Overview of PhoenixFortune

I considered a PhD by distance after failing to get funding, resulting in me not being able to afford to live in my chosen university's city. In the end, my supervisor agreed to let me live at home and study by distance unofficially so that I could keep working with her - I however had the advantage that she was my MA supervisor previously, so knew that I have the motivation/stamina to do it while away from campus. It might be more difficult to persuade an academic who doesn't already know you to make that commitment.

It also depends on whether your subject area lends itself to distance learning - if it's an area that requires lab access/specialist equipment or facilities, then you might struggle.

The feasibility of only attending fortnightly will depend on how far away the institution is. I have heard of people having supervisors from more than one university, but that may depend on whether they have worked together in the past and whether both universities have the same facilities/opportunities in your subject area.

If you're set on leaving your course, ask if there is an exit qualification you could receive for the work you've done so far. I believe if you've completed 3 modules (or 1 term's worth of content) you can get a PGCert - you'd have to check this with your university however, as some institutions might not offer it.

1. Check the conditions of abstract submission - I've seen conferences that specifically state that abstracts won't be accepted if they are based on work already submitted for publication, or proposed in the same form to other conferences (i.e. presentation/poster etc.). Some won't have this caveat however.

2. Peers of mine have submitted abstracts with 'results so far' sections. If you have no results to state in the abstract, they may provisionally accept you until you can update them on your findings. I suppose they may be concerned that you won't get them by the conference date, in which case they may think it safer to decline.

You need to check with your research council's term and conditions/guidelines. I know that many research councils will also expect you to repay any over-payment you've received for the year if you do leave early.