wasn't worth it to me to find another advisor.
I have an amazing supervisor in the sense that he is extremely supportive emotionally and is very nice to me. I am his first student (and this is his first teaching position) and and I feel the connection. He is also extremely brilliant as his critical feedbacks to students where he is in their doctoral committee is excellent. However, he rarely reads the academic work I submit and gives bland generic feedbacks due to this. He does the same for the other student doing phd under him. although I have asked multiple times for feedbacks, he continues to give such useless ones. He has also chosen his friends as co supervisors whose expertise do not directly fall under the requirements of my project. I get zero feedbacks, no direction and as my first year is about to end, I feel forced to quit. Any word of advice?
@AntonySebastian-vh4mu tough. I'm sorry you're not getting the technical support u need. I would say find another person with expertise that fits even if just slightly. And ask them to read your papers and provide feedback. Also if u haven't maybe try having a meeting about the feedback he does give. Say hey can we go over the revisions together? And for each revision that is generic, ask him a specific question about it. To try to pull more out of him..because with generic feedback. Maybe u aren't doing so bad after all. But u just wanna make sure. U can discuss with him your challenges or thoughts behind a certain section. And ask him what do you think? Just have a conversation but about specific aspects of your research.
@@TEWMUCH you're probably right. I need to compensate for this by demanding more. Thanks for your advice, I have a couple of months to finish my first year...I'll give your advice a shot.
I always feel "guilty" of taking a break. Hence, I work almost everyday...most reading, panicking, worrying. I feel so stupid. Is it ok to take a week break? 😭
It is absolutely okay to take a week off of your research. Making sure that you have some downtime means you will be more effective in the long run. Be kind to yourself and remember that lots of little steps add up over a long period of time.
After realizing that my PhD project wasn't going to work, I seriously considered dropping out. But I found a new project that did work, and I went ahead with it. It cost me two years more effort, but it was worth it.
Thanks a lot for this video. I am struggling so hard with the idea of quitting … My phd started more than 6 years ago.. I published a paper every three years but didn’t get any money from my phd after 3y and a half.. so i started to earn money as independ in a completely different field …I « just » have to write the thesis but maybe the university will not accept me for the next semester. My principal supervisor never really cared and my secondary supervisor just told me he didn’t believe i could finish at this point. Also because science moves fast and my results are maybe outdated but i don’t know that… i think that so close to the end i shouldn’t give up but at the same time, working on it don’t help me pay my bills … i feel like i will regret it later if i give up and can’t shake this idea… but i don’t even find the time to work on it. I also don’t want to work in academia anymore. My parents think i should finish it so that i could teach at the university thanks to the phd diploma ( i know it’s not that easy in germany, and don’t want to). What do you think ?! Am i failing ? Am i weak ? I am so lost…
Andy many thanks for your videos!! I would like you talk about the loans as source for funding. I do not agree to take one because it is very risky, yet if you could make a video about funding including your opinion about loans (including those loans that waive certain percentage if you achieve your PhD). Regards
I am thinking of leaving the Ph.D. project. Some of the reasons you mention have made me consider whether it is worth pursuing. My thesis director is determined to continue a work that another student in environmental legislation left, I for my part am more interested in doing research in of social networks analysis of the actors involved in environmental legislation, my academic committee is made up of the Director and 4 advisers, none of them have worked with social networks, only one knows the subject of legislation, but it is impossible to communicate with him. I have not lost interest in the research work, only in my committee my director, and the institution because they do not contribute anything or give any type of support, especially in the current pandemic situation, it has not been easy at all. What I have considered is applying to another institution, or perhaps another country with some kind of scholarship from the secretary of foreign relations or from the same institution. Although sometimes I think that this Ph.D. is more about persistence. I will continue to give my best as far as I can go without losing my sanity, and if it doesn't seem enough, bye-bye.
Nice beard man for real … that beard is a work of art, produced by godlike mythical creature, that should be kept in a museum and guarded carefully by a higher life form to preserve for future generations … seriously bro!!!!
Oof- I'm somewhere in 3 and 4. Starting my second year, my supervisor wants results, but I don't have the right equipment to do the project easily, so I'm running into "stupid" problems and in the meantime I get a weekly lecture about how I'm incompetent at experimental work and should go computational (no shade to computation folks, I just don't like doing it). Meanwhile I finished a masters, got diagnosed with ADHD, and just started medication. My mental health is still in decent shape (I have a wonderful therapist), and I'm speaking to the department chair Tuesday (after my supervisor has left for the day. Again, broken down relationship means I don't want to talk to her about this yet), so we'll see how this goes.
I haven’t started my PhD yet (will start in Fall) but I kinda got pushed into doing a PhD. Already before starting it 80% of the time I want to quit but sometimes I can motivate myself that it will be for the best. I haven’t signed any contract yet but as I am a student at the university I’ll do my trajectory at, I am really scared of the consequences of I’ll decide to quit even before signing the contract (but I have by email accepted the offer in February). Has someone experienced something similar or can anyone give me a bit of guidance on what to do?
