The challenge today is to talk about a struggle in your life at the minute. In all honestly I can't really complain about anything right now, particularly as I know of people going through much worse times. But I have one struggle that has been weighing on my mind for months.
Sometime before Christmas my PhD supervisor announced he was getting a new job in Bradford. I, along with two of my colleagues, have a decision to make : do we follow him to Bradford or stay put where we are.
Automatically the logical decision is to move. I mean realistically how am I supposed to finish my PhD without my supervisor.
But Bradford is 4 hours away from where I have built my life. I like where I currently work, I love where I am living and the people I'm living with, I have a lot of friends from home and uni within 30 mins from where I am now, and most of all my boyfriend is only 20 mins away. If I move this will all change.
My mind flicks between deciding to go and then deciding to stay about 10 times a day. Travelling will be expensive, moving will be a faff, I'm worried about being in a city where I know nobody and potentially renting with a group of people I don't get on with. And as my boyfriend starts as a junior Doctor in August he will be working crazy hours which limits how often we can see each other even more.
Moving is a big risk when I'm more than happy where I am. But not moving may be a massive risk towards my PhD. It's only 15 months. I'm sure it'll fly by. No doubt I just need to man up and move. But it's a pretty scary prospect either way.
Argh! I can't decide!!!!!!
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Moving is scary and uncertain at times and adding that to your PhD is a lot to handle! I don't envy the position that your in, but if you moved and hated it would you be able to produce the work necessary to finish on time? I know that when I'm in a horrible mood my work ethic and concentration goes right out the window.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I spoke to somebody who said a similar thing - that if I'm spending my whole time wishing I was back in Reading then my PhD might suffer as a result, which I know will be the case. There are so many pros and cons each way!
DeleteYou and I are going through a similar decision for different reasons so I completely understand where you are coming from. I wish you peace in making this decision and know that the outcome is the one that you are suppose to have. I've learned that we need to make decisions for us, not for someone else.
ReplyDeleteI read your post on trying to decide whether to move home or stay where you are for your job. It is so tough isn't it! As there are people involved in whatever I chose it is difficult to ignore what they want and focus solely on what I want but I'm trying. I hope you manage to decide and that you are happy with whatever you choose.
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