PhD years burnout

[kapMD/PhD]

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This is me complaining and looking for company in my misery:
I'm tired. Tired of writing. Tired of abstracts. Tired of mice (to which I think I've become allergic). Tired of revising.
Help? Suggestions? Motivating tidbits?
On the up side - i'll finish this spring and go back to M3 in June.

 

[RxnMan]

...I'm tired. Tired of writing. Tired of abstracts...Tired of revising...

I've always taken this as the cue when to submit your thesis (which I'm assuming you're working on). A thesis is finished not when the last experiment is done, or after you've done X number of papers, no, it is complete when the student says "uncle"

...Tired of mice (to which I think I've become allergic)...

Mice are rotten, vile little bastards. (anyone who thinks otherwise hasn't worked with them)

...On the up side - i'll finish this spring and go back to M3 in June.

Huh. I'm in MS3, and I can't wait to get out (I'm applying to research year fellowships). Grass is always greener? 😀

Anyways, just hold onto that due date, do everything your advisor asks, and don't let them derail that date. Make a bargain with yourself - if you push through this short, finite time of frustration, you'll be able to make sure you get out on the wards.

 

[taXi]

This is me complaining and looking for company in my misery:
I'm tired. Tired of writing. Tired of abstracts. Tired of mice (to which I think I've become allergic). Tired of revising.
Help? Suggestions? Motivating tidbits?
On the up side - i'll finish this spring and go back to M3 in June.

Wow. I could have written the exact same post, minus the allergic part. While I cannot offer help, suggestions or motivating tidbits, I am in the thick of the misery as well.

At least the constant flow of impending deadlines makes weeks pass by in the blink of an eye.

 

[jymezg]

Tired of mice (to which I think I've become allergic).

i became allergic too.

 

[dunmaglas]

I like working with mice. Mind you I work with the hindlimb muscles, so I don't "work" with the whole mouse for very long... I feel for the OP although I can hardly say i'm in the same position. I'm only trying to finish an MSc and I feel burnt out after 2 years and a bit.

 

[QofQuimica]

It's not just you, OP. Everyone goes through these slump periods. Dealing with stupid last minute requirements from the grad school and your committee is a hassle for everyone. One of the worst parts for me was realizing how much data I was missing on several of my compounds, and I had to resynthesize several of the precursors because somehow I hadn't gotten all of the data needed to characterize them a few years earlier. 🙄 Not so good times. But you are getting so close now. Just set a goal of doing a little every day, and keep slogging. If you write two pages of your thesis per day (double spaced, of course 😀), you will be done well ahead of time.

P.S. I'm with RxnMan on this one--I'll be doing a post doc next year, and I can't friggin' wait to be done w/ third year!!!