The Student Room Group

PhD: "Full-time job" or typical student life?

Is a PhD more demanding and time consuming than being an undergrad or master's student?

Do most PhD students basically work during term time and take some (2-3 months?) vacation in the summer? Or is being a PhD student rather like a full-time job, with some few weeks of holiday throughout the year, but without the semester breaks we all love so much?
Original post by schaeyker
Is a PhD more demanding and time consuming than being an undergrad or master's student?

Do most PhD students basically work during term time and take some (2-3 months?) vacation in the summer? Or is being a PhD student rather like a full-time job, with some few weeks of holiday throughout the year, but without the semester breaks we all love so much?


My girlfriend just finished hers and it can be either way. Some people take an unofficial summer break and some treat it like a full time job. My gf was the latter and has finished before her friends even though she started months later.

So essentially you have much more freedom but you have to be sensible about it.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Most people I know treat it as a mix between the two. It's more flexible regarding when you want to take time off, but especially during the later stages many seem almost scared to take time off as they feel they have so much work to do.

I think funding from the research councils allows you to take 8 weeks holiday a year (including public holidays), so less than what most students have, but more than what most employees have.
I took nowhere near the allowance for holidays stated by the research council and nowhere near the statutory minimum holidays for workers during my PhD.

For me, it definitely was a full time job and more, at least 9-5 during weekdays, often longer + coming in regularly on weekends to complete data runs or just tend to equipment. On top of that regular trips to a central facility for 2 -3 weeks at a time often doing 15-16 hour days (sometimes night shifts) throughout that time (no time off at weekends). That's what you get for doing experimental science.
Reply 4
Avatar for Klix88
Klix88
17
My PhD is nowhere near as concentrated as my taught Masters, although there are very intense periods to prepare for review points and conferences. I signed what's effectively a contract with the uni which states that I'll work a minimum of 35 hours a week, which is a normal basic working week for most jobs. However I effectively do more hours than that. I'm supposed to take 4-5 weeks of holiday a year - a week at Easter and Christmas, with 2 or 3 weeks (at my supervisors' discretion) over the summer. However in reality I'll be taking less than this. Mainly because I tend to be thinking about my PhD all the time and I don't like having entire days where I do nothing on it. Makes me twitch and I don't find it relaxing.

The way I work is a bit odd. My supervisors have said that they don't care where or when I work, as long as I get the work done to a good standard and meet my deadlines. I'm self-funding and have no input from outside bodies. According to my contract with the uni I'm supposed to work on campus at least three days a week, but there are periods such as writing up review documents or conference material, when I work better from home and don't set foot in the place for a couple of weeks at a time. Some of my colleagues have supervisors who expect them to be at their desks 9-5, Monday to Friday. Those who are doing lab-based research seem to live on campus.

When given a choice, I get up at 7am, work on my sofa (sometimes in front of the telly) until late morning, get into campus at lunchtime, do a few hours there and come home early evening. I'll then probably do a few more hours in the evening. I don't feel like I'm being over-taxed because I'm breaking up my working day.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Trending

Trending

Articles for you