{"id":21649,"date":"2021-08-03T20:00:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-03T14:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/?p=21649"},"modified":"2021-08-30T16:27:49","modified_gmt":"2021-08-30T10:27:49","slug":"when-your-thesis-advisor-asks-you-to-quit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.enago.com\/academy\/when-your-thesis-advisor-asks-you-to-quit\/","title":{"rendered":"When Your Thesis Advisor Asks You to Quit"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was two months into the third year of my PhD when it happened. In retrospect, I should have seen it coming. My research wasn\u2019t going great, but I was feeling reasonably confident that my efforts were going somewhere. I had some preliminary research findings and a plan, and I had\u00a0followed all the advice<\/a>\u00a0to schedule regular meetings with my advisor. And here I was, having just sat down at one such meeting when he uttered the dreaded words. \u201cAre you sure this program is right for you?\u201d he asked. \u201cMaybe you\u2019d be better suited for some other kind of work.\u201d<\/p>\n

I\u00a0felt punched in the gut<\/a>. I asked him why. \u201cIt just doesn\u2019t seem like you have what it takes,\u201d he said bluntly. \u201cI\u2019ve read your plan, and it\u2019s unrealistic. Review my notes and give it some real thought.\u201d He handed me a copy of the document I had written so optimistically. \u201cSee you next week,\u201d I muttered, and then rushed out the door before I began crying in earnest.<\/p>\n

Should You Quit?<\/h2>\n

That evening, I met a good friend of mine. I had called her for exactly one reason\u2014she had quit the program six months earlier, and I wanted to know why. I told her my story and she nodded sympathetically. \u201cMy advisor said the same thing,\u201d she told me, \u201cbut was less kind about it.\u201d She told me how in the beginning of their advisor-advisee relationship, she was thrilled to have been assigned to his lab. But he was never satisfied with her results, and would often berate her in front of others for minor mistakes. \u201cI know\u00a0I should have talked to someone<\/a>,\u201d she confessed. \u201cBut I felt so ashamed. It seemed like nobody else was having the same issues I was. He would insult me while more senior students looked on. I started to hate waking up in the mornings. And then one day, I just thought, maybe he\u2019s right. So I left.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why Would Your Thesis Advisor Ask You to Quit?<\/h2>\n

I walked home in a fog, her words echoing in my mind. \u201cI know I should have talked to someone,\u201d she had said. So I decided that rather than giving up at the first sign of defeat, I would find someone to talk to.<\/p>\n

A few days later, I\u00a0met with another professor<\/a>\u00a0in our department, whose reputation was one of a wise mentor. Over lunch with several other students in the program, I explained my story. Professor Hwang nodded throughout. When I finished, he asked, \u201cWell, why do you think he feels that way? Have you looked at it from his perspective?\u201d And I realized that I had been so busy feeling sorry for myself that I hadn\u2019t.<\/p>\n

Professor Hwang told us about a grad student who was formerly in his department. The student was eager, but\u00a0had some habits\u00a0<\/a>that made him doubt her future as a scientist. She was terrified to ask questions, and had messed up some data collection as a result. While Professor Hwang tried to be empathetic, he realized she wasn\u2019t improving. She eventually dropped out of the program. \u201cSo,\u201d he said, \u201cI\u2019m not saying you\u2019re like this. But do some self-reflection first.\u201d<\/p>\n

Self-reflection is the Key to Success<\/h2>\n

The next week I marched into my advisor\u2019s office with a revised plan and a list of bullet points to address. I told him I had done some self-reflection and realized I needed to ask more questions and take more time with my work. I said I was passionate about succeeding in this field and\u00a0hoped he was willing to continue working<\/a>\u00a0with me. Three years later, I graduated.<\/p>\n

It turned out that I did need to do some self-reflection. At the same time, I know I was lucky in that my advisor was a reasonable, if not especially personable, guy. My friend who had dropped out was not so lucky. Grad school isn\u2019t supposed to be easy, but it shouldn\u2019t crush your soul. You should build a network of people you can trust and turn to when things get hard. If your advisor suggests that you quit, look at yourself and your work first and examine why he or she may have said that. Talk to your peers and other professors to see what they have to say. Bad advisors are\u00a0certainly out there<\/a>, so don\u2019t be afraid to stand up for yourself\u2014but don\u2019t be afraid to be humble and admit what you could do better, either.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s every grad student\u2019s worst nightmare\u2014your PhD advisor suggests that you quit. What should you do if it happens to you?<\/p>\n

Key Tips to Follow When Your Thesis Advisor Asks You to Quit<\/h2>\n

Student-advisor relationships are critical for the success of any research collaboration!<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Communication is the key! Be very polite and patient while dealing with your advisor. Thank your advisor for giving you relevant inputs and then request them for giving you a chance to improve your outcomes.<\/li>\n
  2. Look for places where you can improve and plan your tasks accordingly.<\/li>\n
  3. Do not lose hope in your research idea or yourself.<\/li>\n
  4. Develop alternative plans to attain productive results and present them to your thesis advisor<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  5. Self-analyze and find the root-cause of your unproductivity.<\/li>\n
  6. Reskill yourself with new and advanced techniques to benefit your research.<\/li>\n
  7. Consider working on another part of the research that you are more confident about.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Remember that a lot of PhD advisors ask their students to quit; however, it is important to stay motivated and not lose faith in yourself at critical parts of your PhD. You can easily combat your weaknesses if you recognize the signs early and improve your work.<\/p>\n

    So how do you plan to tackle this difficult situation? What would you do if your thesis advisor asks you to quit? How will you instill trust in them that you can complete you PhD? Let us know in the comments section below! You can also visit our\u00a0Q&A forum<\/a>\u00a0for frequently asked questions related to different aspects of research writing and publishing answered by our team that comprises subject-matter experts, eminent researchers, and publication experts.<\/p>\n

    \n\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    I was two months into the third year of my PhD when it happened. In…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8169,"featured_media":21651,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1319,1336],"tags":[1513,1453,1510],"ppma_author":[1908],"class_list":["post-21649","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-beyond-publishing","category-phd-cafe","tag-phd-student-advisor-relationship","tag-thesis-dissertation","tag-tips-for-phd-students"],"better_featured_image":{"id":21651,"alt_text":"thesis advisor","caption":"","description":"Finding a good mentor or thesis advisor is important. But not all thesis advisors are supportive. Some may ask you to quit in the beginning of the tenure. 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