Glad I'm not the only one who's wondered that. But that's such a good point about days where I can work. I can't really work weekends because of outside commitments but yeah I guess I can see me working longer on days I can actually find a good rhythm. Although I suppose a lot depends on experiment times too.

I'm due to be starting my PhD next month and wondering what sort of hours most people work? Is it possible to complete working 8:30 until 5/5:30 Monday to friday?

What would you class as a good reason to get a PhD? If not because the topic is interesting, to further ones career and / or to do something that's intellectually challenging / stimulating?

Re your other points
1) I'm not. More considering the impact having a PhD will have on our decision to start a family, something all adults should consider prior to starting one.

2) being too old or not is personal opinion. The vast majority of PhD students are in their early to mid twenties and with a general consensus the PhD becomes your everything (or perhaps that was just the case at the place I did my CDT year). As one gets older one is more likely to be earning a higher salary and become accustomed to a certain lifestyle, thus making it harder to walk away from to go back to earning the meagre PhD stipend. Furthermore as one gets older a PhD becomes less and less useful. With say 10 working years left ahead of you it's less useful than for someone who has say 40 working years left. Just my two pence worth though...

Thank you both for your comments.

I really do think it's a now or never situation re the PhD. I only have one university within commutable distance from me and if I pull out now I've probably burnt my bridges there. Although, who knows where we'll be living in 10/15 years time. But apart from that I do think the more I work in industry the less I'm going to want to go back and do the PhD purely based on how much we'd be losing out financially. Sadly my current company would not sponsor my PhD, as long as one has a masters they don't care too much about PhD and sadly my current role isn't particularly highly regarded, it's more just seen as a necessity.

For us delaying a family isn't an option. I'm in my late twenties and my partner is in his mid thirties. Delaying it for another 4 years is not something we'd like to do. So I do think it's a case of do the PhD and make it work with a child (if we were lucky enough to conceive that is) or don't do the PhD.

TreeofLife i definitely don't think you should be able to remember something from 2006! I will look out for a relevant forum.

I've bought a textbook and read a few chapters and am still really struggling with the concept :( thing is, the bits I'm struggling with they didn't even mention or ask about at my interview. So maybe I'm worrying about nothing? But if I get into this second PhD and struggle and end up quitting them I'm back to square one and where i was a few years ago although then I'll have more gaps in my CV so I'm probably in a worse situation.

So I dropped out of a CDT a few years back and am due to restart my PhD next month. I'm really questioning whether it's right for me though. I don't particularly enjoy the job I'm in now, it's a secure job and has a reasonable level of stability but I'm questioning my career trajectory and I'm not overly enjoying it. I feel the PhD is in an interesting subject but it's a topic I had no experience in as an undergrad and I'm really worried about how difficult it's going to be to pick it up. I've tried to read up on it, read papers etc and I'm really struggling to get my head around it. I don't want to be an academic but a PhD in my field can be very helpful. I feel so torn. I obviously wasn't good enough last time and I'm scared I won't be good enough this time either. I'm also worried about the (quite substantial) drop in income and the obviously increased workload of a PhD vs working. I think I'd always wonder what if, if I didn't go for it. But that doesn't necessarily mean that this project is the right fit for me. I think it's very much a case of now or never too - if I leave it much longer it'll be even harder to leave my job and I already feel like I'm getting too old. My partner and I would love to start a family in the next few years, although this is an issue even if I start the PhD next month or next year and we've already discussed potentially trying towards the latter part of the PhD. I really don't know what to do or what's best for me.

I left a CDT a few years back after the first year. As long as you complete the first year you'll be given an MRes. Years 2-4 are then classed as your PhD years so even if you leave you'll still be awarded the MRes. Why would you take up a CDT place with a strong inclination you'll leave after a year though?

Hi all,

I'm about to start an epsrc funded phd at a centre for doctoral training. The funding is for four years. However, I've just found out I'm pregnant and so wondering what on earth will happen with funding? I don't want to leave my course but as my other half is also a student, money is tight and so I want to find out ASAP what's going to happen. There seems to be conflicting advice on the epsrc website.

One page (http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/funding/howtoapply/basics/researcherequalitydiversity/granttermsconditions/maternity-paternity-and-adoption-leave/) says the following:
We allow students to take maternity, paternity and adoption leave and make provision for additional stipend to be paid where appropriate. Students are also allowed to study on a part-time basis.

Research Council funded students are entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave on full stipend and a further 26 weeks of unpaid maternity leave.
There is no qualifying period for maternity, paternity or adoption leave for example a student can take leave regardless of when they commenced their studies

Whilst another (http://www.epsrc.ac.uk/skills/students/help/guidance/) says:
PhD students receiving a stipend from a doctoral training grant are entitled to receive a stipend during maternity leave in line with statutory maternity provision. They should also have their studentships extended by a corresponding length of time.

Does anyone know which one it is? If number two what does it mean by in line with statutory maternity provision? I'm worried that as I won't have been there long when I need to take leave and as I haven't worked for over a year since I went straight from my masters to phd, I won't be entitled to anything.