Thank you very much for your answers, they do confirm what I was thinking about 18 hours being too much. I don't have to pay a tuition fee, so it's mostly the cost of living that requires me to work besides. However I think I have spared enough before the PhD to manage with less work-hours for a few months, and I'll apply for grants in-between. I'm reluctant to go part-time because I don't trust myself for working diligently if I do. I'll see if the student union or the student counsel can give me advice about this also.

The job is in a kindergarten (I like working with kids, but I had no experience with babies before). My supervisor told me that I'll probably be able to teach at the university's summer courses, I don't think I can get teaching hours during the semester so far but I'll definitely ask if I can do note-taking.



There are two scholarships available for my university, both merit-based, and 20% of the PhD students get it each year. I'll definitely apply for them, but I think I need to go 100% into the PhD for at least a year in order to stand a chance. Some of my fellow students are seeking funding from companies, I'm waiting to see how it works out for them. Loan is still another option, several friends in the MA here took one.



Companies may provide some (as I answered Englishlit92, I'm waiting to see how it goes for my friends who are trying to get that), and perhaps the national research fund of my home country.

Hi,

I started a full-time PhD last month, and as I am self-funded, I took a 50% job (18 hours a week, every morning from monday to friday) besides. I have trouble managing my time and I feel like I'm already late when it comes to my plan for the semester. I cannot work that much on my thesis during week-ends, or at least not at this stage, because the material that I do my research on is in an institute that is closed at that time. Plus, at the risk of sounding like I'm whining, I also want to precise that I have no particular interest in this part-time job, neither personally nor career-wise, which doesn't help with my motivation. I was also working besides my BA and MA, sometimes up to 80%, but somehow I never felt like it was hampering me in my studies as it does now.
I know that many students are in a similar situation, so I would be very grateful to have your advices and/or opinions: how can I make time for my PhD with a 50% job? Can I still carry my studies successfully if I struggle with this? And if I quit the job, will it be a failure?