I had a similar situation. Before starting I had a feeling that I do not want to do it. I was given a scholarship and the environment of my lab is very friendly so I have bit my tongue and enrolled. Now a month in, I realise it is still not for me and I will be leaving it. Listen to your intuition, it knows what is best for you. There are so many other opportunities out there
I started my PhD, but having the most difficult time of my life. The workplace has become very toxic and is giving me anxiety everyday. It also feels like me and my supervisor are on a different page. It just feels like I'm completely stuck and have no idea how to move forward.
I would that someone said me about my mental healt, I leave my Phd by the reasons 2, 3 and 4, I had a psichotic outbreak before my PhD my advisor was mental health problem and not were interesed in my Phd and he not understand the kind of problem where we are. On the other hand we had a result so its so hard leave the Phd.
Hey Andy, this is my first time here, but thanks for this video. I'm currently a year into my PhD program, and in my case I would like to continue, but I want to switch to a new(but related) area that I have developed interest in. The dilemma I'm having, though, is that I started off with an adviser as he was the one I asked to work with on my application. However, my interest in his research has waned, and now that I'm wanting to change, I feel bad about leaving him and going for someone else, possibly in the same department. Needless to say, he's a great guy who's advised so many successful PhD students, but I'm just worried he won't take it lightly, and being in the same department (of which he's also the associate chair) would lead to weird scenarios years down the road. I'm certain I want to change, but how to approach it without "burning bridges" is the issue right now. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Another reason to quit is because your advisor quits. I spent the past 10 yrs of my life working with toxic supervisors, apathetic supervisors, and finally you find the right one and he quits. I don't want to go through all of that again. Then there is the research area. I loved the research area and there are no other faculty that specialize in that particular area or have interest in it. Who wants to start over with someone else in an area you don't have interest in?
If your program is in a different subject from the subject you got your masters, then you'll have two different masters. Otherwise it'd be in the same subject.
If you are reading this comment and feel like this video hit too close to home, please leave Academia now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. Now. Don't fall for the "sunk costs fallacy".
I have an amazing supervisor in the sense that he is extremely supportive emotionally and is very nice to me. I am his first student (and this is his first teaching position) and and I feel the connection. He is also extremely brilliant as his critical feedbacks to students where he is in their doctoral committee is excellent. However, he rarely reads the academic work I submit and gives bland generic feedbacks due to this. He does the same for the other student doing phd under him. although I have asked multiple times for feedbacks, he continues to give such useless ones. He has also chosen his friends as co supervisors whose expertise do not directly fall under the requirements of my project. I get zero feedbacks, no direction and as my first year is about to end, I feel forced to quit. Any word of advice?
get out of it bro, i am in 4th year, this was the same case with me, my supervisors are good people but my research area did not align with them and they had no idea of my direction, I say if you get out you will be far more happy. i am struggling now to somehow finish myself
My first supervisor suggested the same but I asked myself, why was I doing a PhD. I had a greater goal for it and so I said No! At some point I was suggested to settle for an MPhil. I said no! Long story short. I got my PhD is September. I only wish I had been kinder to myself.
@@marykariuki7381 that’s great! Good for you 😊 Did your working relationship with your supervisor get better? I am still thinking about it, I have asked myself the same question you asked yourself why am I doing the PhD? And to be honest with you my only answer for that is that I could not find a graduate job during the pandemic and this opportunity came to do the PhD
@@retroSTAAR our relationship got worse. Honestly, I hate her to this day. Luckily she moved to a different country, as it was her project. She couldn’t abandon it unless I quit. She offered to stay but ended up disappearing on me for years 😅😅😅. I never heard from her until I passed my viva. I guess I was lucky in that aspect. Though she really did my head in. I guess it’s really up to you. Do you love it? Will the supervisor change? Can you change them? How will they impact on your PhD on the long run? I wanted a PhD not necessarily to work in academia for some advanced skills to start a health advocacy start up of some sort.
I love my phd and have a supportive supervisor. But I have bad mental health because of Things that happened in real life, and it has affected my academic energy severely. How to deal with this?
I want to quit but it is just my 1st year of PhD, if I quit, I have to go back to my country or back to the country that I've done the Master. But I want to stay in the US and find a job, is it possible and how can I do this? I really need your help !!!!
What are you talking about, mate? There is no reason even to enter a PhD. Nobody should ever enter PhD unless this person really LOVES this nerdy depressive way of life.
I remembered I left this comment here. If anyone happens to care, here's an update: I managed to pull my shit together with the help of my family and fiancée. I am going to defend Q1 2023!
What if your fellow scholar steal your model and idea and your professor support it,sharing your ideas to that person?how can I cope up with such situation??pls help.now not feeling to discuss any thing with my supervisor
Actually it's smart to know when to stop. I pushed myself and finished, but it did come at a cost. Every situation is different and for some people is healthier to change labs or look for a career that fits their interests better! Same with any job - it's just one part of life...
