Hi, I’ve spent 3 years doing my PhD now and I’m at a stage of struggle of whether to continue my study or not.
I did the first two years in Uni A and had one paper published there, but for many reasons(my supervisor at A was going to leave there etc), I quitted from A and started over again at Uni B(recommended by my supervisor at A). My research area is mostly the same in A&B. My supervisor at B also just joined B, so I spent a year helping him building the lab. There has been many problems regarding equipments in this year, which impeded my progress in some ways. My supervisor at B is very pushy. I have no work life balance this entire year(almost no break at all), as he constantly asks me for new data, which I find quite frustrating. I also find that he’s not very happy with my progress. Besides, the dynamics in my new group is quite bad, others are not very willing to help each other. I find it quite uncomfortable in this group. These together have been very depressing to me. I’m sincerely looking for advice here. Shall I change group? Or just quit from here? Or tell my supervisor that I want to downgrade to a MPhil? Please help! Thanks very much!

Why didn't your first supervisor let you finish with a MPhil before he left? You had done two years there and had one paper. You could have gotten a Masters rather than just quit. That's so irresponsible of him.

Your supervisor B is using you as a cheap staff to set his lab up. From what you describe, the current environment is not good for you. Might be best to cut your losses and finish up with a Masters. If you do want a PhD in future, may I suggest that you take a break in between your current studies and the future. Take a job in a company in the field that you want and see if there is an opportunity to get sponsored PhD. That way, you get two things - sponsored PhD + job security. I have seen it happen to my friends and they are in a very very good place now.

Thanks for your suggestions! Well, I had a master's degree before joining Uni A and there were some policies regarding that. Cheap staff is exactly what it is. Supervisor B even asked me to build labs at different places (we have three campuses in two cities)... I'm also a bit concerned that this guy will not just let me graduate with a MPhil...

Giving up your precious limited time as a PhD student to build labs at different places for him? What madness!! Definitely the right decision to go. If this guy doesn't let you graduate with a MPhil, best you just leave because there is no way you can do your PhD properly if he continues to ask you to slave for him