I have to say I am the complete opposite! I find it really hard to work in the evening and even when it gets to 4pmish I find my brain turns to mush and I just can't do anything productive at all (like now)! I'm quite worried about when it comes to write up and I need to put the hrs in in the evening too cos I just can't seem to accomplish anything.

I totally agree SillyBilly. I intend to work for 2/3 years after I finish PhD but then have children and stay at home until they go to school and then go back to pursuing my career afterwards. I don't think my PhD will be a waste at all, I will be contributing to research in the field during it and when I return to my career the PhD will have given me great experience to help me in my future work.

I agreed with jouri, it sounds like you have made your mind up so you should go for it. There is nothing good about sticking it out if it is not for you. I wish I'd gone with my gut feeling a year ago but with only a year to go I now feel like it's too late and I may as well finish.I do sometimes wonder whether I will think it was worth it when/if I finish or whether I'll still be thinking I should have quit early on!

Congratulations! You must feel so happy and relieved! Make sure you treat yourself to something nice! Can you tell us a bit more about it? Like how long did it last? What were the best and worst bits? What were the first questions?

Hi eggle. Sorry to hear about your problems. Is there no way you could finish somehow. It seems like such a shame when you are near the end. What about dropping the other qualification you are doing instead or taking out a loan and cutting your working hours down?

Hi would say it's the stress of starting the PhD. Any big change in your life is stressful even if you don't think it is/ it's a good change. I had the same thing with fatigue twice in the last couple of years, both times were just after moving house and only lasted a few weeks so hang on in there. It's very common, doctors even have a name for it: TATT (tired all the time) known to be caused my stress.

Thats an interesting question. I think the first year is hard as you are finding your feet and don't really know what is expected of you. For me I had a really hard time towards the end of the first year (lots of crying and wanting to quit!). But then people talk about the second year blues don't they, and I imagine the 3rd year is really hard especially writing up, but at least the end is in sight then! Maybe it's just all hard!

I think it comes down to the individual, how you work best and your situation at home and in the office. I find for me that going in to work about 4 days with 1 day at home works best. Then I generally have a structure to my day (need to come in early for a lift) most days plus people to talk to and all the resources I need. Then one day a week I can have a bit of a sleep in plus watch a bit of TV during the etc. I couldn't do this everyday as I don't have internet access, printer etc but just have to plan what I'll do that day so I have the necessary stuff with me.

Sounds like you've done the right thing. Congrats and good luck!

Congratulations, you know what you want to do! (Wish I did!) And you don't need a PhD to be a nurse so I can see why you are not very motivated to finish something if you are not enjoying it when it is not even a means to an end. Don't listen to your friends doom and gloom stories. Maybe if you were applying to a research job they may have a problem with you quitting but I think for a nursing job and course they would understand that a PhD was not for you. They will understand that because nursing is such a hands on job, very different to research.

It's sounds as though you have really made your mind up. I think it takes guts to hold up your hands and say its not for me. Try not to think of it as wasted time. I think trying different career paths is valuable time spent even if you try something that is not what you eventually want to do. Do you have an idea of what you want to do as a career instead of working in science?

Sorry to hear that things are not going well for you. Can you get a masters out of what you have done so far? The careers service at you uni should be really helpful. They can help with what career path to take next and how to put a good spin on your CV and at interviews as to why you have left. Also, are you positive about wanting to quit? I think most people have these feelings from time to time. I know I was on the verge of quitting for about 2 months towards the end of my first year but things have improved now. However, I do think if you have been unhappy for a long time then it is the right thing to do. Good luck with what you decide.

Congrats! Hope you have a great day! I would love to bring it forward but we just wouldn't be able to get the money together by then

Thanks very much for your replies! Yes I think I'm going to have to face facts that it would be a bad idea! We are going to wait until the year after. Seems a shame to have to put things like that off for work stuff but I guess on the positive side I'll hava a year after PhD to enjoy the organizing, choosing dresses, hen night etc! If I did it the same year I can imagine being too stressed and busy for all that stuff!

My boyfriend and I would like to get married. The thing is we can't do it next year as no money and I'm worried doing it the year after would just be too stressful seeing as it's the year I'm due to finish. But at the same time we don't really want to wait 3 years. I wondered if anyone could give me advice on whether getting married the same year as completing would be a bad idea. Has anyone done this? My funding would run out in April so in theory I should be finished by then (but most people go over I know) and there would be waiting for the viva, doing the viva, doing corrections. We would go for late summer wedding. I would hate to get married knowing that I have my viva waiting for me when I get back from honeymoon! What would people advise? Wait another year or just go for it?!