I am wondering if anyone can help me with some advice on applying for studentships, I am in a bit of a mess!

I graduated 3 years ago and was initially offered a PhD at Oxford. But the minute I moved over I didn,t settle and was terrible homesick and had to come home before starting the project.

I don't think I was ready at the time and there were also issues with it being MRC funded and I'm from outside the UK. My supervisor had arranged a lab assistant position for me but there were so many things going wrong for me then I just left abruptly and gave a pretty lame excuse. Yep, you can imagine what the supervisor thought.

I have had a total break from science ever since but for over a year now I've wanted to go back.

But it seems things have changed greatly in the past few years and there are hardly any projects being funded.

I have made a short list of labs that do somewhat interesting research but any listed here that actually offer studentships look like 4 years of hell to be honest stuck doing subjects my heart just isn't with.

I'm wary of emailing my CV off to everyone in case I have to turn down offers like the last time - I think it looks bad.

I am also worried that the only projects I am really into are still in Oxford and the same supervisor is still there.

Oxford also has a much later closing date then the other projects.

I don't know what to do.

I would prefer to go to Oxford but if I apply and wait I run the risk of being stuck out of science for another year. But I couldn't accept a project from somewhere else knowing I might have a chance there.

Should I email the labs I'm half interested in? Or hang on for Oxford knowing they might actually remember me and tell me to jog on?

And if I do email the other labs, should I do it one at a time and wait for a reply or do them all at once and then run the risk of having to turn them down?

God, I hate being indecisive! Any advice appreciated!

It's always the case with questions like these that nobody else can tell you what to do. It's often the case with questions like these that the asker has already answered:

Hi Podgo,

I've had a bit of a similar experience. I've posted about it enough here and don't want to bore people, so I'll PM you...

Cheers for the advice.

I don't think it's a problem if you withdraw from a project as long as it's before you start it; then they will just ask the person who came second in the interview. So I would e-mail the labs you're interested in. I think the only thing you should keep in mind (but it's probably not your case) is not applying for too many projects in one place. And I don't see why you couldn't e-mail all the labs at the same time rather than waiting.