I agree. You sound like you really want to do it! If it were me however and there was a chance I was risking my financial future on it, I wouldn't. If you can afford it though it may be worth that 9k in the future anyway when it comes to future career opportunities...

Hi ShinyPilot,

Its good to see you saying your feeling a bit more positive about it already. I also started my PhD and I was very apprehensive about meeting everyone on my project, I had no idea what it would be like. I also went straight to doing a PhD from Undergrad and think I am the only person on my project who has done so. I do kind of understand what you say about feeling not belonging there, that's going to be your natural reaction if you had a bit of a tough first day. But you have to keep telling yourself, if you feel that way, that there is a reason you have gone straight from undergrad, you obviously had very good references and a lot of people believe you are going to be really good at this. It is hard when you don't know anyone and I myself am quite shy meeting new people but for the first couple of weeks you just have to pretend your not and just chat to anyone! As someone else on here said though this seems like a really good place to share your feelings and get advice and reaction from people who are going or have been through similar things. You are definatley not the first person to feel this way after day one I am sure! I hope you have a better day tomorrow!

Hi All,

Im starting mine tomorrow at Reading. I did my undergraduate degree there and have the same supervisor as my third year, which is good. It seems that I have the same symptoms as everyone else, that horrible mixture of excitement and dread!

Phill