Hello everyone,

A few months ago, while doing my final year of a physics Masters, things were a bit rocky. All the job applications I had sent out were rejected, and even worse I got to the final round of my dream job only to be told they had found a better candidate. It was at this time that a professor at my university approached me asking if I'd like to pursue a PhD under his supervision.

The position was funded, the topic is something I find really interesting, and at that time I was certain I'd never find a job (working as a quant). So, unsurprisingly, I accepted the offer and have been through the formal process and am currently set to start in early September.

However, as of late I see my university friends moving ahead with jobs and whatnot (and I'm happy for them), but I find myself thinking "maybe I should just try getting a job". But then I wonder if 5 or 10 years down the line I'll regret rejecting such a fantastic opportunity...

Is it a terrible idea to start the PhD when I'm unsure about whether I truly want to do it? Or is this kind of self-doubt a relatively common thing?