Considering dropping out of PhD

[Disco Boy]

You may be right with regards to the UK, but I know you are wrong with regards to much of the rest of the world and cited supporting evidence from independent bodies.

PhD Comics is so popular because it is so truthful for so many grad students.
The following is a near 100% accurate depiction of my PhD Life:
http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/most_popular.php

Okay brilliant.

But last time I checked the OP goes to a UK university, making much of what you said irrelevant.

 

[D.P.]

60-70 hours a week? As in ~13 hours a day 5 days a week? Really?

No, 11 hours Monday to Friday, 7-8 hours Saturday and Sunday on average but some days would be closer to 14hours with shorter days following, and one might work 12 hours on a Saturday and get Sunday off etc.

 

[D.P.]

Okay brilliant.

But last time I checked the OP goes to a UK university, making much of what you said irrelevant.

The OP says he is finding his PhD difficult, I was telling him that for a vast majority of people around the world it is very difficult, that is to be expected and you should probably just persevere but gave a warning that PhDs are not for everyone and can be too much psychologically for some people.

EDIT: don't want to offend anyone if they misconstrue what I say.

 

[[FnG]magnolia]

Handbag alert status : Amber

 

[Kutter]

Get a job doing something you actually want to do and enjoy doing. you'll make friends and be far happier with life. Not everyone is cut out to do a PHD.

 

[Jack Bauer]

At least stick it out until your transfer. Tell your supervisor your concerns and he / she will probably tell you the same. You'll get to write up and get an MPhil out of it but you never know, you may begin to enjoy it more.

You may want to consider finishing the year for an MPhil if you have results coming in and have a good chance of getting a paper within the year. I think they would find it difficult to fail you in an MPhil viva (that's assuming you even do one, sometimes you don't for an MPhil) if you have a publication.

I'm not going to tell you to continue as only you really know how you are doing, but the first year is early days.

 

[4Qman]

you have your youth once and only once, you should be at least happy.

I would give it another 4-8weeks changing aspect of study and lifestyle. If it doesn't work out and your still not happy then take a step back and rethink your plans.

Good luck.

 

[LOAM]

Handbag alert status : Amber

Just lol, sometimes I love you.

 

[mrthingyx]

To me - having not read the 'other' thread - it sounds like you did a PhD for all the wrong reasons.

I finished mine six (!) years ago, and FINALLY submitted for assessment in December 2008 (passed with minor corrections) as I had to write up whilst looking after a new baby, starting a real job, and doing professional exams.

PhDs are difficult - both on an intellectual and personal level - as the candidate has the freedom to do as much or as little as they wish in order to become a specialist in their given field. This normally involves hardcore studying and comprehension, a lot of hours put in at all hours (some of my experiments would last a very unhelpful 12hrs, and I had to be there at the start and the finish).

Sure, I was paid through mine and earned as much as my wife (after tax was deducted from her salary) who had a real job, but I absolutely loved the freedom to do whatever I wanted - I thrived on it because I loved the subject and the science.

But I will always tell people considering a PhD to think about whether they have the stubbornness to look at - essentially- one very specific thing for three years, the intellect to grasp some serious concepts and - in some instances - overturn them through their work. Cost/money should not come in to it.

If you are struggling to the extent you suggest, I would have a very long, hard think about what you're actually doing - it's not going to get any easier, and if you're even suffering when reading journal articles (which you should have done for your bacherlor's), you're going to get body parts handed to you during the assessments. My undergraduate tutor openly questioned whether I was qualified and capable to take on a PhD after my degree... I'm glad he was wrong.

Talk to your supervisor, tell him your concerns and admit them to yourself. That will give you the steer you need as to whether you can break off your current trajectory, But do it soon, as you're only going to make it worse.

Just to make sure I qualify to have a valid opinion: I did my PhD in orthopaedic alloy chemistry at a Russell Group university in this country.

 

[ntg]

Hey all.

I am doing a PhD in engineering and am 6 months into it. I am an undergraduate hall warden and so get a free flat with free food etc. and I get paid to do the PhD. I turned down a decent graduate engineering job for this as overall it worked out that I had more money doing the PhD than if I was in industry.

The problems are that since I started in October 2011 I have found the PhD very difficult and I find the academic papers are nigh on impossible to understand. I find the whole process very lonely as I am in an office with older researchers who have families and are either at the end of their PhD or have finished their PhD, plus my friends from my course (undergraduate finished last year) have left and a few other friends turned out not to be the friends I thought they were.

I feel like I extremely unhappy and am unsure what to do. I want to leave the PhD but I know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I am throwing away.

I realise this is in GD but I hope at least a few answers will be sensible .

What is the opportunity you are throwing away? from what you write you chose to do the PhD because it paid more than a graduate engineering job (that must have been one of the silliest things I've read in a while).

So, my understanding is that you are treating this as a job, not an opportunity. Go get a job, that's what you really want/need.

 

[aardvark]

The OP says he is finding his PhD difficult, I was telling him that for a vast majority of people around the world it is very difficult, that is to be expected and you should probably just persevere but gave a warning that PhDs are not for everyone and can be too much psychologically for some people.

EDIT: don't want to offend anyone if they misconstrue what I say.

sorry, but PhD's are easy - of the 100 or so people i know who did one (including me) nobody worked the hours you quote - except for the writing up stage.

anyway - it does sound like the OP chose to do a PhD for the wrong reason. The first year is the easiest of the lot - if you can't cope now you will never manage to write a 300 page thesis at the end.

