Thanks for all the responses! They have been very helpful!

Well... I have not really cared about rankings before, but then I started to read up on it and it got me a bit nervous. I have not studied in the UK before so I don't really know much about the academic "culture" over here.

On a side not, why shouldn't I be qualified to make judgments of my supervisor's publication record? Just because I'm a first year student it doesn't mean I'm unqualitfied to do so. And my "awesome grades" did attract attention, but what I wanted to do didn't really match with that faculty's research focus.

Hi,

I'm currently a fully funded first year PhD student at a sucky ranked UK university (in most UK rankings around 80-100). My department is not particularly research oriented and has at the moment not too much cash to throw around. The university has just recently started to try to cut their spendings; staff, resources, travel expenses, conference fees, and so on. However, until now I have felt like a wonderboy that the department has gladly funded to go to conferences, but not anymore. Most of the other PhD students are not good. In some cases they are horrible. I am the only one that is funded.

My supervisor is very ambitious and has a really (!) impressive network. His/her research record is alright, not mind blowing, but OK. She/he is really keen that I produce papers during my time there, go to workshops/conferences, and get opportunities to teach. She also shares the same alternative research interest as me.

But I am starting to think that I may be shooting myself in the foot by doing my PhD at this very low ranked and poor university? Will it fuck up a potential academic career?

I have a bachelors and a two-year master's degree from a university that is ranked top 100 in the world. The faculty is well-known for their research and I have awesome grades.

I have been shortlisted for two PhD positions before. One of them was at a faculty that is specialised in my area of interest, research oriented, and is quite well-known internationally. I didn't get the position but I was ranked 2nd out of twenty applicants. Their PhD positions are always salaried.

I'm starting to doubt the choices I have done and would need some helpful advices. Should I quit? Should I hang in there? Should I wait and try to apply to the faculty that almost took me in before when a positions opens up? Any suggestions?