I'm thinking of applying for a PhD but I can't seem to get any advice from anyone. My undergrad university's careers service has been little help so maybe I could get some help here??

It might be a stupid question but if I did a PhD and decided on an academic career after, how much would my PhD topic influence my future career. I have found a funded PhD in the broad area I'd like to study in, and although its not perfect it does sound like an interesting project. Would I be able to move on afterwards?

All I've heard about PhDs so far seem to be horror stories! Is it really as bad as what I've been hearing?

All opinions appreciated
:-)

Kayzi, can you find someone who is an academic in the department that would house your 'broad area' and have a frank chat or two? Usually the lecturers can give you some really honest but also encouraging advice. Word of mouth from fellow undergrads and post grads in your department can usually guide you to the sorts of academics who will be the best to approach. I don't know about there being only horror stories though-there certainly seem to be plenty of happy and keen students who do not regret undertaking their Phd's both on this forum and in person, to balance out the less exciting stories.
Good luck and best wishes.:-)

Hey Kayzi!

Probably the best people to speak to about PhDs are people in your department who are involved in the sorts of topics you might be interested in studying- I can imagine that the careers service will probably be quite vague about the whole thing. Have you got a tutor you can talk to or a lecturer you like and who would spare you a little time to talk to you about your options? You might need to think about doing a masters first, but this really depends upon your subject. For most subjects, you probably won't need to, but for some subjects it is compulsary- the department I am in has an MSc as a requirement for entry onto a PhD course. With a PhD, funding is the main issue. You can either apply for a project that already has funding, or you can come up with your own proposal, find someone who is willing to supervise it, and then look for funding.

The topic would be quite important with respect to your further career, but the main thing to take into consideration is the set of skills you will be learning to study that topic. I know quite a lot of people who have switched topics (within the same vague field, obviously!) after their PhD- as long as you have the experience and the skills then there is room for a bit of a jump in topic. I guess it depends a bit on what field you're in too.

And not all PhDs are horror stories! I for one absolutely love my PhD and wouldn't want to do anything else. But it is important to find somewhere you like, a topic you are interested in, and supervisors who are willing to offer you enough time to support you properly. This might all sound obvious but a lot of people who get only two out of the three right find it very difficult to get through their PhDs- a lot of difficulties are caused by issues with supervisors and a lack of motivation/interest in the topic. Having said that, some people who only get two out of three right manage fine and do very well, but best to aim high!

Best of luck- have a look around the forum and ask more questions if you need to! Best wishes, KB.

Hi Kayzi

People do PhDs and then can move on to do broader research. Lots of my colleagues researched a really specific area and are now lecturing in an area in the same field, but only tangentially related. It's the research skills you gain which are important, moreso than specialised areas of research. And there are lots of horror stories around, but that's because people come onto this forum mostly when things aren't going right, to get advice and support. Lots of us are happily (more or less!) working away most of the time. Even tho I've had the occasional melt down and whinge a lot about my PhD, I love my topic, I love thinking and writing, I love researching. I have no regrets about doing a PhD, and am sure many others feel like this too. It's really hard, but it's also really rewarding.