hi there

i am in my 6th month of my phd first year, studying in the mechanical engineering dept.

my phd was suggested to me by my final year (of undergraduate degree) supervisor, which was going to be a logical extension of that final project.

i did well in my undergrad degree, gaining a 1st class hons. in engineering.

i intitially started my degree in 1997, but quit it in 2000 due to health problems. inbetween 2000 and 2009 i worked in various establishments, and then returned in 2009 to finish the final year of my degree as i felt it would help me find better paid jobs.

i had no intention of continuing on to do phd - even doing a final undergraduate year was tough enough after a 9 year break.

but as the job market locally was pretty bad, i decided to do the phd, even thou the subject of it was not of great interest to me to begin with - ok it was a technical field i had experience with in with my final year undergrad project, but i didnt feel passionate or deeply interested in the phd subject topic.

now that i am 6 months in of not really doing *that* much - i am beginning to realise how much work needs to be done very soon - pretty much a full literature review so i can pass my first year (called differentiation here).

this will be a serious amount of work and i am pretty much not motivated at all and do not really have an interest in the topic, which i feel i need to have to even start to get motivated in the first place.

i was thinking of taking a leave of absence (unpaid) to decide what i want to do, but maybe i am just prologing the agony and should quit asap?

has anyone else felt this kind of severe lack of disinterest and possibly doing the phd for the wrong reason?

thanks!
kms

I'll keep my answer brief as I've tons of work to do.

Looking at the above, I think you already know the answer to the question. A PhD is a hell of an undertaking and if your heart is not in it at this stage, it's mebbies time to call it a day as you've a long way ahead of you.

However, you need a job to go into. I'd thus start applying for jobs whilst continuing (you need to live on something and the bursary / grant is better than nothing) avoiding the bad image of quitting and being unemployed whilst looking. If you find a job, quit at that stage. If you don't find a job, then continue if you can unless you really feel you can't continue.

I had a year unemployed after post-doc, hence the caution in my answer (don't just quit) and it's easier to find alternatives whilst economically active so to speak (not the right words, but the nearest I can think of).

I didn't go straight into PhD after degree / masters. I needed a break between and I made it clear to my Masters supervisor, the thought of launching into a PhD straight after Masters just appauled me.

It may be you're not interested in the subject or you launched in without a break that many need. Or simply, you don't want to do a PhD!!! Perhaps you're more target focussed, in which case the real world is where you need to be. A PhD is this intangible at some point in the future, a situation that doesn't suit some people who like clear deliverables.

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yeh i guess from reading back my reply ive pretty much decided...

but the tactic of sticking at it and looking for jobs at the same time sounds like a sensibe approach compared to just quitting asap.

i forgot to say also - before i started my phd, i had my final year project supervisor (who is now my current phd sueprvisor) and my last employer team leader as both my referees on my cv.

If i want to keep my supervisor on as a referee and i end up leaving - i am worried that he may not be too chuffed if i want to use him still on my cv.... any advice on how to approach that situation?

i dont have any other academic referees i can use from my undergrad degree that i would know well or who would know me well enough to do a reference if they were contacted.....

thanks for the advice.

Hello there,

I am in the same position, 6 months in and I really don't know if its for me. How are you planning on telling your supervisor? I feel guilty leaving after all the help and support they have given me.

Also does anyone know if you can change a PhD to a masters? Or mPhil?

Thanks

Hope things work out for you both. I left a full-time PhD in 1996. Technically it was after 2 years, but for the second year I was off ill for much of the time. My supervisor was very understanding, but it was still a very difficult thing for me to do. Right decision though.