Hi all,
I hope you can help me.

I am having serious doubts about continuing my PhD. I have found that my enthusiasm for the field I have chosen to do my research in isn't what it should be, this has become apparent with the number of seminars (~3 per week) I've been to.

I only started my PhD in October and haven't got that much support from my supervisors, I have relied mainly upon the postdocs and myself uptil now.
My project has shifted focus a lot. The industrial collaborator wouldn't be too happy about this, as this was the basis of the original proposal for which funding was applied, and the reason for the partnership. But my main supervisor had little interest in that area and told me so.

If I stayed I don't feel I'd be getting the most out of the PhD as I could, 4 years is a long time and if my motivation is low right now, I dread to think hat it'd be like later on. Ultimatley it was a poor choice I made and I don't want to jeopardise my chances of achieveing a PhD, as it's really important to me.

My main concerns are:

1. If I leave will it be frowned upon (or a major draw back) when applying for another PhD?
2. Will it affect funding for a PhD?
3. Do I/Can I carry on to an MPhil instead of a PhD?

Hope someone can advise me.
Thanks,
JD

Most PhD students experience what you are feeling at some point, HOWEVER ... if you are really unhappy/don't feel it's the right thing for you than leave now!

Leaving now wouldn't work against you (dropping out after 3 years/not finishing would have bigger implications).

Remember: Worse things have happened at sea!!!

JD,
I completely understand your situation. I joined a PhD program at a top university last year and dropped out after a year.

I made a big mistake. I accepted the position without properly researching the background of the PhD topic and without ever attending an interview. I always knew it would be a risky venture but it was a very prestigious university so I just felt I couldn’t turn it down.

I would say I hated my topic from the start. My supervisor was never around and didn’t show any interest in what I did, apart from tearing my head off every couple of months when things were not going to plan. I worked with a post doc who couldn’t have cared less about what I did either. So to sum things up, the first year of my PhD was a nightmare. I dropped out after getting mauled by my supervisor in first year review. I really should have bailed out months earlier.

To answer your questions:



1. If I leave will it be frowned upon (or a major draw back) when applying for another PhD?

Not necessarily. It depends on your reason for leaving your program. In general you will have some convincing to do with any prospective supervisor but this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Consider this:
From my experience at my university and from talking to academics at other universities, it’s quite common for students to have major issues with their project/supervisor and hence it’s a lot more common for students to change PhDs than you might think.

I didn’t even pass first year and have been offered a PhD studentship at another university. In my case, my head of department and advisor got involved and took my side. So I had a reference with was able to backup my claim that I had reasonable justification for not continuation.

You have a number of options:

1) You can continue with your current supervisor and change the scope of your current project or stay at your university but change supervisor/project.

If at all possible most universities will prefer either option because if you drop out this will put a black mark on the department. The funding bodies seriously frown upon departments which lose a certain % of their students and this can have repercussions for future funding applications the department might make.

2 If you do drop out and apply to other universities, you are going to have to convince them that you have both the commitment and ability to see through a PhD program in what ever field/topic it maybe. The best way to do this is get relevant work experience or do a taught Msc in that field or Mres and get a paper published.

2. Will it affect funding for a PhD?

Depending on what your field is, funding is usually attached to positions. So your main concern will be convincing a prospective supervisor that you’re the right person for the job.

3. Do I/Can I carry on to an MPhil instead of a PhD?

Yes it is possible to do an Mphil instead, but this is likely to take up to a year and a half to complete. Do you really want to work on this project for that long and then go on to do another PhD which will take another 3-4 years.

My advise is discuss your issues with your supervisor first (i.e. about changing project or changing from PhD to Mphil) if that doesn’t help, go see some else in the department about discussing your options.


I hope this helps. Let us know how you get on

The aim of the research can change but if it affects the funding...well there won't be PhD for long then possibly. Also having a supervisor not interested in the field is dreadful and completely out of order! They shouldn't have this kind of project available if no one in charge is enthusiastic.

Thanks for your replies, they are very much appreciated.

I'm of a mind to stick it out for a year and learn as much as I can while I'm there (coping with my supervisors as best I can). The MPhil would be nice but I'll take on board that it's a long time and most likely it would be better to just start afresh.


Changing project/supervisor but staying with the university? I had no idea that this was possible. This would be an attractive option and one that I'd like to find out a bit more about. Talking with my supervisors about this could possibly do more harm than good though I may see if the graduate service of my university could be of help.



I have a lot to think about but, I thank you for taking the time to help.

JD

If you want to change supervisor you it would be better to have a willing potential supervisor lined up before talking to your current supervisors about it.

I agree with Smildon - I know people who have changed supervisors and all have got agreement from a potential new supervisor before they've broached it with the current supervisor. I think that over the 3-4 year period everyone has moments when they want to change their supervisor - is it worth spending more time thinking about?

JD. Yes if I were you I would talk it over with someone in confidence before anything is said to your supervisor. Your supervisor is not likely to support your decision to transfer to another supervisor.

You should have a student hand book or at least a website which lists the rights and responsibilities of both student and supervisor. In such a document, it should give some kind of advice on who to talk to if you have issues with your project.

If you don’t feel comfortable with talking to a member of staff just yet, do go see your graduate union; specifically the welfare officer ( your department should really have one as well) That’s what they are there for. I am sure they will be happy to help and once you given your side of the story they should be able to give impartial advice and go through your options with you. They may well have heard of a lot of similar cases. I know I have.

Remember you are not the only student who has gone through this. If you look back over the many threads of this site you will find plenty of horror stories.

If your supervisor is not being reasonable and it sounds like that is the case, your department will likey take your side. Like I've said before, it is in a department's interests to hold onto their students for both financial reasons and in the interests of not getting a bad rep.

What ever happens. Chin up. I know how you feel. Ive spent a number of months feeling sorry for myself and it hasnt done me any good but the best way to look at situations like this is that everything happens for a reason.

what is for you, wont pass you by ;)

IWhen I had my phd interview I had already had 6 months experience doing a paid project in another lab so i knew the subject area (endocrinology).When i started i was given a job which required me to do the same assay everyday for someone else's work.As you can iamgine after 4 months I was losing enthusiasm.I was then placed onto a project where my role is basically pharmaceutical screening- doing the same assays everyday,as the professor of my lab wants to eventually release this agonist as a drug.Currently I have no supervisor as my original supervisor is not interested in this project. I was originally told I would be undertaking an exciting project in physiology but now I am doing routine assays, the project has no interest for me. I have told the professor how I feel but he has this way of manipulating me to carry on.I want to leave but I'm not sure how to go about it.