Heard from lots of seniors that the PI is the single most important for a PhD. A good PI will show the fun in the topic and teaches you a lot by demonstrating how to interpret the data and in discussion. Back this up with my personal experience. In fact, even if your work on a very interesting topic, it can be a disaster if the group is not working as a team, and you cant have the best of everything. So, I'd choose the team than the project.

To bewildered:

Yes, you're right. The math is whether I could survived the last two years without the salary...

I think part-time work is doable but I am more inclined to pushing myself through, to graduate faster and focus. The new supervisor has confirmed that the status of a PhD is granted regardless of the financial status. But that leaves me wonder if I need to pay tax and all that. Visa should be okay thou.

The new supervisor also promised to see me through the whole PhD, the lab is not closing as far as I know, it is a rather big lab.

Thank you very much though. I hope the situation gets better for your friend..

To Tudor_Queen:
Yes as the current supervisor provides little supervision and it will be difficult too to seek help from the school. I would really like to stay if I could. But I am very much worried about getting a post-doc afterwards if that is what I get. The only things that holds me back is the finance. The new supervisor said getting funding for HALF of a PhD is impossible, thats why I am desperate.

To add to this discussion, I would like to share my experience in asking for guidance from a colleagues who is not entirely helpful.

So I need to learn a technique from this colleagues and was told beforehead that he is reluctant to help. What I did is that I read tremendous amount of protocols and make sure I understand down to the very details. I compared protocols and ask very specific questions. That made him understand that I am not here to just get input from him. And at the end we revised the protocol and he turned out to be a helpful person as I further my experiment.

Being specific is great advice. I will also suggest that you add a deadline and let them know your next step in your emails. Do your part and if the person does not respond and you know maybe he/she is just not the person to go to.

Hey, thank you so much for the replies. I need advice desparately.

I have been learning the local language already. But it is difficult to get it to a level where I could discuss science with my colleagues within three years. Let alone all the work for a thesis squeezed into a three year period.

Apart from the language issue, the lab is also not as established as one that I would like to work in. To get some reagents requires getting in touch with one exact person that knows where it is. Planning ahead is not easy as some devices are not open for booking. Quality control is non-existent. And this list goes on...

The professor with the kind offer says the funding is two to three years, closer to two. And graduate normally takes four. I might just ask if I could sleep in the lab even. Lol.

I sent 60+ applications before getting a funded PhD in EU. I'm from non-EU countries. So, hold on but should also review the chances as you send more and more applications. While I apply for positions, I kept getting interviews and asked for feedback form the interviewers. So, I knew that I am doing better in interviews and my CV is attractive, and that's wy I kept going. I would have otherwise stopped looking.

For European applications, I normally asks around 10-14 days after the interview. Most gave their replies within the first week. Good luck!

I share very similar personality with you. I am now doing a PhD, and my teachers and high school friend would have never imagined that. I have roughly 1.5 year experience in the field I graduated in and soon saw that I do not enjoy the job at the frontline. While I am still hugely interested in the field, I went for a PhD.

So, I think you will also have to consider the difference of doing research vs working in your field. I did some research while in my bachelor, so I knew as soon as I started working. However, in your case, it might only be possible after you have had some working experience.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

Hi everyone, I am writing to seek advice of a decision I have to make over my PhD. It appears to me that this forum is very supportive, and I am grateful for any advice you guys kindly give.

I am current a Marie Curie in the first year of my PhD. Before I came, I was informed that I will be able to work speaking only English and that the people in the lab do understand and speaks English. However, it was not the case.The staff and most people in the lab speaks only their local mother language. All the meetings, slides and internal documents are in the local language. No courses nor exams were offer in English. Even the group meeting, my PI speaks English only to me and the rest are in the local language and I will sit there helplessly. I feel isolated and lied to.

I started looking for a new position. A professor which I known for a few years offered a position with the funding in his account that he needs to finish before he retires. He is the director of his institue from a very good university and also a city that I like. I have also worked with him previously and get along very well with him. The only thing that keeps me from the new position is that the funding he will be enough for only 2-3 years. Meaning if there is no additional funding in 2 years, I will have no salary afterwards. However, he has assured me that I could still continue with my work, because the lab expenses will be covered.

The professor has been very kindly to me and has made this offer after learning about my current situation. I believe that he is not trying to take advantage of me. But I have heard rumours that funding will be difficult to get because of the pandemic. I am thus worried that I will prob be complete left to fend for myself after 2 years.

I really need more input to make the decision. I would love to hear what you guys think. Thank you very much. Hope things go well for everyone of you.