Never ever quit your PhD. Every single person that I have seen quit their PhD end up being a loser in life. Dont get sucked in by listening to others that are weak and quit. Keep going you can do it! Don' t be a loser!
Quite a thoughtless comment really. A person’s mental health comes first. And quitting is a hard decision which does not define or deserve being called a loser. Have some empathy for others……
I quit after I got a job in data science making six figures...... never finished the degree, and some folks look at me as if I am a failure for choosing money over what they perceived to be my passion.. I did genocide research btw. yea it was a passion, but I was burnt TF out and ain't none them mofos wanted to pay me.
Do NOT quit your PhD after 3+ years... Golden rule! No matter what, eat it up and finish it! I myself had huge trouble after 3rd year. It totally took 2 more years to finish it! I thought about quitting every day for 2 years, i had all the reasons for it, but ultimately, got my PhD and a full position in the mean time. DO NOT ABANDON IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE END!
This is my experience. Since the third year I’ve had a horrible experience and it’s added on over another year and oftentimes I think about quitting. Every time I think I’m about to submit I get delayed. I really didn’t want to take this PhD into 2023 and I’m meant to be submitting in Jan but just feel like this journey will never end.
If the job is something that you enjoy doing and you are just doing it because of money I think it would be a reasonable reason for postponing your PhD. However, you also have to consider the opportunity cost of leaving your PhD. For example, would your PhD allow you to access higher pay scales in that job later on? Those are the things I'd weigh up.
Andy mate, as a fairly recent graduate I have to say there was never a moment I thought I should quit as you assert that everyone does. Moreover, their is a lot of shame in leaving a PhD. After all, you have accepted a big bag of cash and a lot of other people's time and energy, and then you say, 'Nah not for me.' I can smell the entitled narcissism of those who didn't take it to the end from here.
Cash means nothing compared to mental health. Have some empathy. Some people will flourish with PhD work others won't. Accept that. Nothing to do with weakness.
@@lamborghinifan13 Tell the schmuck working every hour of overtime he can get to keep his family afloat that you have just thrown away the last 20 years of taxes he has paid and see how much empathy you get.
It's my 11th month into PhD. I am more on the side of bad advisor category. He keeps on demotivating me calling me words (like: are you insane, stupid, do you even have brains , i will stop your phd if i don'tknow something and that's in the 8th month etc.). From first day he has been in directly and directly passing comments on my skills etc and says "I say a lot of things but they don't mean anything". Practically there is no transfer of knowledge and much more. I have been anxious and non stop in depression. I am just done.
That is one sick individual. Can you report him to a higher-up or an ombudsman? Are you part of a graduate school? This is not ok by any means and speaks a lot of this person. Don't let him make you doubt yourself, even if you don't know things, that is ok and not an excuse to be abusive. No one knows everything, there are only people who admit it or those you pretend.
I am actually a bright and intelligent person, and I know I'm capable. But academia and research took away all the life out of me. I can do research but I know i am not at all enjoying it. I feel like I'm wasting all my potential (which i could use to do something productive) into something i despise. And what's worse is i have invested most of my life to academia, to the point i don't know what I'm really interested in (because i never got the chance to expolre as research is so demanding).
I literally could’ve written this myself… Doing a PhD weirdly took away my passion for learning new things and my self-confidence took a massive dive as a result. I’m trying to reevaluate my motivation for doing a PhD at the moment and, despite feeling really shit, I’m hopeful that I’ll figure something out in the near future. All I wanted to say is that you’re not alone and I know what it feels like! ❤️
Oof... That hits close to home. Same ❤️ It very much feels like a pyrrhic victory. But, don't fall for the 'sunk cost fallacy'... Unless the situation is a real stalemate and the only way out is graduating, make a U-turn if that's what your gut is telling you to do. I hope you're taking care of yourself ❤️
I totally get it. I quit academic life at the very end of my MSc (after 2 years), right after being kinda forced by my supervisor into extending my deadline for defending my dissertation. I had coursed and passed all credits with good grades, organised meetings, written a large part of the dissertation and conducted most of the hard work alone (which was isolating some microorganisms and, after that, preparing some extracts) in a record time, at least for myself. Then, I would need to "just" do some experiments and conduct some molecular biology procedures to actually get results good enough for the defense. It wasn't a big deal in terms of effort, but I simply didn't see any benefits in continuing it. I would have absolutely no financial aid to go on, I felt burnout symptoms and I was miserable psychologically.
My former supervisor had assigned me what was an "emergency project" due to the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, and the experiments had started almost one year late. After the two years, I just felt exhausted, as if my vital energy had been drained. Then, one of my experiments went out completely wrong (my control groups just didn't work as they should, so I would just have to repeat them). Besides that, I had a terrible relationship with my co-supervisor and no support from my actual supervisor. It was the turning point for me. I think it was my first time experiencing actual anxiety symptoms and I decided it just wasn't right for me.
