Masters Discussion Forum

Hi, I'm hoping for some advice. For the last year I have been working with my old masters supervisor attempting to turn my thesis into an article. I work full time now as I graduated last year, this article is an extra I have taken on. It is not going well, as I am stressed at work, life is getting in the way and I have neither time nor motivation to carry on, I'm not even half way through yet and it's making me miserable. I don't want a career in academia, I was doing it just because I could. I feel terrible though because my supervisor has invested time in helping me with this and reading drafts etc. She agreed to help on condition she would be a second author. While for me it was a hobby, this is her profession, I don't want to let her down. It seems like it would be dreadfully selfish and discourteous to quit a working relationship just because I am fed up with it. I am sure she would never do that to me. Am I overestimating the importance of this decision, or should I follow through on my commitment? Advice/insight would be hugely welcome. With thanks x

I would agree with TreeofLife. If she's a reasonable and professional person, she will be understanding, even if she is a bit peeved. You can't really control how she reacts though.

If you think you could possibly find the motivation in the future, might it be possible for you to take a short break from the work, and dedicate a chunk of time to redrafting later down the line? I ended up turning my masters thesis into a journal article eight years after completing it *but* I wasn't working a full-time job! I was studying full-time though in a totally different subject. I can understand that if you're not pursuing an academic career, there's far less motivation for you so don't feel bad if you want to abandon it altogether.

Good luck :)