Graduate school woes...

[Dulcee]

I just need to vent for a moment ..

This August I'll be starting my 4th year in my biology PhD program. I'm suppose to take a large set of exams that essentially allow you to continue to the point of defending your dissertation and graduating. I'm finally in a great place with my research and feel like serious progress is being made.

But like many PhD programs things aren't very concrete as to what a student needs to do. In my last committee meeting (the 6 professors who essentially decide if/when I graduate) I was chastised for being behind and not having a clear focus and that I needed to get on planning my prelim exams as soon as possible. Now after trying to get the exam dates and topics put together I've been told I'm overstepping my role and taking on the job of the committee and that I should wait for a formal recommendation from then.

I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place with my program. Now I know why so many get to this point in their program and cut and run. I'm not real close with other students in my program, where I'm married and own a house most of the students are the younger, single bar scene. It makes it feel even more like I'm on my own with all this.

I just want to be done, graduate and get a real job with at least slightly more clear expectations. The constantly feeling like the rules are changing on me is lousy.

[DisneyDINK]

Yeah, not a great situation. Sorry to hear what you're going through.

I'm a guy, so forgive me for trying to problem solve a bit. Do you have a faculty advisor? Maybe they or one of the grad level professors can offer you some direction?

I hope it all works out. I did a night MBA program which took me about 5 years. I had to write a thesis, but there was no committee and the program was much more structured.

Good luck! We both know you'll get through it. Here have some Pixie Dust. :pixie:

[Janmac]

My first thought was the 6 professors don't know how things work.

My second thought was when I worked in civil engineering and we'd have an airport project, which involved submitting the plans to the FAA for them to sign off on the plans. We'd wait forever for the review to be completed and the plans to be returned. Always with changes requested. And usually a deadline of perhaps a week away, after they'd had the plans for months.
So we'd work feverishly, getting the changes drawn, and blueprints run and shipped off again. Then wait forever, again, for the review to be completed and plans returned. And wouldn't you know it: half of the new change requests would be right back to what we'd originally sent in. Arrgh!!!

Almost as frustrating as the situation you're in. :D

Jan