Hi, I’m doing an MSc and thinking of doing a PhD in bacteriology/virology this October but am completely confused whether to do it or get a job. My reason for wanting to do a PhD is that I think having a job in a lab will be mundane and boring whereas with a PhD you’d use your brain, is this generally true?

I’m also 26 and don’t really want to put a PhD off for a year, but has anybody found it useful to take time off to decide? How old are people when they start their PhD’s anyway?

There are many messages on the forum about how stressful, life-consuming and tearful a PhD is, is this true for everyone?

Everyone said that a MSc was gonna be hard but its not really, you just put the work in. Is this the same for a PhD?

It’s just all confusing and I feel I should be applying for projects now as there are deadlines, so I feel a bit pressured to decide!
Finally, with a PhD do people generally get a certain amount of holiday time per year or not?

Any helpful information that anyone has would be very much.

Hi bluesky. The first question is, if you intend to do a PhD, what do you expect to do afterwards? Stay on academia or go into the industry? What do you want to achieve from doing a PhD? Simply wanting to use your brain is not enough, you could get a job where you could do this.

It is possible to go and work before doing your PhD. I did my BSc, couldn't wait to leave uni and went and worked in my field (in industry) for two years. I then decided I no longer wanted to be in the lab due to a number of reasons including not wanting to worry about dodgey chemicals affecting my health and realising I wouldn't be able to progress much without a PhD. I chose a Master's course which was still within my area but computational based and then they invited me to stay on after to do a PhD. Here I am.

Hope this helps you to make a decision....

How old are people when they start their PhD’s anyway?

****I started my PhD in age of 31 but I do regret that I did not do it earlier. because if you want post docs and other fellowships for young researchers early in career , there are age limitations;)) If you want a PhD and know where you will use it- gp for it as early as possible.In addition if you take time out and work, it is very hards to return to quite modest life of a PhD:)

There are many messages on the forum about how stressful, life-consuming and tearful a PhD is, is this true for everyone?

***Ha-ha-ha, in general, people do not write in forums if they feel happy, only when they got troubles, so postings in the forum are heavily biased data to make a conclusion about PhD from:))



It’s just all confusing and I feel I should be applying for projects now as there are deadlines, so I feel a bit pressured to decide!
Finally, with a PhD do people generally get a certain amount of holiday time per year or not?

***yes, they do. One month a year, I guess (have never taken)

I am currently half way through my PhD and it is not at all what I expected. I too did an MSc, I got a distinction and it wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. My PhD is completely different; taking exams and doing coursework is a lot easier than research, as no amount of reading will help with that PCR that just won't work. What do you want to do post PhD? Are you prepared to move anywhere in the country every few years as Post Doc funding ends, and it is very difficult to get a permanent academic position. If you want to work in industry it's probably a lot easier, but see what jobs are available and if they really require a PhD. Also, are you aware that most biology PhD's take 3.5-4 years, so if you would only be funded for 3 this is a consideration. About the paid holidays, you are usually entitiled to 8 weeks. You may take this is your first year, but after that I doubt your supervisor would let you take more than a few weeks as time pressures are so great.

Just realised that my last posting sounds a bit negative. A PhD will take over your life, it is true that most academics and PhD students work evening and weekends and don't take much holiday, but for some people this is a minor inconvenience, as they love their research so much. There are loads of positives; you plan your own working day and you can travel the world. If you're a really talented scientist, very passionate about your reasearch area, and are excited about devoting your life to it, do it. If research turns you on there isn't a better job.

Why don't you try to get a job as a technician in a lab for a year and decide then? Technicians usually get their own project to carry forwards similar to a phd student. This also depends on the lab head, the experience of the technician and how the technician copes. But you must clarify this with the lab head; if he/she is looking for someone to do the sequencing the job will be boring and get you nowhere.
Many people go from a technician's job to doing a phd- I know of three people who did this at my institute. You'll then know what you want and have some real lab experience to show of with if you decide to go for a phd.

