Quote From Tudor_Queen:
And I would add - yes - a lot of it is about having the "grit" to not give up and make it to the end.

If it is what you want to do then go for it!

Ps. Confidence can be a recurring issue throughout the PhD (google "imposter syndrome"). It may just be that you've started early :-D All the best with your Masters result and securing funding if it's what you decide to do.

Thank you so much for your advice! It really nice to hear from someone who IS doing a PhD part-time as everyone that I have come into contact with is doing it full time. I think after reading all these comments that you are right, working 18.5 hours a week might be too much and definitely is asking for trouble. I'm just anxious that on choosing to do it part time it will mean that I'll be 30 (23 atm with a year left of my MA) when I finish with no career path as I don't want to go into academia/lecturing. Is that something everyone else is worried about or do you all want to go into university careers?

I have a mortgage and I need my car for hospital visits and other bills so I don't intend to (can't afford to) quit either of my jobs. It's finding a solution to my already being chronically ill and finding a way to do a PhD without making myself worse.

Quote From Rachierara13:


This might sound like a silly question, but do all students doing a PhD HAVE to teach and prepare materials for seminar groups alonside their research, or is that only if said person wants to enter that career and needs/wants the experience?

Quote From TreeofLife:


No you don't have to but you may as well. I think it's about taking advantage of the opportunities you're given. You don't know what you would after a PhD and if not participating in academic things gives you a disadvantage, then that's a bit silly when it didn't have to be like that.

All the things I did alongside my PhD helped me to get my academic job. I doubt I would have got it without it and it would have made it a lot more difficult if I had less experience.

Quote From laebae:
[quote]


I'll be 34 when I finish mine and I'm not even close to having a mortgage yet, so at least you'll have your life together more than me :P But seriously, if you want to do the PhD because you love your subject, I say go for it and see what opportunities it brings - after all, it's hard to predict what you'll want to do and where your life will be in six years' time. I'm doing this PhD because I want to do this research. I imagine I'll want to pursue a research career afterwards but I'm also keeping an open mind - it's scary, but it's also quite exciting. Good luck!

Quote From Rachierara13:
[quote]

I don't suppose you know of anyone that has signed up for a part time PhD and been allowed to submit it in 4 years because they had done it a bit quicker than anticipated?

I used to have my heart set on academia but when I actually spoke to my lecturers about it they were very honest with me about the downsides and I personally couldn't handle the rejection letters when trying to get published or cope with the pressure of conferences and, as I understand it, these components are part of the job and you have to publish to stay relevant/employed. I love the idea of the actual teaching seminar/lecture part of it though.