Doing a PhD can be a very lonely occupation. There could be many PhD students in your department, but they are all working on their own projects. Even if you are based in a large laboratory, with many people busy around you, you are still probably the only one working on your specific area. Some of you may be totally alone a lot of the time, working at home or in the library. Part time students are even more likely to be isolated. To compound this isolation, there is what we call 'intellectual isolation'. In this we mean that you spend much of your time thinking about your research, plotting your research design, and making sense of your data on your own. Talking to your fellow students or even your supervisor may not dispel this feeling since they won't necessarily be working in the same field or have expertise at the same depth. This double isolation could make you question whether you want to continue, whether this is the lifestyle you want for yourself and, more importantly, whether what you are achieving is worthwhile and good enough to gain you a PhD. It's normal to feel like this from time to time. But it could weigh you down if this feeling of utter isolation is prolonged. As is often the case, it is easier to take steps early on to avoid something becoming a problem, than have to deal with it later. The same is true for isolation. Here are some ideas that could help you. From the first day, seek contact with fellow students, other researchers and your supervisor. In this way you develop a network of people with whom you can discuss your work and other interests. Attend departmental morning teas, seminars, lectures by visiting scholars, and seminars held by cognate departments. Discover all about your postgraduate organisation and join in its activities. This should give you an opportunity to discuss PhD life with fellow sufferers from other departments. Join a special interest group in your area, or set one up if none exists. Prepare a poster of your research and display it in a common area in the department. Similarly you could set up your own home page. These promote discussion and interaction with others interested in your work. Present your work as often as possible. Give departmental seminars, present papers at conferences, publish articles, share ideas with other researchers on electronic bulletin boards, etc. Have regular discussions with your supervisor. Keep a balance to your life and don't allow your PhD research to consume every waking minute. Social and sporting activities matter too. The thing to remember is that most other people won't realise at all that you are feeling isolated. To break it, you need to take the first steps.

	Establishing a relationship with your supervisor.
	What can I expect from my supervisor and what does my supervisor expect from me?
	Intellectual support.
	Emotional support.
	Seeking, receiving and handling feedback.
	Strategies for getting the best feedback possible.
	Overcoming reluctance to seek feedback.
	Coping with your hights and lows.
	Why am I doing this and how do I keep motivated for three years?
	Finding out about departmental resources.