I have a different point of view - maybe you're just having a bad day?? It's crappy that your relationship has broken down but I very much doubt that it is entirely to do with your financial security - there are probably other reasons and even though it's tough right now, you may find in a few weeks, months, even a year that it was the right move for both you and your ex-g. It's easy for me to say this - and totally different for you to take it on board, but don't assume that making a big change will also make everything better. Think of it this way - what are you going to tell potential employers you were doing for this last year - how come you didn't have the stamina to finish your PhD, etc, etc?? (I'm just playing devils advocate) If I were you, I would leave it for a month or two - actually maybe even take a bit of a holiday - see if anything has changed and then make the decision really carefully and with a cool head.

Though it's totally fine to quit your PhD and you could certainly go on to great things, my gut instinct is - don't give up! But it's your decision, so good luck and let us know how you're getting on whatever you decide! ;-)

Are you calling a halt to the game Laura M? Because I was going to suggest...

cone

I'm doing it because I had an academic question that I wanted to answer - and because, when I started, I wasn't really sure what else I would do... so a mixture of idealism and lack of direction! hehe.

Wasn't interested in an academic job at that point -though I enjoyed teaching -and now I really want one because I love the research. But what are the chances of actually getting an academic post? And what else can you do with an (arts) PhD?? It's good to ask this question Ju-Ju -sometimes I think I'm going to end up in exactly the same place I started - not really qualified for anything much...and kind of overqualified at the same time!:$

Sorry, it's not that I'm thankful that you're all feeling ugly too (I'm wishing you all your self-esteem back!) - it's just nice to know I'm not alone in my woes...

arghhhh! Thank you, H! I'm so glad to find out that everyone else has had an PhD-induced ugly attack.

My hair is lank and greasy and I generally look as if i have scurvy.

I have almost entirely given up washing my face - I know this is disgusting - because I have no hot water and I am just generally too distracted to remember (i'm in the writing-up period).

I have stopped buying new clothes and am selling anything half decent I own on ebay to fund me through my 6 month extension (it's not working - woman cannot live on £2.50 a week).

I have given up wearing contacts as I can't afford 'em, but my glasses are all wonky and scratched! ug.

And the other day i looked around my office and all i could see was pasty white, spotty faces which were all either grimacing or frowning in concentration - I have a deep cleft between my eyebrows from squinting at the screen.

If I'd known that this blasted thesis was going to cost me what little I had of looks and sanity, I might have thought twice about starting it in the first place!:-)

it sounds to me like you should definitely ditch this supervisor - you don't want to be stuck with someone who isn't willing to give you full credit, or recompense, for your contribution. This will be min three years of your life and with a supervisor like that it'll feel like more. good luck!

gong

I'm a bit confused about your situation - you haven't actually started working with your supervisor but you have already fallen out? This is a really bad sign and may mean that you have to think carefully about why you want to do your PhD, how you want to do it, and whether you are willing to work co-operatively with a supervisor at all. What is important to you regarding support / guidance and do you think this person can really provide this for you? I can't really offer advice because you haven't given us much information to work with.

Picking the right supervisor is definitely the most important thing you will do with regards to this project. I didn't think these questions through before I started and I am now in the position of switching supervisors at the point when I should be submitting - I've been given a 6 month extension but I still haven't met my knew supervisor... this is far from ideal and my PhD has been a really painful experience because I had the wrong supervisor. Don't make the same mistake.

'Interrogate' always sounds pretty gutsy - also 'consider' 'examine' 'explore'. I'm going to check out that phrasebank!

that's some really solid advice, but I think that before you take it you have to look at the big picture (i'm in the faculty of arts, so it may be different). First, what's the thesis - what are you actually arguing? Once you've answered that, then you can start thinking about how you're going to support the argument (ie methodology), why the argument is important (originality), and where it rests in relation to existing studies - then your structure naturally arises out of this. I think supervisors too often push for time-plans, thesis outlines, when they should be encouraging us to think about the really big stuff - the 'so what?' questions.