Jayney, it was by mistake that I posted the message again in this thread

Hello all and thanx for your replies in this thread. It seems like I made my decision...for now:) I was giving it so much thought I was getting tired! I even completed the online application for the phd and written-up a research proposal (not the best I could write)...but I have noticed that I was doing all these without excitement or something...so eventually I did not send the application! I guess I wasn't feeling ready or so into in afterall I don't know. I hope I wont regret it in the future!:)

You might be right Jayney, I would be happy to go on to work after finishing my studies without considering about doing a phd now. However, I must admitt that the idea of doing one, even in the long-term, has been in my mind time after time, to a great extent because I think I have the academic capabilities to do it, and this is what most people around me, professors, friends, family, seem to believe and expect from me. It's like when you feel you are meant to be someone special and you should be, despite the fact that sometimes all you want it's the ordinary life of a teacher for example. I don't know if you fully understand what I mean, as you see I have the ambitious part of my character fighthing with the one that just wants to follow the easy path:)

Thank you both for your replies. Shani, I guess for me doing a PhD would be a difficult and life changing thing, since I am not from the UK and I would need to stay here for at least 3 more years to do the PhD, for which I have not clarified yet if I am eligible to full funding or a fees only award (I am an EU student). The experience does sound fascinating and I guess if I get into it I would like to carry it through to the end, yet I don't know if I will have the strength to do that or that I want to follow a career in academia. By the way in my country we only have 5 universities and some colleges and several phd graduates, so I guess the opportunities to work at a university are somewhat limited and this is another thing that troubles me.

Hello to all the PhDers (if that's the word!) in this forum. I am now finishing my Masters' degree in Mathematics Education (my first degree was in education) and my university offers a Phd studentship funded by ESRC in a topic that my professors proposed and seems really interesting. My professors encourage me to apply. However doing a PhD immediately after finishing my MA was not in my plans, I was thinking to get some work experience and then see if I want to move on to doing a Phd. Yet, the opportunity to do one is here now, but I think the reason I am thinking about it it's just that it is a good opportunity that may not arise again and not the fact that I really want to do it and feel ready to do it now. Isn't the Phd a big commitment that you need to be so into it to undertake....? I don't know what do u think...

Hello to all the PhDers (if that's the word!) in this forum. I am now finishing my Masters' degree in Mathematics Education (my first degree was in education) and my university offers a Phd studentship funded by ESRC in a topic that my professors proposed and seems really interesting. My professors encourage me to apply. However doing a PhD immediately after finishing my MA was not in my plans, I was thinking to get some work experience and then see if I want to move on to doing a Phd. Yet, the opportunity to do one is here now, but I think the reason I am thinking about it it's just that it is a good opportunity that may not arise again and not the fact that I really want to do it and feel ready to do it now. Isn't the Phd a big commitment that you need to be so into it to undertake....? I don't know what do u think...

hello all,

I have read this discussion as I am facing a similar dilemma. I am now finishing my MA in Mathematics Education and I have 2 options:either to go back to my country and work as a primary school teacher(though I can only work as a replacement teacher for now) or apply for a phd that my professors have been encouraging me to do.But I haven't had any work experience and I always said that after my MA I would like to work. However the opportunity for a phd is here and may not come again...though I am not fully sure that I would like to do it...so I am in a big confusion!