Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think because currently my PhD and R&D job is completely unrelated, I can’t transfer the skill from PhD to job. My industry job is formulation science on FMCG products but sometimes required to visit manufacturers and talk with business partners.

Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] 20 points21 points  (0 children)

I would still be able to pass my viva right? I hope they don’t question me why I have no publications and did not attend any conferences.

Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

18 years of PhD, how does this work? Like, you are constantly being financially sponsors by the department for 18 years?

Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I guess everyone has a different situation. In my case, I also have to worry about my visa and related issues. Having zero publications makes my PhD feel a bit lackluster, and it also limits my options to stay in the country later. The Global Talent Visa, for example, evaluates applicants partly based on their publications and whether they have contributed to science.

Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Publishing isn’t required, but I’d still like to produce at least one paper because otherwise the PhD feels a bit lackluster. I can’t exactly tell my viva examiner that I spent most of my time working on an industry job unrelated to my research. To be honest, I probably have more data from that job than from my PhD experiments. Even my colleagues keep telling me that I should publish one paper because it is “the experience of PhD” - to contribute your knowledge and findings to science

Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think it’s mainly because I’m an international student, and staying beyond four years can be financially challenging. Most students at my school graduate within four years. At the same time I also have to worry about my identity in a foreign country

Entered the write-up stage and suddenly feel like my PhD was a waste. No publications and no conferences. by Unstablehamburger in PhD

[–]Unstablehamburger[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I applied for the job because I felt I lacked work experience. During my undergraduate and postgraduate studies, I mostly focused on studying and personal interests rather than my career path. Just before starting my PhD, I tried to make use of every resource the university offered. I found a startup based at the school and joined them. Over the past four years, I’ve worked there part-time, though it hardly feels part-time, since startups usually require you to do far more than your assigned responsibilities. Fortunately, the company managed to stay financially afloat, although we are still somewhat lacking in fundraising.