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Quitting a PhD

  • 03-07-2016 9:30pm
    #1
    totothejuggler
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 50 ✭✭


    Hi everyone,

    I'm about 6 months into my PhD and I'm beginning to think it's not for me. My motivation was gone after month 2 and I've been struggling to stay concentrated.

    I have a loan to pay off from my undergraduate plus some credit card debt so I've had to take up a part time job to supplement my funds so I literally don't have a day to myself so I could be burning out as well.

    I would feel like a compleat failure if I quite but I'm just wondering what my options are can I just turn the next year and a half into a research masters?

    Should I say anything to my supervisor?

    Thanks:)


Comments

  • #2
    bd2012
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 451 ✭✭bd2012


    totothejuggler wrote: »
    Hi everyone,

    I'm about 6 months into my PhD and I'm beginning to think it's not for me. My motivation was gone after month 2 and I've been struggling to stay concentrated.

    I have a loan to pay off from my undergraduate plus some credit card debt so I've had to take up a part time job to supplement my funds so I literally don't have a day to myself so I could be burning out as well.

    I would feel like a compleat failure if I quite but I'm just wondering what my options are can I just turn the next year and a half into a research masters?

    Should I say anything to my supervisor?

    Thanks:)

    I guess it depends on the relationship you have with your supervisor. If it's a good one then they would be able to advise you, I'm sure you're not the first student they have supervised to experience what you're going through.

    If your relationship with your supervisor isn't good (and in my opinion for a phd it should be a good relationship) there are others you can speak to, for example colleagues, PhD students, other lecturers in the department, head of department etc.

    But, as your supervisor is the one supervising your project, he/she would be my first port of call.

    Disclaimer- this is all from my own experience at phd level in a relatively small university with a very open approachable faculty. Your situation may not be the same.

    Hope it all works out :)


  • #3
    Vivek 1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18 ✭Vivek 1


    Talk to your supervisor, it may be possible to do that. You are not the first person to feel this wat. A PhD is a huge committment and the time may not be right... maybe you could go off books... defer the year? You are not a failure, it takes courage to say this might not be for me.


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