More or less... I don't necessarily feel I'm sacrificing or having to tolerate anything. I hope that whatever I do next will be fulfilling and actually help my development as a researcher. Thanks for your input as always. I'll keep you posted.

Do you have a Student Union? They should be able to advise / support you too.

Ooops, I edited my reply while you responding to it! It is slightly different now (I noted that you didn't have funding and added something else).

Hey nordsee,

I think it's great if you have a good idea that you want to quit your PhD (that's what the original post sounded like). Most people who post on here about quitting are struggling and feel like they want to quit but do not really want to quit (eg they want a future career in academia, they know they're just going through a temporary rough time, they only have a short time left and think they may as well finish).

If you're not finding PhD life fulfilling and don't think it is necessarily for you, then one idea is to explore your career options. You could do this by looking at job profiles, taking those tests they have, talking to people, and importantly, thinking about what parts of your past and present experiences you have enjoyed vs. not enjoyed (or hated!) - and what it is that distinguishes those parts and what careers might offer things you know you enjoy. Once you have some options of what you think you would like to do you can then go about planning the steps that will take you to that role. If a PhD isn't necessary then leaving sounds a sensible plan!

If, on the other hand, you want to stay on and finish your PhD (eg maybe you really want to have a doctorate, or maybe you want to be an academic or something else that needs a PhD) then other people's advice here sounds a good plan.

All the best!
Tudor

Thanks for the advice. My supervisor situation is a little unique!

How is it going Sad?

Keep us posted if you can.

Tudor

Hi pm133, thanks for your message. Just to clarify further, it isn't a matter of minding what people think about me - trust me, I really don't. However, I do know that certain actions can be interpreted in certain ways by others - and I do not want to hamper my chances of success by doing something that might close doors instead of opening them. This is why I am trying to get a feel for what is what - and what might be a way to move forward in academia (where, for now at least, I would like to be).

I think I can appreciate where you're coming from re not ticking others' boxes, but rather, living your own life. I tend to do this too. My caution here is because I want to meet my goals, and not because I am concerned about what others might think. Trying to figure out what is best for me is precisely what I am trying to do!

Thank you for your reply - explaining my position has helped me understand where I'm coming from myself a little more (:

I think that if you are applying at the same uni then someone would recognize your name or see that you were previously enrolled on a PhD program. Another thing is, maybe your referees are alluding to it. I do think that if anyone is aware that you had failed one previously then questions would be asked. Not exactly a blacklist but elephants remember kinda thing.

Also - are you talking about funding here? If so then it is worth noting that it is so competitive that the majority of applications are rejected. It may simply be a case of that.

Thank you Tru - it is very useful to hear your view and be encouraged to think about it from the perspective of the potential PI. I'm going to give it more thought. I believe it would be a temporary move, and I would stand to gain from it (there are certain things I haven't got from my PhD that I wanted to get - and perhaps this is a way to go about it).

Hope all is well with you.

More direct that China apparently! But, mind you , there are individual differences within cultures too (my supervisors would never say good unless they meant it - thank goodness). And I'm speaking comparatively. We aren't direct at all compared to Germany for instance! Interesting discussion!

Thanks all for your insightful replies. I suppose my concern is - will it be seen as bad in some way when I try to apply for post docs later. Not sure what the fear is grounded in - possibly just the unknown. I don't want to do anything that will hinder my chances at getting a postdoc, and doing an RA role in the meantime seems more relevant than any other job I could come by.

pm133 - personally I am not worried about being overqualified for a particular role. My only concern would be that others might wonder why I was doing a role that didn't need a PhD or Masters when I do have both those qualifications. Or - could it be seen as a step backwards if I get a job I could have easily got 5 years ago when I finished my UG degree.

Further thoughts / comments welcomed.