Hi, I've decided to quit my PhD after two year. What are the repercussions of this if you want to enter into another career path that has nothing to do with science? Also my supervisor seems to discuss all my personal and project details with another student, and I'm having problems with my experiment since someone threw out my samples by 'accident'. I'm totally sick fed up of it all. I lost interest in my project a long time ago.

Sorry to hear that things are not going well for you. Can you get a masters out of what you have done so far? The careers service at you uni should be really helpful. They can help with what career path to take next and how to put a good spin on your CV and at interviews as to why you have left. Also, are you positive about wanting to quit? I think most people have these feelings from time to time. I know I was on the verge of quitting for about 2 months towards the end of my first year but things have improved now. However, I do think if you have been unhappy for a long time then it is the right thing to do. Good luck with what you decide.

Again, I'd say go to the careers service about how to market yourself to employers. It probably does depend on what you go on to do, and a masters may look more planned/give you something to show for it. On the plus side, PhDs can be off-putting to employers, you have to explain your experience and maybe start with a low salary anyway.
I've thought so many times about giving up, I decided to finish, but I've not been happy and it's been a struggle.

I've been unhappy for the past year, really because of a number of things - the project has obviously not been thought through well enough and my supervisor is really inconsiderate. Also I just don't enjoy research and the whole culture of publishing papers like it is life or death in your career. I've just been afraid to leave bacuase how do i explain it on my CV? Also I can't just leave yet because of the lease on my flat. Otherwise I would have left a long time ago. I have no inspiration in science, I thought I did when I finished my undergrad but after doing this work I know it is not for me.

It's sounds as though you have really made your mind up. I think it takes guts to hold up your hands and say its not for me. Try not to think of it as wasted time. I think trying different career paths is valuable time spent even if you try something that is not what you eventually want to do. Do you have an idea of what you want to do as a career instead of working in science?

I'd probably retrain as a nurse, my parents are nurses and i have regretted not going into that area myself, it's a job I know I want to do and would do it after a PhD anyway. I just feel really depressed just now and wish I could go home to scotland and forget these past two years. the trouble is also my friends here are either doing a PhD too or are starting soon so they are giving me doom and gloom stories about what will happen when I leave.

I would definitely try to get a Master's out of it: you put in all that work and through no fault of your own you cannot complete, so you deserve something. Sounds like a schoolyard, not a lab.

Congratulations, you know what you want to do! (Wish I did!) And you don't need a PhD to be a nurse so I can see why you are not very motivated to finish something if you are not enjoying it when it is not even a means to an end. Don't listen to your friends doom and gloom stories. Maybe if you were applying to a research job they may have a problem with you quitting but I think for a nursing job and course they would understand that a PhD was not for you. They will understand that because nursing is such a hands on job, very different to research.

This place is getting ridiculous - my supervisor has started slagging me off to another student, and she elaborates stories to him about how I'm feeling - not that she would actually know how I feel! Also I have absolutely no guidance on what to do with my experiments, and there is inadequate equipment because it has all been moved to another department that i don't have access to!

I think the best thing I can do is just bide my time and keep saving money for a few more months while I get enough data for my MPhil, it takes two years to do that anyway at least so I wouldn't have to explain anything on my CV. Thanks for all the support from everyone, I just really needed to hear some reassuring words!

Actually there is a very high drop out rate for PhD candidates, and most go on to do other jobs, with relatively few problems. (In fact the guy that dropped out from my team has a much better job than I have, who graduated this year). This path is way more common than you may think.

However, its upto you how you "market" yourself afterwards. To industry a story about "escaping the ivoery tower of academia" and "being able to bring marketable transferable skills" can be quite attractive for some employers. The knowledge that you were able to obtain funding/ work at a high level is also something you can sell. People also drop out of academia because they are offered jobs that would pay far more than any university ever could.

If you really hate something so badly its upto you to do something about it. There are so many of us in PhD-land that are passive and just go along because we dont know what else to do (I include myself in this).

When the guy I mentioned above was thinking of leaving, I too was very "doom and gloom" saying things like how he doesnt want be a quitter, how to stick it out just for a little longer, how no one would employ him without the qualification. But I realised it was my own fear that was doing the talking. I really was scared/ quite jealous that had dared to do what I only day dreamed about to my psycho ex-supervisor.

From reading facebook, the guy seems a lot more happy in his new role (something vaguely sciency) but still jokes about how "His Majesty" (our supervisor) used to play us off against each other/ make us keep ridiculous deadlines/ sneer at people he deeemed unworthy, so he still has gotten something out of his time.

My advice is to take a 3 month phd holiday before formally dropping out. If you are capable of passing but hate it, I would get it and forget it.

I felt crap for the last 18 months of my PhD experience as there's sooo much pressure - psychological and time. But life is great afterwards, and some people pass with a good thesis and only 1-2 conference publications.

Get it, forget it.

Well guys, I left this morning! Handed in my notice! I've got a position in social work - as soon as I was offered it I knew leaving my PhD would be the best thing I ever did and I feel great because of it! Initial training will mean I earn half what i did on my PhD, but I don't care - I'm so happy! My supervisr hit the roof, but hey, that's life! I'm out of there. The only thing I have now is the humiliation of collecting my things, but I am going to strutt in there and ride against it. So many people have been supportive so I don't care what my supervisor thinks. In fact, he's not my supervisor anymore is he! He's just another dude.

Sounds like you've done the right thing. Congrats and good luck!