Thank you all for your posts. You have all raised things that need to be considered before making a decision. I have been obsessing about this for months now... wanting to leave etc. But when it comes down to it, I can't pull the plug and keep asking for time to reconsider. I really don't know what that means, except that I don't know my own mind because I am finding it hard to pull the plug on my alternative career option as well. @Hazyjane, I know what you mean about feeling like I haven't given it enough of a chance. I hate feeling like a quitter. @Dalmation, you touched on some issues that could be the problem - own self confidence issues - and this view about "quitters". I guess all of you decided to stay or start again and see it through.

Hi! The forum is full of posts about people wanting to quit etc... I was just wondering, if anyone who has quit a PhD regrets their decision? Hopefully you are still on the forum or maybe you know someone who quit and really regrets it. What, if any, were the negative consequences (feel free to mention the positives too)? And for those with the urge to quit but do not - is it worth it? How do you cope? Do you also have regrets about hanging on? How do you know if your desire to leave it all behind is real - and not just due to certain circumstances but rather a part of PhD stress/depression (which is supposedly normal, although I have serious doubts about that)?

Hi Cornflower! I have just read your post and immediately joined the forum so I could post a reply. I am starting my PhD in October and like you, I am both excited and scared. It's good to know there are others out there who are/have gone through the same feelings. I suppose it is always worth reaffirming to yourself that if you could not do it, you would not have come this far and been offered a place (that's my current trick - it works - sometimes).

Unfortunately for me, I do not have a lot of support at the moment. Having been in full time employment for the past three years with a well paying job in engineering, everyone I know seems to NOT be wishing me well and are hell bent on playing on some of my fears such as money and future career options (my PhD is going to be in an interdisciplinary field not directly related to what I have been doing). I too am worried about it being a new way for me to apply my skills and also in a "new" field. I am worried about people not liking me - about feeling isolated. I am worried about where I am going to live - university accommodation or private? If I go private does this cut me off from others too much? Would I even be able to live in private accommodation? Could I afford a place of my own (still maintaining the "independence" I had got used to these last 3 years)? Should I house share? Can I house share? How novel an idea can I come up with? .....

I just wanted to say I'm scared too.