I am working full time as well as trying to do a PhD. Not only is this going to take me 5 years instead of 3 it has to be done every weekend when everyone in the world is outside having fun. I am feeling very down and demotivated at the moment and finding it very hard to get going on my methods chapter. I need to get some movement going or my research will suffer this year. Any suggestions???? How have others managed this

SixKitten might be able to help you here..

This may not be helpful but here goes. I gave up work to do my PhD, obviously sacrificing my salary to do so. My baby daughter had been very ill and I realised that life was too short to hang around waiting for something interesting to happen.

So, that could be an option for you, give up work and live the PhD life with less money but less stress (... relatively speaking ...). You sound as though you have been working hard - that is a good thing, you've shown you have what it takes. Obviously you need to look at your finances and work out if this is possible - it works for me.

If it makes you feel any better, I'm not having fun either Filling in lousy scholarship application. Got to the tricky bit ... 4 pages on my topic, methodology, progress...aaaarrghhh! It is all worth it though...think how proud we'll all be when we finish and get the damm PhD... HONEST!

This is great, it feels like there are other people out there who really understand what I am going through. My husband is wonderful but as I earn more than him it is impossible for me to give up work. He does all he can to support me, I havent ironed or cleaned for 3 years now!!!! But when it comes to groaning I feel pretty selfish doing it to him as he is so good. However, I need somehow to get myself going as to not finish is just not an option but finishing at the moment is just still a dream. People in work dont talk about it as it is almost as if I have an incurable illness!!!! Anyway, thanks for your good words it really does help

Cheers you are for sure much better than me!!
I joined PhD position 2 months ago in december 2006. And my schedule is killing me . I wake up at 6AM and leave for lab at 8AM , return back at 9PM and go to bed at 2AM.Have to Work for 7 days a week, allowed no holidays, doesn't matter how unwell I have to be in the lab and work.When all scholars in other lab enjoy weekends , I work full time in the lab and still will get my PhD in 6 years. And my supervisor is extremely strict.
I have forgot what is breakfast, take lunch at 4PM , Dinners are almost Fast food.
No social life , no friends and no time to even think about myself.
I always wanted a very busy lifestyle but this much busy............
This PhD will kill me .............
Want to change but have no time to search and apply for another position. TRAPPED!!
What say???

kumawat_INDIA, are you in the UK? There is no way you should be putting yourself through that to get a PhD regardless of where you are based! I'm sure there were people in Victorian workhouses who had an easier time than that!

XJR, I m in INDIA and i don't know victoria house people but if what u said is true that nowhere people work this much hard for PhD then correct it. This is India, and in any reputed institute like mine this is not so easy to get a PhD. You have to put in a lot of hard work to get a quality PhD, but out there people think that PhD is still a learning phase and whatever has to done left for the Post Doc.
But here learning phase ends with MSc and PhD is real research.
I find lot of guys on this site who are searching for a good, well paid post Docs. This is because they got a taught PhD, don't bother about publications and at the end of PhD , back to square one, that is looking for a Post doc and ultimately settele down with a sub standard lab hoping that after this post doc they will get a good position.

In the UK full time PhDs are treated like a full time job, 37 hours per week (i.e. mon to fri 9am to 5 pm with sat and sun off, with at least 4 weeks holiday per year). I'm going off what most UK Research Councils recommend for this information.

I had no idea that people working for PhDs in India had such punishing schedules.

If people are taking advantage of your willingness to work and put in long hours then you need to put a stop to it! Working with “No social life , no friends and no time to even think about myself” is no way to go through life!

Ya this is a bit tough but then the quality of PhD is superb. Lots of publications and a deep rooting in science is added advantage. Each and every reputed lab here has such a schedule , it may seem punishing but those who are doing it are at their own will or gains.
And moreover one can not compare the students who work limitlessly and those who work it as a job.
In context of job, work timings depend on the position you hold. An office assistant can leave the office at 5PM but a CEO works till work is completed.
These labs are very well known here and joining is very difficult. My friends who could not get a PhD position in these labs are now doing PhD in US and UK in good labs.
Although it really takes long time to complete a PhD and require work like a dog but then u have a niche of urself. Most of the times you end up writing ur thesis with a handful of Post Doc offers.

To get into such institutes aspiring candidates have to qualify entrance test and most often another national level tests for junior research fellowship like NET, GATE. Then two rounds of interviews and only then you land up in such a lab.
On the other hand , getting TOEFL and GRE scores is not a big deal.
I think now you can understand why people want to work in such labs.
And above all if you do not have passion for science, your work, it is useless to do a PhD. because it will be no more than just a Degree. and you will get nothing out of it.

'My friends who could not get a PhD position in these labs are now doing PhD in US and UK in good labs'.

In all honesty I would imagine that they now consider themselves to have had an very, very lucky escape.

My God, it sounds more like slavery than working towards a higher qualification. It has certainly made my moans seem very small in comparison!!! Wouldnt it be an idea to try and get out into a Lab in the US or elsewhere?