Just to clarify- the reason I'm asking about changing institution, not just supervisor, is that I have identified someone whose work fits much more closely with mine and who I would love as a supervisor, but he is at another institution. Any advice v gratefully received!

I am a year into my PhD. My supervisor is great- I like him very much- but both he and I are starting to realise that, given the direction my work is going, we are perhaps not the best fit- my research is interdisciplinary and his expertise is in one narrow area of it.

I wondered whether anyone has ever switched both supervisor and institution part way through a PhD? How did it work?

Hello

I have a place and full funding to study for a FT PhD, starting in September. I wondered whether anyone could give me any advice about doing a PhD as a mature student? I'd welcome in particular:

- any advice on balancing study and family commitments (I have two young children)
- how it feels to return to FT study after a long period working
- how being older is likely to affect my chances of getting an academic position at the end of my PhD. This is the real kicker for me- one of my aims in doing a PhD is to move into an academic career, but I'm aware that this is by no means an easy thing to do. I'm worried about the prospect of not finding a position at the end of my PhD and not being able to return to my old job either, having taken 3+ years out. It feels like a huge risk. On the other hand, I feel that if I don't do the PhD and stick with the security of my current job, I'll always regret it.

Any thoughts or advice would be gratefully received.