Advise me on doing a PhD!

[corriefan]

I am thinking of going for a PhD as I like the idea of working at a uni/researching etc.

I graduated 12 years ago in psychology and then got a job as a research assistant but rather than go onto further study then I chose to go travelling and become a teacher with a view to poss ed psych but mainly because I loved working with kids.

Now I have my own kids and the youngest starts school next year I'm wanting to go back into psychology as a more academic/peaceful (!) career.

My old boss has recently taken me back on as a research assistant again on great terms but he's based in another city and is moving abroad next year.

My main concern is that as I've been out of research for a while I can't think of a particular project I want to propose- I'd happily do anything- but the current thing I'm working on is dyslexia. I'm also concerned about whether I need to do a research MSc first, how to get funding,the hours, whether I'd get on, etc. etc.

Any experiences/advice would be welcome!

You may want to look at his thread started by MrsMerryHenry about this. I have a feeling she may be thinking of doing an experimental psychology PhD.

Hi Corriefan - IME work on a PhD is bloody hard. You start up with lots of enthusiasm but it becomes difficult and something you wish you'd never taken on. Will it really increase your chances of getting a better job? More than having more experience in the area? When would you do it? Spare time is precious. If you have the extra time and energy why not put it into your current job and get better prospects/promotion that way. I'm sounding negative because I'm exhausted, having started with real passion on one.

Thanks for your replies. I'll look at the thread you're talking about ABetadad.

Cristina- you're confirming my fears. They do sound scary! My research job is good at the moment, flexible hours and good pay but not sure how long it will last and don't feel like I can just keep on doing that forever. I was imagining just doing a PhD on its own, hopefully with maintenance, but I probably am just day dreaming. What's yours in and how did you get into it?

Hi Corrie - I just finished my PhD which is interdisciplinry, partly based in experimental psychology. Like Christina - I'n going to find it hard to be really positive about the experience but then again - I have no regrets. It's just been very tough - mainly a test of endurance and tenacity.

Funding in psychology is extremely competitive because it is a popular subject. have you talked to your current supervisor? There are several roads to funding a PhD - get a PhD position which is already funded, apply for funding for your own project independently (that's what I did), work part-time to pay for it, or just pay it all by some other means.

I had a maintenance grant which went almost entirely on childcare for one dd 2-3 days/week. She was born at the end of my second year and I took a year out then effectively but unofficially went part-time, 2 days/week one year then 3 days/week the next. I also went without a grant for the last 7 months to submission. I did a bit of teaching throughout but no other paid work. Frankly, there is just no way I could have got through on time if I had had a real job as well. I took 5.5 years from start to finish but officially did it full time in 3.7 years.

I got the idea for my project from scanning recent issues of the relevant journals at the library - that way you know what has been done in the field. Your project also needs to fit in with your potential supervisors remit. You should look at the research profile of any potntial supervisors in your area. My supervisor hasd been my MPhil supervisor.

You have research experience so you might not need an MSc first - although that is increasingly becoming essential to get funding. You'd best take advice from potential supervisors on that.

Sould your current boss put a word in to introduce you to anyone - even just for a friendly chat and some advice? Networking si very, very useful down the road.

For psychology, the ESRC are a major source of funding and they do 3 plus 1 grants for a masters and PhD together. You can apply either as an individual, or to the department for one of their quota of awards.

Excuse unedited typing

Hi corriefan. I'm just starting my PhD (although it is socio-legal, not psychology).

I started off by funding my own criminology MSc part-time (which I started when the children were 1 and 3). Once I had a good idea for my dissertation for that and realised that there was so much more I could do with it if I had the time, I applied to the ESRC for a quota place at the university I was studying at. I believe there were about 50 applicants for 2 places and maybe ten of those had previous research experience and/or a masters. My funding is for 1+3 which means that for this first year I have to do an ESRC accredited research methods course and then move on to the PhD. However, I am already working with my allocated PhD supervisors to make this years dissertation useable for the eventual PhD so it doesn't mean waiting to get started on the research.

Personally I find the funding which is around £13,000 a year worthwhile. It is tax free so I'd have to be earning significantly more in another field, plus I get a reduction on council tax for studying full time and other discounts for my student status. Although this year while my youngest is still only in school nursery for 2.5 hours a day, I'm spending more than 70% of that in childcare, next year, both the children can go to the after-school club which will be much cheaper. Also, unlike a lot of other 'jobs', if the children are ill or have inset days, holidays etc, I can just juggle my work around them.

