Hi Reenie,

Thanks for this, however the job I have been offered is at another college, not my university. I've read some details about getting lecturing work etc whilst doing a phd, and this seems fine to do. But, I thought I had also read somewhere that if you are on a fully funded course that if you work a part time job too there is some problem with taxes? And possibly getting kicked off the phd/having to repay money funded? I just wanted to see how true these stories are, and what I am risking if I take the job.

Cheers again!

I am currently on a funded PhD as part of a Doctoral Training Centre, however I am looking into working part time to supplement this income as an hourly paid college tutor. I would only be working a few hours a week, and I know of other people doing the same PhD who give private music/subject lessons in their own time.

I am concerned about what the repercussions may be if I do take an extra job - any ideas or past stories to tell from similar situations? Would it be more of a problem working for an institution like the college rather than cash-in-hand work? What's the worst case scenario?

Any advice or experiences would be greatly appreciated!

Hey everybody, thanks for calming my nerves a bit. I think if I view this as something I have to do (job-like) then maybe I can see an end to it.. it's just always so difficult to find ANY motivation - I swear I am now an expert at procrastination...

But thank you still, it's good to hear other people had/have similar situations.

Hey everyone,

I have been trawling through this website for over a year now, trying to learn from others experiences.

My position is as follows:

Like so many posts on here, I definitely started this PhD for the wrong reasons and find my topic fairly dull. I am researching energy generation, which (on the face of it) I am interested in as I believe global warming, carbon emissions and sustainability are all very topical subjects. However, as I quite quickly discovered, this broad field of interest is not really covered by something such as a PhD which is inherently narrow.

After 14 months of doing the PhD, I have already completely changed the nature of my research to see if that created more interest for me, however that overwhelming lack of motivation and the guilt that comes with it hasn't shifted.

I'm finding it very hard to find a focus for my research, however I have recently had meetings to discuss my progress to date where external reviewers have assessed my work and been happy with my progress. There are even a couple of industry collaborations lined up.

So, basically I am miserable and lonely doing this PhD, and know that I am not working anywhere near my hardest (in fact hardly working at all) and I was wondering if at 14 months any one else has been in a similar position? I feel like opportunities are falling into my lap and I hate saying no to anything, a PhD with an industry sponsor pays well and looks good on the CV.

I am basically counting down the days til my luck runs out and they suggest I leave. I know that I am not capable of doing a PhD, especially with my current approach, and how much harder it will get over the next couple of years. I just hate quitting. Plus I don't have a clue what I would do instead.

This is a bit of a vague post, but really just needed a sounding board - and anyone who's had a similar experience of what I like to call "pretending to do a PhD", what they decided to do (leave/carry on), and whether this horrid feeling towards it all ever goes away.

Cheers