Hi everyone,

I posted in this forum in July, I think, when I was considering quitting my PhD. I've now gone ahead and formally interrupted my studies for one year from this November onwards. Basically, it's for all the reasons I mentioned in my last post: not confident I had a suitable thesis, problems with writing, and so on. My PhD was in political theory/philosophy and often it felt I was just writing a book 'from scratch' with little to go on (i.e., not like a more social science-orientated thesis, with methdology, results, analysis).

Anyway, while I have interrupted my PhD, at this stage I don't really intend to return to it (and would be difficult due to lack of funding). I've gone through the whole process of mourning (which looking back started even while I was still doing the PhD a year ago, when I realised I didn't really want to do it, even though my supervisor was still very supportive). I'm now ready to move on to something new, and have already got a part-time job with a company that puts on supplementary classes for kids in English, Maths and Science, and will hopefully be getting work experience in the area of information science/information systems/IT.

This area is the career path I think I will go down now... Obviously I am am rather worried about prospects, having spent three years on the PhD with only a little work experience in my gap year when I was 18/19 (though as I have emphasized on my CV I have ample experience in uni extracurricular societies/politics, got a first in my undergrad degree, etc.). As I said, I want to get some work experience this year, and I am also considering doing an information systems or computer science MSc next September. While I am hesitant about doing another postgraduate course, I feel that this is the only way to get a job with a more vocational/technical orientation, and which would hopefully have long-term prospects.

So, I'm just wondering what other people did when they quit a PhD or moved into a different career area other than acadmeia/teaching, and also what people think of the prospects for getting an job in industry in the areas I mentioned above.

Thanks! :)

Thanks for all the responses everyone!! Great to read that other people have also found it difficult to move into the writing-up phase. Hardest part is just trying to shift myself from research mode into writing mode I think. But still, I have been reflecting quite hard on the past couple of years, and basically I don't think my PhD has been the most normal of experiences. Obviously everyone has a unique set of circumstances, though with me starting it so soon after my MA and only a very vague outline of what I wanted to do, as well as having done a completely different undergraduate degree, it has been particularly strenuous. I also don't think I was mature enough to take on the PhD, in the sense I only really did it because I got funding, and wish now I'd taken a few more years to decide if I had a viable topic, and what PhD work and life actually involves.

However, that said, I've gone from wanting to quit to now thinking I can take another look at what I've done and at least put some kind of plan together, at least for an MPhil. I'm not too bothered to be honest about gaining the full PhD, don't want a career in academia, still fairly young (26), and feel I want to move onto something different. Anyway, will let you all know how I get on!

Hi everyone,

So, here's another thread about quitting... I'm just approaching the end of my third year on my PhD, but wondering whether it would be best to leave the phd. Basically despite having stuck with it for so long, I'm not convinced that I have a good enough framework to enter into the writing up period. There have already been a number of points where I have seriously considered leaving but have always been persuaded to stay on by my supervisor. He's confident that what I have done so far is OK, but to be honest, I still have to do most of the writing in my final year and that's not something I think I can manage!! He just seems to think I should be able to put something together so quickly.

I am the first student he's supervised and I suspect he might find it difficult to let me go, always falling back on how 'he also had problems' when doing his own PhD. Because my project is in the humanities, and in political theory, it's not simply a case of writing it chapter by chapter and I've had to delve into a lot of theory, but there comes a point where you realise that you've just been reading for three years but aren't really going anywhere with it. I'm also not certain that jumping straight into the PhD after my MA was the right thing to do - I guess a lot of people must be in this boat, but I just don't feel I can manage another year of the lifestyle. When I came down to London to do my MA I was quite active in student politics which was great, though subsequently then focussed much more on my work. But since having to do this I've become more cut off from things and it's not really where I want to be right now.

Anyway, would be good to hear other people's stories of the writing-up period and outcomes of having left a PhD at this point!!