I know it's early days, but to me it seems an ideal activity to do once children are in school. I want to be an academic when I finish and I know in my area I'd be incredibly unlikely to ever get employed as such without a PhD. As it is, I'm getting paid to study exactly what I want to study for the next four years and I can fit it around my family - I can't ask any more than that. I'm at the start so I'm all enthusiastic so I'm sure there will be bad times ahead, from what has been said above.

It's worth finding out whether your university offers any quota studentships (if they do most deadlines are early Jan) and looking at the ESRC website for funding options. It may also e worth speaking to other academics in your department in case any have funding for existing research PhDs. I don't know where you live, but here in Cardiff the Welsh Assembly Government also offer PhD studentships for policy-based research, that may also be the case in England/Scotland - others will advise. Although while the studentship bursary is slightly more generous, you will have less choice over your research and may be required to be office based and tied to inflexible hours.

Good luck though. Let us know what you decide.

(oh and I'll look up that other thread mentioned above too)

I'm between and at the idea that you think an academic career is in any sense 'peaceful'.

You will be under constant pressure to teach increasing numbers of (often) less than enthusiastic students, with huge quantities of mindless paperwork to fill in. You will also be expected/required to produce a considerable quantity of research each year which you will end up doing in your 'own' time (ie family time) as the teaching/paperwork etc will fill all the 'normal' working hours you thought you were signing up for. And that's assuming you can get an academic job in the first place in a hostile hiring environment which is only going to get worse.

(From one who has given up.)

Gerbil- I meant peaceful in comparison to teaching in all manner of schools as a supply teacher, purely in terms of noise levels, but obviously I'm completely naive and looking at it all with rose-tinted glasses! But I never ever thought it would be an easy option.

I have to admit I'm prefering honeypuck's version of events! What you're doing sounds ideal. If I did manage to get funding (well done you) I would treat it as a full time job and the maintenance would be the salary. I think the MSc first is a good idea to get ideas together.

I've emailed the admissions contact for the uni near me making a preliminary enquiry but will talk to my boss as he's high up in the field and would definitely sing my praises! I was talking to a lecturer in another subject this afternoon and he was saying it's quite possible to do it from another city too. He also assured me that most students don't have a firm idea of their research area when they start.

But there are the doubts. I lack confidence even though I've done well academically I always kind of think it's for 'other people' but then try to tell myself there's no reason I shouldn't, people do do it. Plus it sdoes sound really hard, but I'm more focused now than I ever have been before.

AvengingGerbil - I gave up for the same reasons. Frankly I felt that the most senior academics were just dumping their work on more junior staff and spending their time doing consultancy work, conferences and creaming off the research money and other benefits. They had a nice life having bought houses a long time ago while junior staff lived in grotty flats scraping a living.

I know a few people with PhDs who went to work in top independent (fee paying) schools and have a great life on better pay and conditions than in a University and still have time to indulge their academic passion in their private time.

corrie - it doesn't sound as though you need have any worries about being up to it academically. It's just the logistics that need thinking through carefully. Also - be careful to consider whether you need any research costs for your project and if so, where that money will come from (this was a major headached for me).

With your experience and connections it sounds as though you are very well placed to go ahead - if it's what you want.

Thanks Acinonyx, it's nice to think it is possible! But, after taking comments into consideration and having a big think I've decided to look into an MSc in occupational. It's 1 year long, vocational but it can also be used as the 1 in the 1+3 ESRC doctorate programme. It will give me chance to do a small research project and see how I get on with organising myself on that/funding etc. and if not I can hopefully get a job in that area. I'll probably change my mind and back again several times though! Thanks very much for telling me about your experiences though and good luck!

That sounds very sensible to me - I found doing a masters first invaluable - don't think I would have managed without it.

Good luck with it corriefan. it's definitely worth doing the masters first, the contacts you make and experience you get will be priceless when it comes to applying for funding. Plus, for me having been out of the loop for a few years raising children, it was good to use that time to wind the brain back into gear which I found actually physically hurt my head, but got there in the end!!

Of course, it's definitely worth being aware of some of the pitfalls and problems other people have had, you don't want to go into this with blind naivete, but remember it can be done and you can take steps to do what you want to do. Good luck :D

I did a PhD in chemistry and was fully funded by the EPSRC with additional funding from a pharmaceutical company. My research was basically my job (and at times an all consuming one). I couldn't imagine doing it without funding. I did it for the pure academic curiosity and because I could I suppose. I spent a little while teaching in a university (total dead end because I didn't want a research group) and then made the switch into the noisy career of secondary teacher!

Well I've done the first step and got onto the MSc starting in September. It means we'll be skint for a year but I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll get more of an idea of which direction to take too.