Hi, guys
My phd study goes into the forth year. I just want to quit, because
(1) I don't like the atomosphere around here, I feel I am not doing research, I am only a labour worker, I could get nothing from here but feeling miserable! That is the reason I figure out why I am the only phd student ever here!
(2) it is definitely not what I want to do for my life, in fact I am preparing to pursuing another carreer path.
Should I quit now? How quiting the study will affect my future employment? e.g. employers would not like to employ a person quiting the study?

You're in year 4, how long do you have to go? Is it not worth just slugging it out? Even though this may not be the end destination career wise, you may end up feeling even worse by quitting so near the end.
I should state that I only experienced this on my first degree, but I saw it through and felt like I had made a greater achievement personally for it.

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2010 08:51:46 =======
hi adeline
is there anyone you can speak to about this in your uni? how much more do you need to do for the phd?
I can understand what you mean when you say you feel like you're only doing labour there; this was the same for two of my friends back in my former university.

but they just coped with it; agonized with it; and somehow managed to submit and finish. Now one of them is doing a phd and the other has either got a job or still looking for one (I'm not in frequent contact with him).

If you are sure that it is definitely not what you want to do in your life in future, at least you know NOW what you want to do with your life.

If you have a phd in Mathematics, it doesn't mean you need to make a career in mathematics. But nevertheless, having a phd (even if it is in another field to the chosen area of your life path) has its advantages.

I would suggest you speak to someone, or find a counsellor to discuss how you feel about your phd now before you make a final decision.
love satchi

Hi Adeline9999, welcome to the forum.

Your feelings sound much the same as a lot of people here at one time or another. You don't say how much further you have to go, are your f/t? If so then surely it can only be another few months to a year? The way I see it is that you can view the PhD as a job if you want to, ok its a very poorly paid one but in absolutely any job, any career, heck, even in normal parts of life, marriage/kids/bills etc you'd feel like this at times. Nobody said that a PhD would be an exhilarating ride start to finish, nobody said that we'd necessarily like the people we work with, and yes, at times you feel like you're just slogging away. The thing is that if you quit now you've spent 3 years of your life working towards, well, nothing unless you transfer to an Mphil or masters. Yes, you'll have transferable skills blah blah, but it sounds as though (and forgive me if I've misunderstood) you want to quit because you're fed up, don't feel appreciated and don't like the working atmosphere. Playing devil's advocate here say you pursue your chosen career path and find yourself in a place where you feel much the same, can you quit then? How many times can you do that before your CV starts to look decidedly dodgy?

I'm one of the world's greatest quitters. I've failed at everything, I've never stuck at anything and seen it through til the end, I've never held a job for more than a year! Now though its different. There's times I hate my PhD with a passion, I've written more 'I quit' emails to my supervisor in the last few months than I've had hot dinners (I end up deleting them before sending them). I've sat here crying my eyes out but then I think about how I'll feel if I do quit and what I and my family have sacrificed for nothing and it keeps me going, more with grim determination than anything. Some people quit and are happy with it, most you'll find have the most awful mourning period. Some have quit through ill health, severe depression etc - that is very different from quitting after so long and so close to the end because you are dissatisfied with life.

Nobody here will tell you what to do, nobody can, but what you're working towards is more than a funny gown and hat and a title, its showing employers that you have the ability to work independantly, get on with people, collaborate, organise your time but more than anything that you're a sticker, that you'll go through the very fires of hell to get what you want to achieve. You can explain away your decision to leave and find good reasons that will sound ok, but you will always then live with the what ifs and if onlys.

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2010 16:51:09 =======
Thank you so much! I think I have at least 2 more years ahead to finish the project if possible at all. It is the hardest one I have ever known in this world. The supervisor doesn't even know it is workable one or not himself(he gave me the topic, I liked to choose one of my own interest, but he would not let me ). There is more uncertainty ahead, feel the more I get into it, the more risk I would take of ending up with nothing. I am now a Full-time, thinking about maybe transferring to part-time or start to find a job

======= Date Modified 03 Sep 2010 17:04:55 =======
a couple of more things: I had never quit or even thought about quitting anything before. And I say I am preparing to pursue another career path, this is not out of my fantasy, it is my Minor. I have been taking exams to get professional certificate in this field.