Hello,

Firstly, please accept my apologies for posting another thread about I don’t know what to do, I want to quit, etc. However, I’d be ever so grateful for any advice!

I started my PhD almost a year ago because I love research and the topic was in an area of great interest. Fast forward to today and the project has turned from this amazing thing into something I would have never applied to as I never wanted to do this “type” of research. Plus the fact that I’ve been feeling quite poorly over the last year – isolation that has made/is making me feel depressed which has resulted in no motivation, etc. You name it, its happened. That’s one side of the story.

The other side is that last year I applied for an MSc. This MSc is the first stage of training which you need to complete before going onto the second stage of doctoral training. Completing these two stages would ultimately enable me to become a charted professional in this field. Unfortunately, I wasn’t accepted and I saw my acceptance onto the PhD as a kind of compensation for it as I always wanted to do research and the topic was in an area of great interest. However, over the past year I’ve never really been able to let go of my aspiration to become a chartered professional in this field and given the problems I’ve had with/alongside my PhD I decided to apply for the MSc again and was accepted this time around. However, whilst this makes me feel quite happy I am scared of quitting my PhD. I am just scared that this would go against me when I apply for the second stage of doctoral training. I am scared that selectors may be put off and think that I might pack it in again, thinking that I wasn’t good/motivated enough first time around. Would they understand that I quit because I want to become a chartered professional in this field, something that my last PhD didn’t allow me to do?

Hello,

I was wondering whether someone could give me some much needed advice.

I embarked on a PhD some time ago, however I have been feeling rather unhappy with the whole situation ever since the start. Those factors aren't really associated with the research project/topic itself or my supervisor, but are rather centered around personal issues (having to move to an entirely new place, lack of social support system, etc). Even though I wish that things weren't this way, it's gotten to the point where I've slowly realised that it's not worth to sacrifice my happiness for the sake of getting a PhD. Now there's this job in an area very closely related to my PhD topic in my hometown, but I am wondering whether the fact that I want to quit my PhD due to personal reasons and not reasons associated with the project itself will make me an unfavorable candidate? I just don't know how to adequately explain to them why I want to leave my PhD...

I'd be very thankful for any words of wisdom.

Vini

Hey,

I am in the process of submitting my first conference abstract, the deadline being tomorrow.

Everything is written up and all, but there are like two separate sets of instructions one saying that the abstract should contain title, authors & affiliations, keywords and references, whereas the other set omits the reference instruction. Thus, do I submit references? Also, does this reference list need to be exhaustive or is it ok to just submit a handful of key references?

I'd be really grateful for any advice!

Vini

Hello!

Even though I am new on this forum I was wondering whether someone could give me some advice.

I have been offered a funded studentship last week, which I have accepted. However, the problem is that I've applied to another studentship a couple of days before I got the offer. Naturally, I would have asked the department if they could give me a few days to decide , however the c/d for the other studentship is in mid June with the interview not being held until early July. So, even though I don't even know if I'll get an interview yet alone an offer and because I don't want to withdraw my application for the other studentship I am wondering (even though it's not a nice thing to do at all) would I still be able to reject the former should I get an offer for the other one or do I have to stick with the one I've accepted?
Both these projects are equally funded, just as interesting and have good supervisors, yet the latter is at a slightly better department and in a city I've lived before and loved living in...

I'd be really thankful for any advice!