Three months after quitting, I feel much better now, and I am still figuring out what is it that I want to do with my life from now on.
I feel like I wrote this. 100% Don't know how to leave tho, but yeah, the light in my eyes has gone now haha I only have sarcasm about my situation :/
I recently passed my phd and felt the same. But I forced me to work on a small project for myself and i got my passion back. Just take a break afterwards and try to do something for yourself. (I programmed a game on which i generated the music and Animations by mayself and I worked a lot in the garden to get some Balance and peace)
I’m now a PhD student and my mental health is trash :) ! Lost interest in life ... wish I never thought of a PhD
Hey, just want to say, your mental health comes before everything else. You say you've lost interest in life, that's awful. Take a break from your PhD, take time off for yourself, talk about it to friends and family if that's possible. And quitting a PhD is the right decision if it continues to harm your mental health. Just know that if you're struggling now, it doesn't mean you'll struggle forever. Things will get better, I want to stress that. Good luck with everything and send me a private message if you want to talk about it more. :)
Stay strong!!
@@MrChowboy23 thank you so much! Your reply made me feel heard .. I’m okay now I have talked to my sister which was the right think to do and she pretty much said the same thing but it’s nice to read it again. Thank you for offering to talk you’r very nice and again your words made me a lot better and hope others who might feel the same as i did will read it too.
@@rawanashalaan3272 Absolutely my pleasure! I'm glad you've talked it over with your sister! I'm still young but in recent years I've grown to understand (I think) how damaging mental health issues can be for someone and how important and liberating talking to others about your problems can be. Again, good luck with everything!
I am feeling the same . I am thinking of quitting. I am no more living a normal life .
@@MrChowboy23 I really need your advice. Can we speak about it?
Thank you so much Andy! I cried when you mentioned mental health. Your descriptions are very accurate. Thank you
I'm pleased that it was useful for you! Good luck with your PhD journey. Remember to seek out help if you need it…
3 years later I second this. I've been through 6 months of feeling like a failure to my family and myself. It's taken 2 years of trying, oral interviews not being available and archives closing. I'm coming close to leaving, and this video has really helped calm me. Il be officially leaving next month, but tonight will be the first time I've slept not worrying about my decisions in a long time. Thank you❤
I am almost regret staying longer in my PhD program, it's been almost 2 years. I've been hopeful it would get better but it's only gotten worse and I have completely lost interest in working on anything academic. Good thing I have teaching that distracts me from my project tasks. After this semester (which in Germany end in March) I'll quit and be free!
what is your field?
@@sonjak8265 Nutrition science is my background, but I am currently working in Public Health
It’s the German academic system I don’t blame you
This is me
I am at the end of my first year in my PhD program and slowly realizing it just isnt for me. I am so grateful that I, unlike many others here it sounds like, have an absolutely wonderful advisor and department. Because of this I have felt like its my fault for not wanting to finish, but it is doing more harm than good right now.
May I ask whether you made a decision on whether you want to continue your PhD?
@@firdevsu9056 Surprisingly I have actually stayed in. I had a good talk with my advisor about my expectation from the program and my own personal life/timeline and we were able to make some adjustments. My field is anthropology and actually conducting fieldwork is an important part of that. I decided to make a final decision after going to the field, since right now I have only been doing theoretical work which I don't enjoy.
Very articulate and brilliant, loved this one. Soo many people have these questions because of the social cost of not going ahead with a Phd. Thanks for answering them.
Needed to hear this. Quitting today. ❤
I would add one more reason ( which is my case right now). I am thinking about quitting because I am not learning the skills my supervisor promised I would be able to learn when I started the PhD.
Yeah the same problems I felt and I quitted
damn! THIS! i feel I am learning nothing!
update: so a year ago I talked about my issues with my supervisor and of course she promised changes and more help but after just a few months it all broke down again. So after 2.5 years of my PhD I informed her that I will be quitting and today was my last day in the lab. Looking back I think I should have quit a year ago but at least I know I tried everything and I will never regret quitting. Also, I used the time to come up with a different plan for my future and I cant wait to put it into action. After years I am actually happy getting out of the bed in the morning. And now it feels almost comical when I think about how much I cared about it even though I knew it wouldnt help me in my future at all.
@@demetronix Thank you for this update... I'm enrolled in a PhD program (this is my first year) and have already decided it wasn't for me... I was thinking about just taking the Master's but at this point I don't feel like that it worth it either. I'm glad that you are happy to get out of bed as that is the feeling I am looking forward too as well. This program has weighed more heavily on my mental health than I thought it would. :')
Same and I am in my 4th year !!!!
Your are right! thank you for this video. I am experiencing depression from a toxic relationship with my supervisor, this is no good at all !
Unfortunately, I can relate 😔
Hey, Can I know what different career path you took?
Hi Andy - your videos have been a great source of information as I am working on a PhD proposal. It was hard to come to realisation that the relationship with the supervisors would be untenable. When every email and meeting begins with how they don't have time to look at the proposal and then give off the cuff feedback it has not given me hope for the future. So I have decided to return to the workforce instead. This decision was made in consult with family and friends but your videos really helped me to visualize and realise how the future relationship could be.
