Remember, people: there is life outside academia. If you're putting yourself through a PhD you have to be sure it really is what you want to do. Admitting to yourself, and others, that it isn't - that takes a lot of guts. Ultimately, only you can know what is right for you - don't be miserable unless you can't change whatever it is that's making you miserable.

Now all that remains is the minor matter of telling my supervisors, which I'm not looking forward to. I've only just been told I've got the job, so I'm waiting for the contract to be sent to me (I'm not burning any bridges here before I have everything on paper). I'm really not looking forward to it, especially as I really like one of my supervisors. Still, I'm polishing off my literature review, and will hand that in as a "finished" piece of work, together with my Reference Manager database of 400 references, and the corresponding electronic library and boxfiles of papers - at least, that way I'm leaving behind a resource that someone else can pick up and use, should they re-advertise the project.

At the job interview, they were far more interested in my relevant skills and experience than in the fact that I was about to drop out of a PhD. They did ask about it, but only at the end of the interview, and the fact I had a coherent answer meant they were satisified - as coastalchick says, the important thing is to turn your decision into a positive one.

Furthermore, after half a year, I've come to really dislike academia, the pressure and politics and back-stabbing and unspeakable admin procedures are not something I want to have to put up with for another 2 1/2 or 3 years.

However, the ultimate clincher to me was the fact that I utterly hate the city I'm living in - if I had been doing the same project somewhere nice, I may well have seen it through and ended up as Dr Vagabond (after all, I still find the project interesting and my supervisors are ok). Still, seen as I don't want an academic job and don't need the title for what I ultimately want to do, I decided there is no reason to be miserable and in a financially precarious situation for three years of my life. The second part of the clincher was, of course, that I saw my perfect job advertised, and I've been offered it!! Yay :)

I've known from the start that I don't need a PhD for the sort of work I want to be doing, but applied for the project because it is a really interesting and worthwhile piece of work to do in itself. What I wasn't really prepared for, after a good few years in professional employment, was dealing with being a student again - not just the lack of salary (the studentship is liveable), but the lack of security (e.g. what happens if you get sick? or pregnant?), lack of status (meaning there is no support on anything from obtaining money for work-related travel, to being allowed to use the car park - staff only), dealing with student accommodation, unregulated working hours (I spend my life in the labs), ...

Coastalchick, I think you are right in everything you say.

I've just made the decision to drop out of my PhD, 6 months into the project. I job-hunted while still on my PhD, for the simple reason that I otherwise would have had no money to live on, and nowhere to go - also, I fugired that if unsuccessful in my quest for employment, at least I would have the option to continue with the doctorate, which is better for a cv than being unemployed, even if I was miserable.

I got references from my old job, so my supervisors were not involved - it feels horrid to be doing things underhand in this way, but then it was a matter of survival - I couldn't drop out and apply for work whilst living in a box on the streets.

The thing is, I'm quite old to start a PhD (heading for 30 at great speed), if I don't see this through this time round it's never going to happen. Also, I work in the environmental sector where work opportunities aren't exactly plentiful, I blew my savings from my last job when I went travelling, and now I've no idea where to go or what to do if I walk out of here ... but if I manage to find a job, I'm out of here, and will cry no tears of regret. Sometimes your gut is right!!!

Best of luck to everyone, and keep posting! It really helps to know I'm not alone.

I've been wanting to quit every second since I got here 5 months ago - although I like the project, and get on with my supervisors, I absolutely, totally and utterly loathe the place I've ended up in - the cesspit of GB. Living here makes me depressed and demoralised, and I never have any energy or enthusiasm for my work: 3-4 years of this is going to be HELL. Also, not having worked in an academic environment before, I find the working atmosphere in my department opressive, bitchy, unsupportive, high pressure and generally very negative. Everyone always seems to be sick with a cold, everyone looks stressed, unhealthy and unhappy, people are treated like crap - if that's what it's like, who the hell wants to work in academia?? Also, the working group I'm in is small, there are few people working in closely related areas, there's no "oomph" or excitement about the research at all.

*This message is too long so I'm splitting it*
I reckon quitting takes some guts, so good luck to those in the process - it can be harder to admit to yourself, friends and family that you made the wrong choice than to stick it out. I don't know about you, but personally I also feel kind of like I "ought" to get a PhD because I know that I'm academically capable of it - and that's not really a good reason to put yourself through 3 or 4 years of suffering if it's not the right thing for you.