I don't even know how many days holidays I've officially got- if you don't insist on taking two months off like a student you should be fine.
What can make a phd difficult are in my oppinion a) an "evil" supervisor and b) a bad project.
If you do go to a phd interview make sure you get a chance to be able to talk to the other students/post docs alone. This should be no problem, so go and ask. Find out what they think about their supervisor, their project and what the atmosphere in the lab is like. If you don't like the supervisor during the interview things probably won't improve during a phd - so be carefull when accepting a position.

I'm 32 and will finish this year. I found my diploma similar to the phd- it was 9 months full time in the lab with my own project, giving lab chats (in our lab but also infront of the whole department), going to a smaller conference and some teaching.
As verdy said, most people in this forum are stressed out about something and just need someone to moan to. A phd can be alot of fun, if things are going ok. The first year normally seems more relaxed and some people find it quite daunting to get into the field, i.e. reading enough to fully understant their project within the bigger picture (of their field). Second year things make some more sense. Third year is a rush and lots of weekend spent working to get the data, most of which is done in the last half year.

Hi, thanks everyone for all the information. It does make things clearer for sure.

‘H’ - I think after a PhD I would like to do post-doc research and carry on in that field and perhaps eventually working for a bio-tech company.

I’m glad that you are entitled to some free time off a year, I guess a month per year is the norm? I think time away from the project will help to re-energise me if needed.

So ‘botanybod’ you said that biology PhD’s usually are 3.5/4 years, but if you’re committed and work hard I guess you can get it done a lot sooner, no?

Also, there seems to be a lot more bacterial PhD’s rather than viral ones, so I guess work after a PhD is similar in this respect too?
I was also thinking that even if I do a viral PhD then I still have some flexibility in the type of post-doc work I can do as there are many transferable skills. Or does your PhD pigeon-hole you into a specific area?

Thanks again.

"So ‘botanybod’ you said that biology PhD’s usually are 3.5/4 years, but if you’re committed and work hard I guess you can get it done a lot sooner, no?"

It's not all about how hard you work. You need a lot of luck along the way. Some things will inevitably be out of your control. I honestly don't think I could have worked any harder than I did but it still took me a little over 4 years to complete.

Re: holidays, I agree with Botanybod. Most people do not take all the holiday they are entitled to. I averaged about 10 days leave per year.

I also agree with AnonGerman's suggestion about trying for a tech job. It's a great way of seeing whether research is for you and can also be a foot in the door. I got a tech job straight after my first degree and 3 years later started a PhD with the same group.

I'd like to emphasize on what Ann said (er, well - wrote): hard work is always good, but much of the things that hold you up are out of your control: i.e. is there a good antibody against your protein, can someone who really knows what they are doing (!) help you trouble shoot, is the strain you need already made or do you have to make it, .... and so on,

anyway- aim for three years, but don't be surprised if it takes longer. Someone in my lab was done after 2,5 years, I'll need another 6-8 months after my funding has ended.

I was just wondering, with most PhD's are you just in the lab doing your project or do you also have to do presentations and teaching too?

I'm thinking now that I either do a PhD this year or just get a tech job and then see how that goes and think things over a bit more and then either do a PhD or carry on with the job.

Usually the bulk of your time (for a science PhD) is taken up by lab work and analysing the data resulting from the lab work. Presentations (lab group meetings, research meetins, conferences) are a normal part of PhD life. Not everybody gets to teach (I was based away from Uni so didn't), some love it (it's well paid), some don't (takes time and effort!).

I think taking a tech job is a good idea for you. Be aware though that they are usually pretty competitive. Good luck with whatever you decide :o)

Teaching is voluntary, well paid (but there's not a lot of it to go around) and can be time consuming. Mostly I'm in the lab, we have a lab meeting every Friday on a rotation system. At the moment I have to present my data every 2 months to the lab. This isn't too bad, though because we bring in food and if you bring in the right cookies my supervisor is occupied by munching cookies.