Hey guys!

I'm just at the end of my first year of a fully funded 4 yr PhD and am having serious doubts about continuing on to 2nd yr. i guess i'm just looking for advice from people who would have been in a similar situation as me previously and whether they stuck it out or left to pursue other things.

my PhD is in the same area as my undergrad degree which is science based, i've been struggling to get to grips with my project and find it hard to see the interesting side to it. the lab work i have done to date isn't really working out for me which i know can happen but i'm just finding that i don't get any help from my postdoc or my supervisor on how to solve the problem, my supervisor even suggested i read the manual to one of the machines to figure out why it wasn't working!! is this normal? i'm not an engineer i don't know how machines work!!

at the moment i am supposed to be writing up my 1 year review report and i just cant motivate myself to do it, it's not like i have alot to write about as my lab work isn't really working out, couple of days hard work would get it sorted but i just cant do it i sit at my desk for hours just staring at the screen.

I feel like i want to leave but in the current economic climate the likely hood of getting a job is slim and i also worry what possible employers would think of me having a 'failed' phd on my CV but at the same time the thought of staying here another 3 years (possibly longer) really does not appeal to me either.

I really don't know what to do and i certainly don't want to sound ungrateful for the oppertunity i've gotten by being given this PhD as i know other people who kill for the opportunity but surely if i don't like it should leave....right? i did this PhD because i previously worked in R&D in industry and loved it and thought a research PhD would be similar but the two are so different, in industry there is always people to help and offer advice doing a PhD you are left on your own.

I was never really that smart at school or college i always did alright a PhD was never in my future plans and it just came along so i applied for it never thinking i would get it and now i just feel a bit out of my depth here and wondering should i leave before i get more involved in this project and it gets harder to leave?

has anyone else felt like this? did you stay or did you go???