Thanks for the advice!
Beefy- yer I find it really boring, I struggle to find the energy to engage with it at all. Its not just that though I find that it doesn't really play to my strengths. Yes I am good at science but i'm really a people person and find research doesn't really involve this skill enough.
I have tried to research into alternative jobs and am still confused about whether it would be a good idea to leave and get direct experience or whether a PhD would be more beneficial. Baseline- I agree academia can be full of snobbery and this is what worries me about leaving.
Some days I feel like I could just about physically get through this and some days I fell like I cant last until tomorrow. Cant carry on like this tho- have to make a decision one way or the other!
To be honest I think I just need to be brave enough to leave (what with the usual lame background thoughts of letting my family down, being a disappointment etc etc!)
You guys have given me a lot more confidence though so thanks!

Hi there
I am hoping some of you can offer me some advice. I am currently in my second year of a 1+3 biology PhD programme in the UK. Meaning that I completed a masters last year and am currently 8 months into my PhD. Thing is I hate it. I mean really hate it and I know I dont want to go into research when I am finished, I cant wait to get out of it. It isnt anything to do with my colleagues, my superviser or the department, they are all fantastic, I just dislike the work itself. I loved biology during my undergraduate degree in it and still do but hated research as soon as I started my masters. During my masters I had the opportunity to go to different labs and work in many areas so I am pretty convinced its not the subject I hate but the work itself.
I think I now know what I want to go into- science communication and public engagement in science. I have become invovled in this in the last few years on a voluntary basis and I love it so much. I would really love to do work in that field full time.
Thing is I would love to quit my PhD to pursue this but perhaps my career in this area would be benefited by having a PhD? Does anyone know anything about science communication and know how influential having a PhD would be? I know that being able to call yourself a Dr would be beneficial but will it make a big difference because if not I'm not sure its worth 3 more years of misery. I cry regularly about how miserable I am and am not sure if I can make myself do it anymore. However most people I talk to tell me I am stupid for even considering leaving, its an extremely good PhD (at Cambridge University) and pays very well. Another benefit of staying to do the PhD would be that I can get more experience in running outreach events and communicating the importance of science to the public voluntarily whilst doing my PhD. But I am finding it hard to balance the both as they both require lots of time.
I know I am not doing my best work during my PhD because my heart is not in it. I have achieved very little in term of results so far.
Sorry if this has turned into a bit of a rant! Basically I am after two bits of advice. Is it ever a good idea to quit your PhD? And do you think you can do one of your not passionate about it? And secondly if anyone has any experience with public engagement, would it be better to get a PhD or quit and get more experience in this field?