Hey! Hypothesis and SillyBilly! I'm a Croydon girl! I'm definitely not a chav and I know how to open train doors lol :)

-3 years of constant funding (a definite plus for me given the difficulty of obtaining psych relevant jobs and a chance to clear my career development loan for my MSc)
-3 years of obtaining relevant experience in a clinical field with a clinically relevant PhD.
-Good career prospects for futher clinical training (I'm going to try and get into the clinical psychology doctorate after this PhD).
-Chance to develop employable skills; in my case teaching experience-I would NEVER become a teacher, but its still good experience!
-Chance to get some decent peer reviewed publications with my supervisors
-Yes, can work where I want too; although my supervisor gets v.annoyed with me if I'm out of the office for long periods of time
-Chance to really read and research interesting relevant stuff
-Chance to meet so many different new people
-Sense of pride getting to PhD level (although we'll see whether I get there given the pending upgrade result!).

This PhD has some serious disadvantages though, and although it has its advantages, if I had the choice, I'm not sure I would have gone down the PhD route. I've lost so much (partner decided to break up our 5yr relationship-and I'm sure its partly to do with me starting on this course, so I'm dealing with guilt and regret ). My confidence is also at an all time low by constantly critical and pushy supervisors who probably regret taking me on! despite all my efforts:( I'm hanging on by a thread and by peoples comments that it will all be worth it in the end.

Despite other arguments the truth is your ultimate salary is greater

These are just figures out of my head but roughly - so please no comments on how wrong my figures are

Burger King Staff (£5.50 an hour) 40 hour week - £220 a week (£12,000 a year)
Burger King manager (50 hour week) £12-15k MAX
Call centre (37.5hr week) - £10-15k
Hospital Lab work Based on Degree (40hrs) -£17-25k
Hospital Lab work based on Masters (40hrs)- 2 years of training but salary potential increases to up to £35k by the end of your career - potential
Hospital Lab - with PhD (40-50hrs)- you could take one of specialised posts which pay up to £60k
Academia + research with PhD (?hours) - start at £23k (ish) upper level is variable but upwards of 50k is possible

My point is that each step you take increases the starting potential for earning and ultimatley affects the ceiling salary you can acheive by the peak of your career. Plus you won't come home smelling of burger grease every day

Thanks for all your replies - I posted this because I am going through a particularly bad time with work. Some of your posts have been really positive.
I got to a situation at the end of last week where I am thinking of quitting (I know everyone says this at some point). I am having so much trouble writing (and reading) after having a gap from academia, everything I once knew seems to have totally dissapeared from my head!!
I know this sounds rather silly, but also worrying me is that my funding for next year is uncertain and if I have to rely completely on self funding then I will be in serious trouble as I currently stand. Part of me thinks that there is no point doing all this work if I can't carry it on and am forced to drop out.
I just don't know what to do!

its a hard fact of the PhD - that most people probably - regardless of time out - have to work for a period without funding -

It is extreemly difficult if you are the sole breadwinner for your houshold and I don't know what you could do otherwise

Most folk have to take on part or full time work whilst in the final stages of their PhD - which does slow down the writing process - but at least it gets done and you can go on to reap the rewards

At least if you plan now - for the possibility of a lack of funding next year - you may be able to come up with a solution that might allow you to finish - rather than relying on it and being stuck when the time comes

Hope this helps

good luck

S

sjo4, I am teaching at the moment but I am at the maximum hours that they will let me do per week(6). I would have to take on another job, yet the preparation for my teaching as it is eats into my time and concentration let alone doing something else alongside. This may be easier next year as I will have already done the prep this year and will be used to the course content.
An option I considered was to drop down to part time on the PhD and allow myself to get more work - if this was the case I could probably afford the part time fees. I just don't know if that sort of thing would be frowned upon, or if there would be a hassle with registration/completion time.
Sorry, I just felt like a moan today!

There may be an option for you in the form of suspending your registration (have you already done this on your year out?) In extenuating circumstances you can suspend your registration (or even get an extension) the time during which does not count to the total time taken

As for the 6hours maximum - I presume that is only while you are under contract as a PhD i.e. getting paid

If they stopped then theoretically you should be free to teach more hours I assume - therefore you could possibly raise some more money that way?

Part time is an option - but I don't have any experience on how this works - but I assume the total time would be adjusted to give you more time to finish etc

At the end of the day, only you know your situation and will be able to determine whats best for you - but you're right with all your prep from previous years it shouldn't be as hard - hopefully

s

Thanks for your suggestions sjo4 - that has given me another option to consider. I haven't yet suspended registration, so I could look into something like that, I guess quitting is just the easy option and something I would regret later whilst stuck at burger king for my £5 an hour . Yes, the 6 hours max. is because of my PhD registration (good thing too, otherwise I would get even less work done than I do now!!

Hahahaha, I was going to say the 10% discount at Top Shop and not having to pay council tax...