I never really anticipated having to go on Jobseeker's Allowance, but I've had to make an application for it. I'm still writing up and it's not going particularly well - long hours with little progress. I'm right into my overdraft, so I now have no alternative. I'm actually a bit down about it because I expected things to be a bit different. Last night, I actually felt that I'm not going to end up getting my PhD. I was wondering if anybody else has found themselves in a similar situation?

Yep

A similar thing happened to me, I was writing up around this time last year, was going ok as it turned out, but not particularly quickly............ and I very nearly ran out of money, I never used JSA, although people I know did, as well as housing benefit. It's also fairly normal to wonder if your ever going to get the PhD, in reality, stuff that is'nt even very good often passes as a PhD, I suspect you can get away with doing a much worse job than maybe you are doing (not that you should, of course), so once you've satisfied yourself that it's good enough, chances are it really is good enough. You are a lot closer to completion than it probably feels like at the moment.

I assume you are also applying for jobs in academia, it may be an idea to cast your net a bit wider given the current climate. Make sure you use your universiy careers service, mine was really handy for tidying up my CV etc.

The only advice I can really dispense here is to give yourself some time off where possible, and hang on in there, eventually you will finish it off, and it may all happen faster than expected.

Can we apply for JSA? :$ I always thought we couldn't whilst we were writing up because we were still students?

If I'm wrong I'll be applying though. I'm in the same situation, as you've probably guessed from the other thread, and it's all so depressing. I always thought the longer the PhD goes on the longer it'll take to get a job but now I'm starting to think it's not really going to matter. Im sure I can finish the PhD but I doubt there'll be many jobs. And what jobs there'll be will have huge competition. As an early career academic what hope do we have when competing with the more established, recently redundant?

And as for jobs outside the scope of Academia...if I'd wanted one of those I wouldn't have bothered with the past three years. But then if there's no choice...And again, the competition. A PhD is all well and good but you don't need one to work in an office. It's no real advantage.

I think you can apply if your funding has run out - I mean, although you're technically registered with the uni, you aren't required to work full time with the uni, and they won't stop you working full time, so I don't see why you wouldn't be allowed JSA. I was in this situation yesterday. My sup has just offered me a part time role on another research project, which while low paid, is a life saver! However, she made it very clear that I am not to work on my PhD on days I'm supposed to be working on this project, so I've really got to start getting more productive :-(

I think there must come a time where you'd take a major amendment, just so you'd know what you had to do to finish. Although I'd be gutted if it came with a 2nd viva.

I reckon you'll do fine Wal, there will be weeks when it goes slowly, but give it a month and you'll be a lot further ahead. :-)