The reality of a PhD?

[pupcakes]

I would appreciate some opinions on what the reality of a PhD looks like from anyone who has done one, please. (I've been googling but keep getting American answers)

I don't know anyone who has done one so have nobody to ask. I am seriously considering applying for one; I am currently undertaking an MA Education which I'm really enjoying, I have a specific topic in mind which I'm really keen on.

Would be very grateful for any views on what the reality looks like, please.

Also, I am considering UCL or my local out of London uni- trying to decide if it's worth the commute into London for the more prestigious university or just to stick at where I know, am local to, and have found excellent during my masters this past year and a decade ago when I did my undergrad.

Thank you!

@HMG107 - I'm intrigued by this... "I am very strict with my time management, I create a writing frame and once I feel I have enough sources I move on no matter how tempting it is to continue reading."

As a hopeless over-reader myself, I am curious as to what your "writing frame" looks like - can you spill the beans by any chance?!

OP - Totally get the wistfulness, as I was the same. But beware that once you start on this path your plans may change. I undertook the PhD "just because" too and am now a ft academic (social sciences) :) I love it, in spite of all the issues that are well-rehearsed on here and elsewhere. I now have both funded and self-funded PhD students and all of them are great. I am currently working with a potentially self-funded student to explore options for funding - so if you can build a relationship with a potential supervisor, it needn't be quite the either/or approach it appears at the outset.

As other posters have pointed out, our responses are influenced by the field we are in. I hear what others have said about the problems with self-funding but in the current climate in fields like yours (and mine) it is incredibly hard (though not impossible) to secure money. And do bear in mind that even if you can find and apply for something suitable, a funded PhD will usually be tied to a specific project that may or may not set your world on fire, and you may or may not have the power to influence how the scope and focus of the project develops over time.