Hi Pineapple,

I can empathise with the wondering whether it was worth it feeling. Especially as doing a PhD essentially means signing away your twenties (if that's when you do it) and missing out on the stage where everyone else seems to be settling down and getting well paid jobs. I also look at my friends and the fact that they can go on holiday, are starting families etc. But 29 is still very young and so many people are just starting out at our age.

Plus you have amazing qualifications which will help you in the long term, even if right now things may be difficult. And if I "only" had 8 k in savings I would be dancing from the rooftops! In fact if I was only 8 k in personal debt I would be laughing! Even having any savings must put you in the top few percent of wealthiest postgrad students.

So I undertstand how you are feeling and you totally have the right to feel like that. but just enjoy the fact that it's over (almost) and who knows what the future will bring. Good luck!

Thanks Bilbo. Sorry to read about your illness preventing you from going on. I hope things worked out best for you in the end.

I have imagined quitting and like you describe it gives me a sense of relief and that something has been lifted from my shoulders, but also a terrible grief. I was so excited when I was offered this project and gave up everything in my life for it (I had to move country, leave my partner and ruin my finances) so to walk away will mean I lost everything for nothing.

But the project changed between when I was offered it and when I started and I'm trying to imagine it as it is, without all the baggage, can I go on doing something I hate? I've lost all my zest and passion for the subject and life, but don't know if quitting will bring it back. It's such a hard decision as neither option is 100% the right one. If I stay I will be unhappy and half-hearted, if I leave I will always grieve for everything I lost and for what I had hoped to make out of the PhD.

I'm going to talk to my supervisor tomorrow. At the moment I'm just trying to talk to as many people before then to feel prepared and informed.

Thanks again.

Hi,

I'm trying to get as much advice as possible before making a big decision and any comments or experiences would really be appreciated.

I want to quit my PhD. I'm a year and a half in and I have hit a mental and physical wall. I have minimal interest in my project and feel like I'm wading through a fog in my mind when I try to work on it.

I'm a financial mess and money worries make me struggle every day and resent my PhD as I was on a good wage and had savings before starting. Now I'm approaching 30 and in a huge debt caused by the PhD and I find it hard to get over the anger at my PhD for putting me in such a position.

I feel I almost have to quit as I have nothing more to give. But if I do quit I just have no job, no income and nothing to show for the years I've wasted apart from being in a much worse position than when I started.

Has anyone on here quit? What was your next step? Do you regret it? What would you say is the critical factor in knowing whether to quit or not?

I really appreciate any clear independent advice. I'm feeling really down and it's hard to make a good judgement at the moment so I'm hoping the more people I talk to the better.

Thanks