Your video helps us think more cautiously of the things that really matter more on a personal level. The insights are so reassuring and enlightening.
Thank you Ryan! Good luck with your PhD!
Thank you so much for articulating the experience many of us have but are afraid to bring up publicly
8:25 "Where you have lost interest in your normal fun activities." I realized I wanted to leave when I realized that I had no fun activities to speak of. Any escape I made, even for a weekend, would get some kind of scathing email from my advisor about not notifying them about what I was doing on time that wasn't even scheduled in the first place, even when I made arrangements weeks ahead of time with the research group to show up for research meetings remotely. Unfortunately in my case, the option to change supervisor was nonexistent. I basically would have had to reapply because the funding was tied with each advisor.
Thank you for this video after doing PhD for 2.5 years and due to bad supervisor lack of instruments and guidence I tired everything
You still doing PhD?
Thanks Andy! I actually decided to quit my PhD at that one institution and now I’m just short before a new start at another institution in another city. Best decision ever - there’s always another opportunity coming around
When its time to leave, its time to leave. Get out of there if you need to.
I really wish I had someone to talk to. Thanks for the video, Andy.
I quit and went to industry. Best decision ever and I'm happier than I ever was in the program.
Just want to say thanks for making this video, as it turns out my awful experience isn't so unique.
Thank you for this thoughtful and informative video🙏
PhD killed my mental health. I hate this PhD.
I do not agree that you have the power to change supervisors in the way you describe. That certainly has repercussions (you are the one seen as difficult, not them), so it is not unproblematic.
You seem to ignore the power relationship that exists between student and supervisor. That is why bullying occurs. Other members of faculty will not go against another member of staff for a student!! The student is seen as the one with the problem!!!!
I agree that it can be politically challenging to change supervisors. I have seen it best navigated without conflict and pointing the finger. People can come to some sort of agreement like I did when I changed my primary supervisor.
If a student is being genuinely problematic (unmotivated with their PhD and confrontational) then I agree that it can be hard to change. Typically, even the other members of the faculty know the issues with each other's supervising style more than they do their own. If you are having a professional or personality clash with your supervisor and approach another to take over without accusing your supervisor of wrongdoing but rather explaining the situation I think there is much more chance that they will understand your situation and agree to take you on.
Thank you Andy for the valuable content 🌹
Same here. I quit after having passed my qualifying exams. Which upgraded me from being a PhD "student" to "candidate." And that was after failing it the first time. Passing on the second try. So I quit KNOWING I was capable. I knew i was capable when i failed the first time. I just didnt have the time to study. But i re did the exam to PROVE to myself that i could after taking the proper time to get through all the info. But when it came to walking into the ACTUAL RESEARCH that I had proposed. I just DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT. LOL. that's why I quit. And I found other interests I wanted to pursue. Which I have pursued since then.....also to your other point, my advisor was def distant from jump. He was known to be negligent. It just wasn't worth it to me to find another advisor.
I have an amazing supervisor in the sense that he is extremely supportive emotionally and is very nice to me. I am his first student (and this is his first teaching position) and and I feel the connection. He is also extremely brilliant as his critical feedbacks to students where he is in their doctoral committee is excellent. However, he rarely reads the academic work I submit and gives bland generic feedbacks due to this. He does the same for the other student doing phd under him. although I have asked multiple times for feedbacks, he continues to give such useless ones. He has also chosen his friends as co supervisors whose expertise do not directly fall under the requirements of my project. I get zero feedbacks, no direction and as my first year is about to end, I feel forced to quit. Any word of advice?
@AntonySebastian-vh4mu tough. I'm sorry you're not getting the technical support u need. I would say find another person with expertise that fits even if just slightly. And ask them to read your papers and provide feedback. Also if u haven't maybe try having a meeting about the feedback he does give. Say hey can we go over the revisions together? And for each revision that is generic, ask him a specific question about it. To try to pull more out of him..because with generic feedback. Maybe u aren't doing so bad after all. But u just wanna make sure. U can discuss with him your challenges or thoughts behind a certain section. And ask him what do you think? Just have a conversation but about specific aspects of your research.
@@TEWMUCH you're probably right. I need to compensate for this by demanding more. Thanks for your advice, I have a couple of months to finish my first year...I'll give your advice a shot.
@antonysebastian471 ❤️💙 all the best, my friend! I know it'll work out for the best.
Wonderful and insightful video. Good job beard man
37 hrs away from my exit. 😬
Thank you for your honesty and objectivity. Your video helped put things in perspective for me.
You are so welcome!
You really nailed it, Andy; thank you!
i have a bad relationship with my supervisor becuase i failed to take care of her dog and it started a never ending series of abuse after it.
As a undergrad student aspiring to get a PhD, these were timeless advices
Thankyou so much! Your words were really of great help. ✨
Excellent content, Dr Stapleton
Glad you think so!
