Hi Maccle,

Thanks for that.

It's not that I don't have the passion - I really love my topic, it's just that some other people have said to me that perhaps I've settled on a research area too early and that I'd be better off if I explored my options because, as someone said, "you may not have discovered something else that you really enjoy".
I have been taking classes in other topic areas but the topic that I worked on in my undergrad dissertation is one that has really stuck with me and I'd really like to keep going with it.

I wouldn't say I'm half-hearted, maybe cautious is a better word, also given that I've been suffering from depression on and off for the past two years and so I really want to explore all my options before settling on a decision :)

Hi,

Apologies in advance about the long post but I would really like to hear your thoughts...

I'm almost half-way through a part-time MRes degree in the social sciences and am pondering my future.

I'd really like to do a PhD but would only be able to do this if I get funding. I got a 2:1 in undergrad and am doing well so far in my Masters at the same university, I'm on course for a Distinction (still need to maintain this, mind, and have got another 3 modules plus dissertation to do next year.)

My research interest though is in quite a narrow research area and it seems that I'll almost certainly get the same dissertation advisor for Masters as for my undergrad degree. The advisor himself is great and is, I suppose, somewhat of a rising star in his field.

But if I do go for a PhD I'm really limited as to where I'd be able to go - my husband is studying until 2016 so I wouldn't be able to move elsewhere until then but also my research interest also limits me. So, you guessed it, I'm potentially looking at the same supervisor for all 3 degrees which I'm sure wouldn't be looked at favourably if I were looking for an academic position afterwards.

My research interest is also in a very 'academic' topic, not in something of direct value to 'real life' as it were.
I'm now starting to wonder whether there's any point in doing the PhD if I can only reasonably doing it at the same uni and it's not something that would be of value in the 'real world'.

It's been suggested that I try and find new interests but I know what I would possibly want to do for PhD so am reluctant to do my Masters dissertation on a different topic.

Not really sure where I'm going with this but some other people's thoughts would be useful.

Thank you :)