Close Home Forum Sign up / Log in

US or UK for the PhD?

S

Hi there

I'm seeking a bit of advice on doing a PhD in the US. I'm in a bit of a catch-22 with making the decision between accepting a place at a university over here and in the US. I get on very well with both supervising professors, I love the US and know it very well, and the US system, though longer, appeals to me more than the British one. I have lots of friends in the vicinity of the US university (in New York), and have a much better funding opportunity over there. That said, the British system takes less time, my friends and family are over here, and the program is more focused from the outset. However, funding here is smaller and I have lived in London for longer than I would wish to, feeling ready to move on.

Apologies if this has been covered in many other posts and many thanks in advance for any thoughts, however abstract! - Anybody doing a PhD in the US who could tell me realistically how hard it might be over there?:-)

S

I am doing one in the UK. A lot of people I spoke to were put off by the exams and stuff you have to do. Sounds like hard work!

M

same here. I am doing a PhD in the UK, but I was in doubt between california and uk! My friends told me that in US there are too many exams and it is much harder...

Why don't you try to go somewhere else in the UK? It would be a bit like changing country! Also, if you check in the UK universities websites they might mention of some collaborations with the US so you could still go there for a year during your PhD. If I remember well, when I was checking where to do mine, I saw in this website aderts about PhD opportunities here in the UK but with a year spent in the US.

hope this helps

S

Yea what Mary said. Why don't you look further north. I am up in Scotland and it is a big change from the south where I did my undergrad studies. Lovely up here and some good uni's too :D

13683