I always feel "guilty" of taking a break. Hence, I work almost everyday...most reading, panicking, worrying. I feel so stupid. Is it ok to take a week break? 😭
It is absolutely okay to take a week off of your research. Making sure that you have some downtime means you will be more effective in the long run. Be kind to yourself and remember that lots of little steps add up over a long period of time.
@@DrAndyStapleton thank you for the kind advice 😊
Any mothers here?? Anybody quitted phd for kids??
After realizing that my PhD project wasn't going to work, I seriously considered dropping out. But I found a new project that did work, and I went ahead with it. It cost me two years more effort, but it was worth it.
Good video and topic. Cheers.
Thanks a lot for this video. I am struggling so hard with the idea of quitting … My phd started more than 6 years ago.. I published a paper every three years but didn’t get any money from my phd after 3y and a half.. so i started to earn money as independ in a completely different field …I « just » have to write the thesis but maybe the university will not accept me for the next semester. My principal supervisor never really cared and my secondary supervisor just told me he didn’t believe i could finish at this point. Also because science moves fast and my results are maybe outdated but i don’t know that… i think that so close to the end i shouldn’t give up but at the same time, working on it don’t help me pay my bills … i feel like i will regret it later if i give up and can’t shake this idea… but i don’t even find the time to work on it. I also don’t want to work in academia anymore. My parents think i should finish it so that i could teach at the university thanks to the phd diploma ( i know it’s not that easy in germany, and don’t want to). What do you think ?! Am i failing ? Am i weak ? I am so lost…
Andy many thanks for your videos!! I would like you talk about the loans as source for funding. I do not agree to take one because it is very risky, yet if you could make a video about funding including your opinion about loans (including those loans that waive certain percentage if you achieve your PhD). Regards
I am thinking of leaving the Ph.D. project. Some of the reasons you mention have made me consider whether it is worth pursuing. My thesis director is determined to continue a work that another student in environmental legislation left, I for my part am more interested in doing research in of social networks analysis of the actors involved in environmental legislation, my academic committee is made up of the Director and 4 advisers, none of them have worked with social networks, only one knows the subject of legislation, but it is impossible to communicate with him. I have not lost interest in the research work, only in my committee my director, and the institution because they do not contribute anything or give any type of support, especially in the current pandemic situation, it has not been easy at all. What I have considered is applying to another institution, or perhaps another country with some kind of scholarship from the secretary of foreign relations or from the same institution. Although sometimes I think that this Ph.D. is more about persistence. I will continue to give my best as far as I can go without losing my sanity, and if it doesn't seem enough, bye-bye.
Me too I am thinking of leaving it. My mental health really deteriorated
Nice beard man for real … that beard is a work of art, produced by godlike mythical creature, that should be kept in a museum and guarded carefully by a higher life form to preserve for future generations … seriously bro!!!!
Oof- I'm somewhere in 3 and 4. Starting my second year, my supervisor wants results, but I don't have the right equipment to do the project easily, so I'm running into "stupid" problems and in the meantime I get a weekly lecture about how I'm incompetent at experimental work and should go computational (no shade to computation folks, I just don't like doing it). Meanwhile I finished a masters, got diagnosed with ADHD, and just started medication. My mental health is still in decent shape (I have a wonderful therapist), and I'm speaking to the department chair Tuesday (after my supervisor has left for the day. Again, broken down relationship means I don't want to talk to her about this yet), so we'll see how this goes.
I haven’t started my PhD yet (will start in Fall) but I kinda got pushed into doing a PhD. Already before starting it 80% of the time I want to quit but sometimes I can motivate myself that it will be for the best. I haven’t signed any contract yet but as I am a student at the university I’ll do my trajectory at, I am really scared of the consequences of I’ll decide to quit even before signing the contract (but I have by email accepted the offer in February). Has someone experienced something similar or can anyone give me a bit of guidance on what to do?
I had a similar situation. Before starting I had a feeling that I do not want to do it. I was given a scholarship and the environment of my lab is very friendly so I have bit my tongue and enrolled. Now a month in, I realise it is still not for me and I will be leaving it. Listen to your intuition, it knows what is best for you. There are so many other opportunities out there
What if you have never had an advisor for a year, although you searched a lot and could not find a one that fits well?
I started my PhD, but having the most difficult time of my life. The workplace has become very toxic and is giving me anxiety everyday. It also feels like me and my supervisor are on a different page.
It just feels like I'm completely stuck and have no idea how to move forward.
Do you ever regret doing your Phd, was all the work extra time in academics, worth for what you doing now? Love the videos
I regret it ! It wasn’t worth it for me
I would that someone said me about my mental healt, I leave my Phd by the reasons 2, 3 and 4, I had a psichotic outbreak before my PhD my advisor was mental health problem and not were interesed in my Phd and he not understand the kind of problem where we are. On the other hand we had a result so its so hard leave the Phd.