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

Thanks for the replies all.
I am going to the doctors Friday and to the councelling service the same day to see if I can get things that are on my mind sorted a bit (other things than the PhD).
I did the PhD because I felt it would be a good thing to have - A doctorate in environmental system design in a world that needs to become more sustainable would give me plenty of oppurtunities for interesting work.
I am not saying I am here for the money, but the money did tempt me I am afraid.
I have felt like I am slowly getting more unhappy week by week since Christmas and am seriously considering going into industry.
I may see the year out (first year report due in May) to see how it goes and if I feel any better, but if not then I think I will just full on leave.
I am 23 (near 24) years old.

I want to power through this part of my life but the feeling of 2.5-3 more years on this doesn't sound fun. Afaik MPhil are 2 years long so I would be there 2 years out of the 3, may as well do the PhD if that is the case!
I am currently on an MPhil and will get upgraded to a PhD after my first year report is assessed and I do a presentation. I suppose I could see how that goes, but I don't want to quit and regret it, I do need time to think a bit.

 

[stockhausen]

Sad to hear this tale

Fowever, I think that the following quote contains excellent advice:

Sounds to me like you took on a PhD for all the wrong reasons. Not what you want to hear but if you feel like this after 6 months then I doubt you will last the distance. Speak to your supervisor and get some advice. If you really want to stick at it you need to address the issues sooner rather than later. You don't need to be fantastically clever to do a PhD but you do need to be committed and have an excellent work ethic.

Don't aimlessly drift along more in misery than expectation for another six months or a year before calling it a day.

As Salsa says, speak to someone - DO IT, DO IT THIS DAY!

ps - Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[Jack Bauer]

The funding for an MPhil may be two years long, but as with PhDs you can submit when you have enough data/results to write the thesis. As above, this depends how your first year has gone. Either way, doesnt sound like you are up for it which is fair enough.

I would also consider getting advice from a second academic in your department other than your supervisor. Its in his interest for you to say and finish. I'm not saying he will give you bad advice, but it may be biased towards you staying.

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

Hey all.
Last night I did some work then lost 2-3 hours worth at 11pm when I had forgotten to save a downloaded file from my email as a new name. I redid some of it whilst it was fresh in my head and called it a day as I was quite stressed but barely slept.
I rang in this morning (had a course all afternoon) to say I wasn't feeling well and would work from home all morning. I did and found I got a lot done and even did some tonight. The distractions in the office are annoying but now I take in my Corsair HS1 headset - It helps massively but nothing beats working from my own study (supervisor insists I am in 9-5 and book holidays like an employee).
I have made appointments with the University councelling service and the doctors later this week to see if they can help.

Thanks for all the replies everyone.
I may not last the distance and it is better to leave now than further down the line, but I will do my best to power through this and not lose this opportunity.

 

[Disco Boy]

Hey all.
Last night I did some work then lost 2-3 hours worth at 11pm when I had forgotten to save a downloaded file from my email as a new name. I redid some of it whilst it was fresh in my head and called it a day as I was quite stressed but barely slept.
I rang in this morning (had a course all afternoon) to say I wasn't feeling well and would work from home all morning. I did and found I got a lot done and even did some tonight. The distractions in the office are annoying but now I take in my Corsair HS1 headset - It helps massively but nothing beats working from my own study (supervisor insists I am in 9-5 and book holidays like an employee).
I have made appointments with the University councelling service and the doctors later this week to see if they can help.

Thanks for all the replies everyone.
I may not last the distance and it is better to leave now than further down the line, but I will do my best to power through this and not lose this opportunity.

Talk to your supervisor a out working from home and coming in only for meetings. If he's not cooperative then go to your director of graduate studies and discuss it with him/her.

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

Talk to your supervisor a out working from home and coming in only for meetings. If he's not cooperative then go to your director of graduate studies and discuss it with him/her.

I accepted the 9-5 thing before I even started though and would be diffcult to try to do this now. It was a condition from my supervisor before I started my work.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Not that I want to start a fight between you and your supervisor - but you may want to check your contract (or student equivalent) as academic contracts in my university state that I must work 37 hours a week at any time and make myself available for any teaching duties/meetings between the hours of 10 am - 4 pm. In addition I must when necessary work any amount of extra hours as required.

Basically, I can be flexible. I assume a student contract would be similar. At least if you know what this says you have a starting point to discuss it with your supervisor. As long as you are productive I can't see why he would care.

I accepted the 9-5 thing before I even started though and would be diffcult to try to do this now. It was a condition from my supervisor before I started my work.

This does put you in an difficult position, but it's still worth discussing it. I don't suggest you do it this way, but just because you agreed doesn't mean anything and I don't think he can stop you. Not the way to go about it though.

 

[Lukewhitworth]

Not that it matters, but I envy all doctorate candidates and graduates (Minus the people whom purchased a doctorate from Spain in the field of 'The minds of cats' for a fee of 400 Euros ) because I would love to have that opportunity myself, and work on a subject I admire. Yet I am stuck in a menial retail job, where if I drew a graph of the hierarchy, the salary increases as the IQ decreases ten fold..

Before you quit because you are having a minor hiccup in your doctorate, think about the people that would love to be in your position.

 

[Disco Boy]

I accepted the 9-5 thing before I even started though and would be diffcult to try to do this now. It was a condition from my supervisor before I started my work.

Which you accepted on the fair assumption that it would be an environment conducive to work. If that isn't the case then your DGS will be on your side, irrespective of whether or not you agreed to work in the middle of what turned out to be a circus. Seriously just go and speak to them, they are there to help you.