Oh wow, congratulations emaa! I have decided as of yesterday to sack it in and quit. It is just not for me, I do not have any motivation or interest in it which is essential to succeed, and all I can think about is that I wish I was working and not putting my life on hold (I am getting married soon and want to start a family). At least you have motivation and an end date to do your thesis in :) And then you can relax with your new family. How exciting! I am worried about telling my supervisor so have written him a long letter and am going to email it in a few days once I have thought about it some more. No idea what my parents are going to say. But m partner is very supportive of my decision which hopefully will make it easier :)

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I feel so unmotivated most days. I wake up at 7-8am which isn't late but stay in my pjs until about 10-11 when I shower and get dressed. I do not normally start PhD work until 12 or later and normally stop at about 3-4, if that. Although my supervisor seems to think I am progressing I can't help but feel that I am not. I am finding it increasingly difficult and wondering why I am doing it in the first place. I am all alone everyday in the house with my books, and the thought of sitting in the study to work (I do have a designated work space) fills me with dread. So I sit in the lounge which doesn't help ebcause I associate that with relaxing! I just want to be doing anything other than a PhD. But my partner is paying for all my living expenses and I am using savings my parents gave me when I went to uni to find it (I didnt get a scholarship). I can't help thinking a job would be easier. But then there is the problem of what job. I don't want to practice law. I am not sure I have the mental strength and charisma to be an academic, although I am still attracted to the idea of tutoring law to undergrads. I really dont know what to do. Is it a normal phase of 'I want to quit' like it was through most of my undergrad degree but it turned out well in the end? Or am I fighting a losing battle? I am also conscious of the fact I am getting married in 6 months, and I dont really want to put off having children for 3 years. I am not sure I have the strength to finish this. I am not one for quitting and giving up though and so many people will be disappointed in me, but I dont know what to do.

Cheers for any advice/comments you can give :)

Hello all you lovely people :)

I know this has been said again and again by others but would really appreciate personal advice! Not all the other situations are identical to mine, so here goes:

I am currently in my sixth month of a PhD in law. I am studying from home which is 3 hours drive from the university and so I only go to campus about once a month, if that. I am TERRIBLE when it comes to motivation.

I initially started a PhD on advice from my undergrad supervisor, and because I didn't know what else to do except for the fact I did not want to practice law. I thought about teaching for a bit, and decided doing a PhD would be the best way to satisfy that - study what I was interested in and teach law to undergrads when I had finished. I finally felt like I had made a life decision which was right for me.

Starting the PhD in October, I genuinely did do a fair amount of work. I was reading generally and had a list of stuff to read so it was ok. It all started to go a bit pear shaped after Christmas. Before Christmas I met my supervisor and he advised me to read philosophical works in full relating to the theory of my thesis, which I did over the Christmas hols, albeit at snails pace because I thought I deserved a proper Christmas break for once! (The first time since I was about 14 when I hadn't been working my butt off over the hols). My supervisor was happy with my progress in January but this is when it went downhill really.

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Hi Emaa, just found this thread! You sound EXACTLY the same as me. I am 3 hours drive away from uni and am working from home alone. My partner goes to work at 7am every morning so I get up then, but stay in my pyjamas usually for a few hours. I am finding it very hard to structure my day and actually motivate myself to do work, doing at most 3-4hrs studying a day. I get so distracted by things around the house. The same as you I have a study room, but feel depressed when I am in there so tend not to work in there! There are no libraries nearby to me either, I live in the countryside. How are you getting on? Do you have any tips for coping and have you noticed an improvement in your studying since these posts? I have only started my PhD in mid-October 2012 so am in different stage to you, but your problems sound so much like mine!