Wish I'd seen this sooner!
Hey Andy, this is my first time here, but thanks for this video. I'm currently a year into my PhD program, and in my case I would like to continue, but I want to switch to a new(but related) area that I have developed interest in. The dilemma I'm having, though, is that I started off with an adviser as he was the one I asked to work with on my application. However, my interest in his research has waned, and now that I'm wanting to change, I feel bad about leaving him and going for someone else, possibly in the same department. Needless to say, he's a great guy who's advised so many successful PhD students, but I'm just worried he won't take it lightly, and being in the same department (of which he's also the associate chair) would lead to weird scenarios years down the road. I'm certain I want to change, but how to approach it without "burning bridges" is the issue right now. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
how are you doing now, did you change your area?
Need to hear your story too.
Another reason to quit is because your advisor quits. I spent the past 10 yrs of my life working with toxic supervisors, apathetic supervisors, and finally you find the right one and he quits. I don't want to go through all of that again. Then there is the research area. I loved the research area and there are no other faculty that specialize in that particular area or have interest in it. Who wants to start over with someone else in an area you don't have interest in?
How can you downgrade to masters when you already have a masters degree?? :D I dont get it. And yes, I want to quit my physics PhD program.
If your program is in a different subject from the subject you got your masters, then you'll have two different masters. Otherwise it'd be in the same subject.
If you are reading this comment and feel like this video hit too close to home, please leave Academia now. Not tomorrow, not next week, not next month. Now.
Don't fall for the "sunk costs fallacy".
I have an amazing supervisor in the sense that he is extremely supportive emotionally and is very nice to me. I am his first student (and this is his first teaching position) and and I feel the connection. He is also extremely brilliant as his critical feedbacks to students where he is in their doctoral committee is excellent. However, he rarely reads the academic work I submit and gives bland generic feedbacks due to this. He does the same for the other student doing phd under him. although I have asked multiple times for feedbacks, he continues to give such useless ones. He has also chosen his friends as co supervisors whose expertise do not directly fall under the requirements of my project. I get zero feedbacks, no direction and as my first year is about to end, I feel forced to quit. Any word of advice?
get out of it bro, i am in 4th year, this was the same case with me, my supervisors are good people but my research area did not align with them and they had no idea of my direction, I say if you get out you will be far more happy. i am struggling now to somehow finish myself
Can you please make a video on writing a proposal for a fellowship etc during the PhD
My supervisor pretty much told me that I should think of quitting and it’s only been a couple months
My first supervisor suggested the same but I asked myself, why was I doing a PhD. I had a greater goal for it and so I said No! At some point I was suggested to settle for an MPhil. I said no! Long story short. I got my PhD is September. I only wish I had been kinder to myself.
@@marykariuki7381 that’s great! Good for you 😊 Did your working relationship with your supervisor get better? I am still thinking about it, I have asked myself the same question you asked yourself why am I doing the PhD? And to be honest with you my only answer for that is that I could not find a graduate job during the pandemic and this opportunity came to do the PhD
@@retroSTAAR our relationship got worse. Honestly, I hate her to this day. Luckily she moved to a different country, as it was her project. She couldn’t abandon it unless I quit. She offered to stay but ended up disappearing on me for years 😅😅😅. I never heard from her until I passed my viva. I guess I was lucky in that aspect. Though she really did my head in. I guess it’s really up to you. Do you love it? Will the supervisor change? Can you change them? How will they impact on your PhD on the long run? I wanted a PhD not necessarily to work in academia for some advanced skills to start a health advocacy start up of some sort.
@@retroSTAAR hope this helps
would quitting phd do harm to the advisor?
Yes. If it's funded.
No, he can always hire the next person. Put yourself first.
My paper got rejected 3 times n I am frustrated and depressed now... don't know what to do...this is 4th yr of my ph.d
Me too lol. Feel a bit trapped, stress if you stay, regrets if you leave?
Hi sneha, which subject are you doing your phd in? I need some advice.
Who else is watching this cause they're fighting for their life right now
I love my phd and have a supportive supervisor. But I have bad mental health because of Things that happened in real life, and it has affected my academic energy severely. How to deal with this?
I want to quit but it is just my 1st year of PhD, if I quit, I have to go back to my country or back to the country that I've done the Master. But I want to stay in the US and find a job, is it possible and how can I do this? I really need your help !!!!
Most of the times it’s the supervisor’s fault
This is my life
Nobody cares about mental health, you have to work like a robot.
exactly. There is no space for mental health in PhD specially in USA.
that's mental!
What are you talking about, mate? There is no reason even to enter a PhD. Nobody should ever enter PhD unless this person really LOVES this nerdy depressive way of life.
I was already depressed in my masters, can't even think about doing PhD. But I'm facing pressure from my friends and teachers 😭
@@AdvaiticOneness1 mate, what pressure. Ignore them all. Don't do anything which makes you depressed to such an extent.
@@alb4079 You are right! Thanks for your comforting words, it means a lot ❤️
Is attempting suicide 5 times in 6 months a good reason to quit?
