I am thinking of applying for some PhDs but I am concerned on selecting a topic that might not be right. The problem is because of this I have limited the scope of topics to search for. So what if I widen my topic choice and pick something unsuitable but only find out once I have started? How badly is it frowned upon to drop out and how much would this hurt further applications.

======= Date Modified 20 Jan 2009 13:26:44 =======
======= Date Modified 20 Jan 2009 13:26:12 =======
i have heard that once you quit a phd, its very hard to get another one. once you commit to a phd, that's it, you're committed. so choose very very wisely

im not saying you cant quit a phd, but im saying you cant choose a phd and then think, oh this isnt right for me, im gonna quit and then look for another one.

I left a science PhD over a decade ago. In 2003 I started a humanities one, part-time this time. On my humanities funding application form I was asked to state if I had received prior PhD funding before. I filled out the details for the first degree. I suspect that if the disciplines were the same I would have had virtually no chance of getting funding a second time. Fortunately because it was a totally different subject area I was considered and was successful.

I would search, rather than for a specific topic, a good supervisor. I have a very prescriptive proposal, but I know my supervisor wouldn't mind me doing something completely different if I wanted to, as long as she felt it was good enough.