Serious situation - need advice.

[chav]

Prof you know what I think, you are just running from work by hiding behind education, but even education you don't enjoy
You are clearly a smart chap, you need to apply your smarts to researching some companies to apply to, or some specialist recruiters to work with.

Don't waste time and money on more education if your heart isn't In it and you have lost the passion for it, because that's just a crazy scenario to put yourself in otherwise

[Terrel]

Prof you know what I think, you are just running from work by hiding behind education, but even education you don't enjoy
You are clearly a smart chap, you need to apply your smarts to researching some companies to apply to, or some specialist recruiters to work with.

Don't waste time and money on more education if your heart isn't In it and you have lost the passion for it, because that's just a crazy scenario to put yourself in otherwise

For once Chav is speaking sense.

[Dr Rumack]

Major crisis. I just cant decide what to do. I have the 09/13 place and have applied to another school for an MPhil. But part of me cant be bothered, just wants to chill for a few years and then see whats up.

I need proper advice.

I'm trying to write my doctoral thesis up at the moment and I'd have to say that you do need to have some sense of why you're doing it if you want to get through it. But on top of that, you have to also appreciate that it's going to be tough even if you do have that sense of direction in mind. Doubt is part and parcel of the whole process, and everyone thinks about quitting at some stage.

So all I'd say to you is that if you decide not to do it, make that decision for the right reasons. You just have to be honest as you can be about the type of work you want to do in your life and the type of work you think you're suited to. You want to be happy in your work then you need to find an environment in which you excel.

What's causing you to hesitate anyway? In either direction? What's preventing you from just walking away from it? What's scaring you away from actually doing it?

[fight_professor]

Its a commitment thing. I think "damn, 5 years" - and the topic of my research I'm 'meh' about.

[fight_professor]

If I want to switch topic, I would have to reapply. They are clear on this. I may wish to do something around socio-politics or something. I dont know man.

Sometimes I feel up for study, other times not. I dropped out of university once at PhD level, and am conscious of such situations again.

[Dr Rumack]

If I want to switch topic, I would have to reapply. They are clear on this. I may wish to do something around socio-politics or something. I dont know man.

Sometimes I feel up for study, other times not. I dropped out of university once at PhD level, and am conscious of such situations again.

How demanding is the course/program? Have you talked to people who're doing similar programs? It might not be as horrible as you think in terms of the workload of it.

As far as topics go, you generally do have a lot of scope in terms of the angle you take on an issue. I didn't have a topic I found particularly interesting but I took a theoretical angle on it that made it fit a lot better with the sort of stuff I am interested in.

The time commitment thing I can't argue with. It goes faster than you think, ridiculously quickly in fact. But it's still 4/5 years of your life. I don't really know what the culture is like where you would be doing this, but I think the important thing for you to know is how much of your life is going to be taken up with work and work alone.

I had a lot of freedom with mine to be honest, and if you do have that freedom then it's a time in your life where you can get involved in an awful lot of different things. But if it's all work, then it could make you miserable if your heart's not in it.

Not an easy decision either way though man, wasn't easy for me either nor for most people I know. It's natural to have those doubts about a commitment like this. But at the end of the day, it's not going to ruin your life one way or the other, so don't go putting any more pressure on yourself than is necessary.

[fight_professor]

sup bro,

Nice to have someone who knows this ish on the forum now.

1 place (world ranked in top 10) has a considerable research training program that is compulsory. so there are classes and stuff alongside academic life. the other I have applied to is not quite as good a school - still decent, but they have no set training. I have a unconditional from the top place.

I sometimes figure I may as well aim as high as I can, and if I dont like it, I can drop out or something. But this has a cost implication of a few thousand wasted in fees, travel costs and of course time wasted too.

[fight_professor]

My doing this once previously 13 months into a phd, I felt bad about wasting my families money. I dont want to do that again. My issue is - if not the PhD, then what else to do? I work as a writer - but its not stable work. Its freelance.

[hayZ]

DON'T DO IT. Honestly it's a big waste of time, effort and money. What are your skills? What degree/s have you got? Have you got any work experience? Answer these for me and all of us here on BScene first.

PhD is something imo you should do once you are established in whatever profession you are in and want to move to the absolute TOP.

[fight_professor]

Broski,

I have a BA in History and a MA in IR (Distinction in Thesis). I have 3-4 years of experience in Political Research and writing. Still, cant find a stable job atm. I do enjoy education, but sometimes think 'not now'.

Hope that helps.