Wtf. If you are serious about what you wrote, please leave it. Get a life
Quit and be free. A Phd is over hyped.
man if you are serious about what you said, leave, that's some serious situation you are in. Leave and don't look back, PhD isn't worth your life.
@@sherlockholmes882 Unbelievable 🤣🤯.
I remembered I left this comment here.
If anyone happens to care, here's an update: I managed to pull my shit together with the help of my family and fiancée. I am going to defend Q1 2023!
What if your fellow scholar steal your model and idea and your professor support it,sharing your ideas to that person?how can I cope up with such situation??pls help.now not feeling to discuss any thing with my supervisor
Oh no, that's bad.
If you already step into it, never quit. Finish it. Just manage your time and stress. Try to find meaning and joy while doing it. Good luck!
Actually it's smart to know when to stop. I pushed myself and finished, but it did come at a cost. Every situation is different and for some people is healthier to change labs or look for a career that fits their interests better! Same with any job - it's just one part of life...
Never ever quit your PhD. Every single person that I have seen quit their PhD end up being a loser in life. Dont get sucked in by listening to others that are weak and quit. Keep going you can do it! Don' t be a loser!
Quite a thoughtless comment really. A person’s mental health comes first. And quitting is a hard decision which does not define or deserve being called a loser. Have some empathy for others……
@@TAJ1974you speak like someone who quit their PhD. Go away.
@@mickeykozzi One should never make assumptions! Did your PhD not teach you that? And if I “go away”, I’d be a loser, no? 🤣
What a pathetic meaningless comment
I quit after I got a job in data science making six figures...... never finished the degree, and some folks look at me as if I am a failure for choosing money over what they perceived to be my passion.. I did genocide research btw. yea it was a passion, but I was burnt TF out and ain't none them mofos wanted to pay me.
How do I post a private comment to you please
You can send me an email andy(@)andrewstapleton.com.au
I am about to quit since my supervisor totally make me feel sad for 2 weeks even it is other fault
DO NOT GET A PHD YOU WILL GET DEPRESSED
Do NOT quit your PhD after 3+ years... Golden rule! No matter what, eat it up and finish it!
I myself had huge trouble after 3rd year. It totally took 2 more years to finish it! I thought about quitting every day for 2 years, i had all the reasons for it, but ultimately, got my PhD and a full position in the mean time. DO NOT ABANDON IF YOU ARE CLOSE TO THE END!
This is my experience. Since the third year I’ve had a horrible experience and it’s added on over another year and oftentimes I think about quitting. Every time I think I’m about to submit I get delayed. I really didn’t want to take this PhD into 2023 and I’m meant to be submitting in Jan but just feel like this journey will never end.
@@JazziKai this adventure will end, no worry! Good luck!!!
If you got a well paid job during your PhD, would that be enough reason to quit?
If the job is something that you enjoy doing and you are just doing it because of money I think it would be a reasonable reason for postponing your PhD. However, you also have to consider the opportunity cost of leaving your PhD. For example, would your PhD allow you to access higher pay scales in that job later on?
Those are the things I'd weigh up.
@@DrAndyStapleton Can you please make a separate video on this topic? It will really help a lot!
Goog
Lol
You are killing hopes of students who wants to pursue phd in the future. Better not to watch your videos. You talk negative sides always.
. . . says the guy who quit the 2006 World Cup final
Andy mate, as a fairly recent graduate I have to say there was never a moment I thought I should quit as you assert that everyone does. Moreover, their is a lot of shame in leaving a PhD. After all, you have accepted a big bag of cash and a lot of other people's time and energy, and then you say, 'Nah not for me.' I can smell the entitled narcissism of those who didn't take it to the end from here.
Cash means nothing compared to mental health. Have some empathy. Some people will flourish with PhD work others won't. Accept that. Nothing to do with weakness.
@@lamborghinifan13 Tell the schmuck working every hour of overtime he can get to keep his family afloat that you have just thrown away the last 20 years of taxes he has paid and see how much empathy you get.
@@markjones7687 God bless you.
Not everyone got a big bag of cash and time and energy. I'm paying by myself and still not much support
Also you get work done in that time, which you're mostly underpaid for. I don't see any waste in that
It's my 11th month into PhD. I am more on the side of bad advisor category. He keeps on demotivating me calling me words (like: are you insane, stupid, do you even have brains , i will stop your phd if i don'tknow something and that's in the 8th month etc.).
From first day he has been in directly and directly passing comments on my skills etc and says "I say a lot of things but they don't mean anything".
Practically there is no transfer of knowledge and much more.
I have been anxious and non stop in depression. I am just done.
That is one sick individual. Can you report him to a higher-up or an ombudsman? Are you part of a graduate school? This is not ok by any means and speaks a lot of this person. Don't let him make you doubt yourself, even if you don't know things, that is ok and not an excuse to be abusive. No one knows everything, there are only people who admit it or those you pretend.