Feel something really off

ABBAForever2015

12

On a research program. Recently had a progress meeting with the reviewer professor. The PG director suddenly asked me to attend another meeting with him. I don't know what's going on. I am also afraid of telling them any personal problems that may affect progress for fear of having it used against me.

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 1

The_Lonely_Goatherd

20

Do you feel able to ask the PG Director why you've been called to a meeting with him? Seems a bit odd for them to summon you to a meeting without providing a reason. Unless you know/can guess the reason but haven't mentioned it here?

It's hard to comment much, given the lack of info in this post. Arguably your dept. can't help support you if they have no knowledge of your personal problems, though I can see why you might be wary of confiding in them.

If things are feeling unsafe/uncertain, then make sure you don't go to the meeting alone: have an SU rep/caseworker there with you, or someone else who can advocate for you (e.g. someone from disability office, if that's relevant to you).

Original post

by MummyMum2019

On a research program. Recently had a progress meeting with the reviewer professor. The PG director suddenly asked me to attend another meeting with him. I don't know what's going on. I am also afraid of telling them any personal problems that may affect progress for fear of having it used against me.

Reply 2

Keele Rep

Official Rep

12

Original post

by MummyMum2019

On a research program. Recently had a progress meeting with the reviewer professor. The PG director suddenly asked me to attend another meeting with him. I don't know what's going on. I am also afraid of telling them any personal problems that may affect progress for fear of having it used against me.

Hi @MummyMum2019,

Firstly, I am sorry that you're feeling unsure and afraid.

Without further context, it's hard to offer specific advice but I would be very surprised and disappointed if your department wanted to use personal problems or circumstances against you. Whilst I can understand why you might be wary of confiding in them - especially if you are relatively new to your institution/research programme and have not built that relationship with your supervisors yet - it is more likely that they want to find out how they can best support you.

I would second the advice given by @The_Lonely_Goatherd. Is there someone that you feel comfortable reaching out to? Maybe a trusted friend, a member of the Student Services team, and/or a peer-rep from within your department or within the Students Union?

It is also okay to politely ask the PG director why they would like to meet with you, especially if you're not sure why this is happening. It may, for example, be perfectly routine for the PG director to meet with new intake students at a certain point in your course.

Even if you have disclosed any personal problems to your supervisor, I would be surprised if these had been forwarded to the PG director without your consent. As someone who has disclosed personal issues and accessibility needs to my university during the course of my PhD, I had to provide consent for that to be passed to relevant staff (whether in Student Services or within my department/faculty) at each step.

Similarly, if the matter is to do with your academic progress - and that is being impacted by personal issues - then know that this is totally normal. A research degree takes a long time and very few students, in my experience, make it through without bumps in the road. It doesn't mean you've failed or that you're going to get asked to leave the course.

That said, the earlier that you can get appropriate support, the better. Whilst it can be very hard to confide in someone, if you are struggling, do reach out to someone you trust and/or to university support services to see how they can help you.

I also found the book 'Managing Your Mental Health During a PhD: A Survival Guide' by Zoe J. Ayres to be very helpful. It's not just about mental health but also looks at structural and systematic barriers to PhD success, the supervisor/supervisee relationship, the imposter phenomenon, pressure to publish, bullying/harassment, and ways of seeking help and building support networks.

Hope that helps :smile:

Amy Louise
PhD Candidate & Student Ambassador, Keele University

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