Hello everyone, I am a first-year PhD candidate who has entered into the field for 8 months. After being in the lab, I realise this project is not suitable for me. Here are the problems:
1. The project I am doing now is beyond the original plan and I do not have very strong interest in it.
2. The research is not the expertise of the group. I barely get some useful advise. If I can get some good input from my supervisor, I believe I can continue it. However, I feel I am wasting time now.
3. As I mentioned, my supervisor has no experience in the field of research I am doing. Everytime I come up with some ideas and discuss with him, he only expresses support but no suggestion or a judgement of feasibility.
4. I have talked with a few senior phd students and post doc in the lab. They all give me negative feedback on the academic competence of my supervisor as well as the personality of him. To be honest, I am an insensitive person and don't have too strong impression of his personality.

Some of my collegues in the lab told me it is ok for me to quit this phd and find another one, since I only start. I also have this thought and I already feel painful to continue this unstructured project. However, I am worried about how to get enough recommendation letter, the possibility to get admission by another programme as well as how to explain my experience of these months. I enjoy the process of exploring and solving puzzles, so I definitely want to do a phd.

I would be glad if someone could give me advise. Thank you.

Hopefully someone else can provide you with more specific advice/information. I just wanted to let you know that a friend of mine recently quit her PhD when she was just under 12 months into it. She only quit it once she had already secured her funding to do a PhD at a different Uni. It ended quite amicably. She just explained that it was not for her and she had found a different one that suited her better.

There is no point hanging around if it is not suiting you at all and you don't see yourself finishing it/enjoying it in the least. You are still in the early days of it so leaving isn't such a big deal. That is my opinion anyway.

All the best

Ps. I believe my friend got her reference for the new PhD from the same person who had done it before (her old masters supervisor).

Who is funding you?

Yes, best to do as tutor says and find something else first, but do remember the grass isn't always greener.

Eight months are not that long. If you didn't like it, then better quit it before you regret it when it's already too late.

Thanks for the replies. I am trying to contact the old referees to see if they still can provide me with reference letter, but very worried that they will feel wierd and reluctant. I am not sure what they will think if I tell them I want to change the project because it is unsuitable.

As for the funding question, I am funded by EU.

Just a bit of advice. When it comes to telling your current supervisors why you are leaving, contacting your old referees, and indeed communicating with your new prospective supervisors, it would be wise to stick to the reason number 1 for why you are moving on to a different PhD (not 2-4 - as these could be perceived as criticism of the supervisor and an illusion that you think the grass will be greener on the other side). Elaborate on 1 - say what does interest you, and how this deviates so greatly from the current PhD and its scope, and how that what you are NOW applying for does interest you greatly. All parties should understand and respect your decision to change if they perceive that it is motivated (largely) by your research interest.

A second bit of advice... personally I wouldn't bother trying to contact your referees until you have actually found the new opportunity you're applying for. And I wouldn't mention it to those in your lab or the current supervisor until it was actually set in stone.

Finally, picking up on what Tree of Life said up there... it is very true... the grass isn't always greener on the other side. On the other hand - there are some situations where things genuinely aren't good/do not suit you, and so it is good to leave. I'm sure you've considered all of this. It does sound as though your situation really is negative - given that even others in the lab are advising you to leave. Have you managed to find some alternative projects to apply for (or supervisors to whom you could take your own proposal idea)?

Thanks you very much for the advice Tudor_Queen.

I totally agree with you that I should focus reason 1 when I tell people I want to switch project. However, I am wondering whether I can mention the field of the project is not the expertise of this group, which is a fact. I think it is not a criticism, right? Also, is it ok to say that his way of supervison is not suitable for me, even though he is supportive?

For the second advise, I think it is useful too. I didn't tell people that I want to leave, but just asked their experience in this lab and evaluation of their PhD time. I also tried to seek advice from them because my project is not well-structured and I am stressed. But you are right, I will be more careful. One more question: is it ok that I apply for a new project without telling my supervisor? Won't the perspective supervisor be interested into his opinion about me and contact him directly? I am also worried what if I find an attractive position but cannot find enough referees to apply for it.

Hello, I also want to know how to explain my 8 month as PhD in this lab. Since I am hired by the university as a staff, is it fine that I write it into my research experience but not into education? I checked some cv samples, in which the PhD experience is also included into research experience.

Hi Jols

Re explaining the 8 months - I wouldn't worry about that at all. When you have the completed PhD under your belt (or whatever else you go on to do) no one is going to care that you started on and then left. It isn't a gap on your CV - you were doing something.

I think focusing on reason 1 is the most important thing to do. It is fine to explain other things too - I think my friend did this as well. I think it just depends on the situation. Open-ness will probably be appreciated. Does your funding from the EU mean that you can take it with you, or it is only linked to the current project and supervisor?

You are right - if you give details of your current supervisor then the prospective one may contact him or even know him. I am not sure to be honest. Personally, I wouldn't tell my supervisor what I was doing (unless you want to leave immediately?) I would just do it, and tell him when he needed to be told, (i.e., when I had been awarded funding elsewhere). Re the prospective supervisor - if you don't put the details of your current PhD on the application then they won't have details or be able to contact him. I think that is what I would do - it may come up in the interview though so you would need to be prepared with an explanation. Either that or be completely open with your current supervisor...

Hopefully some one else can give some more advice/different views. Good luck with it - and try to keep positive - at least you know early on that you want to leave (-:

Hello Tudor_Queen,

Thanks for the reply. At present, I only have one year contract with the university. The contract would be extended on condition that I get a positive feedback from my 9th month evaluation (going to happen in two weeks, but the contract needs one or two months to be prepared), which I am sure I can get. However, I don't want to sign the extended contract, because I am considering to leave and I don't want to take advantage of my current supervisor. Also, one of post docs in my lab told me that my supervisor can be difficult to deal with and he possibly threatens people with their career, which happened to him and another phd student. He said it would be a good opportunity for me to leave after one year if I want to. So my current plan is to leave smoothly (hopefully) when my one-year contract finishes, while I am uncertain if I can find a position at that time.

That sounds like an ideal opportunity to leave. I guess you could even explain this situation to your referees if you wanted them to understand why you are again asking for references having been accepted somewhere once.

A smooth transition to a new PhD would be ideal but even if you have to find a temporary job while applying for new PhD opportunities (depending on your finances) I guess at least you will know that you have left a PhD that wasn't for you and are looking for something better. All the best in finding something quickly : )