Hi I'm writing this post because due to some life issues and professional work requirements, I'm going to have to suspend for around 10 and a half months. Given that I am part-time, this will only amount to just over five months of a full time PhD but it is really hard to have to do.

I've just completed the form for my supervisor, faculty chair and the Grad Research Co-ordinator and will make a couple of appointments next week (in between my day job) to get this sorted.

The main reason for suspending is that my life circumstances are such that I really need to relocate interstate within the next 18 months. I live on a large island (Tasmania actually) and though beautiful, all of my family are back on the mainland (Australia proper) and my children are at that stage where they are married, about to marry, and all of that There are some other difficulties facing other members of my family as well that have made me rethink things a little of late. I sound old but I am only just 51 so I don't feel that old but if you are in your twenties or thirties I probably seem it!.

However, to maximise my chance of getting the same sort of professional leadership roles in Education interstate within my education sector (Catholic) as I have here in Tasmania, I have to have a specific qualification, which I don't need now-but only if I move. So given that requirement, in order to give myself the best chance for a similar job interstate, I am going to just do this certificate in the next 8 months part time, then resume my candidacy Jan 2016.

I was hoping to try to do both and putting this decision off, to slowly progress the PhD, do the Certificate and keep working through the next year but this is probably a bit ambitious and given that I have made good progress completed data collection and a preliminary analysis, lit reviews and draft methods, it is probably a good time to suspend,

It is okay, I know I will resume, and until I have approval from Grad Research that my suspension is okay (will take a few weeks to confirm), I will continue with member checking my data and just tidying up a few loose ends.

I guess I am writing this because sometimes it is helpful for others to realise that things happen in life and so you have to do things a little differently at times, but that is okay and what is important that you get there in the end. I think that if I get a reasonable job, and this certificate, then move, and see my family more often and live in a bigger city and one not so remote, and my Phd has only taken 10 months to a year longer to gain-then it is most likely the right thing to do.

hi Pjlu
your post makes an excellent read for all of us on especially the realities of life and doing a phD. What is another 10 months to a year to finish the phd? It is perfectly fine to put it on hold whilst you get this other qualification which will help you down the line, it is a good decision.

I recently had a call from my previous university because I hadn't handed in a "school-leavers" survey form, it was asking what graduates were doing etc. One of the questions the lady asked me was whether my phd was needed for the work I was doing, to which I said yes and the other question whether my phd prepared me for work environment, this one I said no. My PhD did not really prepare me for work environment, it was more academic than ever, and I pretty much had to learn things on the job.

So if your other certificate will help you job-wise, yes do go for it.

51 is very young, it is nice that your children are older because now your life more or less belongs to you. I've seen friends having kids in their 30s (also late-30s) and now they are in their 40s and they feel so tired all the time. By the time they get to 50s, they will have to deal with teenage issues etc. I think it is not a bad idea to have children early.

thank you so much again for sharing, and best of luck with the certificate :-)
love satchi

Thank you Satchi for your kind words. I know what you say is right, and probably believe that I am worried over something minor. But one of the things I worry about is in taking a suspension-well it brings up all sorts of concerns such as breaking a commitment, or if I stop the momentum of what is quite hard to do-complete a PhD and work full time, then it might be hard to start again.

But the reality is that I would still keep in the 'study hours' even if it is on a sort of professional and quite bland and boring PG Cert. (Not that they all are-but this one will be-it is not one I would choose to do otherwise). And I can still think about my data-even if I don't really do much more than that and look at it from time to time. Luckily I have taken this to a point where it is okay to take a break-the data has all been collected,transcribed, summarised and given a preliminary analysis.

Thank you also for your response. Sometimes one writes these things for a couple of purposes: as a form of accountability by making something public and definite, and to show the different ways in which this sort of study can be done and for the different purposes.However, having a response from someone who has worked their way through the journey of the doctorate is very reassuring and I appreciate what you have said.

Just as an aside-after coffee with a friend yesterday, she mentioned she had recently contacted an old friend of hers, a former and retired academic of 90 who had recently started a second PhD to keep herself thinking and researching at her later life stage. What a great story.