i would quit, if i were you, because you say, you really want to quit. and if you've thought about it for 2 weeks, than its not just an impulse, but a true feeling.

i too did not want to quit because of fear of dissapointing everyone. but a phd is hard enough as it is, without doing it for other people.

trust me, in hindsight, i wish i had quit after my first year. i just didnt have the courage to do so.

do what you REALLY want to do, and dont even think about what other people will think. its you that will be working hard.

my advice, do what you really want to do. the whole world is out there!

bana: Don't feel like you should stay because you dont want to disappoint anyone else. You were doing this for yourself in the first place, so if you find now that this really isnt for you, then walk away.

If you really want to leave then do so. Forget about what anyone else thinks.

Dropping out of a PhD will have little or no impact on your future career (outside academica anyway). Most of the people who will interview you for jobs probably would never have dared go near a PhD and so are not in much of a position to judge you for dropping out of your PhD.

I can say that dropping out of a PhD hasn't done me any harm Im off to do a masters at a very good uni in october

All these msgs have been very helpful for me in my situation. I have in the last few months submitted my phd and had my viva. The viva didn't go well and I am now cosidering quitting. I have been given 12 months corrections with another viva at the end. I have been working for the past 6 months and don't have the time and motivation to continue working on the phd as well. I am angry that my supervisors let me submit when my thesis was obviously not ready. Do people think that quitting at this stage is acceptable?

any decision you make is acceptable, i just think it would be a big shame to give up when you're so close!

hello, I am the original poster of this message, which I wrote about 6-7 weeks ago now. I have left, I feel like I have made the right decision. While it is a bit stressful to leave and there are certain regrets you have, overall, I feel pretty relieved. Its quite strange as I went straight from BA MA to Phd, and while I was doing it, despite having always done well academically, I suddenly really began to question what it was that I wanted to do. I have new job now, which I like, so it is all good. I wish everyone the best of luck and thanks for the messages.

Update!
Hi..so I told my supervisor I definitely want to leave! So now 'leaving is in progress'. The good thing is I can apparently write up what I've done in the past year and leave with a MPhil..so I'll have something to show for my years work.And then I'm free! woo hoo!
Thanks for all your messages of support! And good luck with whatever your doing x