The Student Room Group

Break before starting a PhD?

I am an MMath student, about to start my 4th year at Exeter University doing a Mathematics degree. I've always been appealed by the idea of doing a PhD and helping to directly advance the subject, and people have always envisaged me to be a very good person to take part in academic research as I have been renown for getting exceptionally high exam results, generally liking my subject and being willing to help out others. However, since coming to university, I feel like I've been running out of steam, and my performance has dipped slightly year to year, due to time with housemates, poor time management and a lack of discipline to get work done. I am currently doing a summer project with my personal tutor and my motivation has been somewhat low recently even though the topic has the scope to be very interesting, and it's taken me a fair bit of time to produce not very much. My work ethic has considerably slipped as well, and even though I know a PhD would be great for me, I don't really know if I'm in the right mindset to do one right after I finish university. This is sort of strange as I was in a very dedicated and committed mindset before I came to university, yet it's disappeared when I need it more than ever.I'm getting a gut feeling I should maybe get a 9-to-5 graduate job in order to get a better sense of discipline (e.g. having to go to work at 9 bang-on rather than putting off research and doing it at home) as I don't really feel university has helped me that much with being organised or doing well, and even though I have gotten a 1st on average in my degree, one of my modules was only 51% and a lot of the coursework was dealt with in a very laid-back manner (even if it ended up getting put off). After a conversation with my personal tutor about my progress with the project so far, and having not been able to do much this week, he hinted that if my mindset was as it was now, I wouldn't be a very good PhD student - and to be honest I actually agree with him.Is it a good idea to go into a PhD straight after doing a Master's degree or to take a break for a while afterwards? I worry that I'll burn out even more doing a PhD and if I carry on at this rate I probably won't enjoy it as much as I should.
Reply 1
Going straight through the uni path to PhD isn't for everyone and a significant number of people burn out on the way. There's no shame in admitting that you've reached saturation for the moment and you need a break to freshen yourself up. In fact, it's an intelligent and constructive thing to do. Much better than hoisting yourself into a PhD when you already know that you're in bother. A PhD really takes commitment and persistence. If you start out short on both of those, then you'll be in trouble - if you last three years, then you're likely to have a pretty hellish time on the way.

I agree with your tutor. If you feel you need a break - you need a break. It doesn't mean that you'll *never* do a PhD, just that you need to recharge your batteries for a while before you begin.
Reply 2
In complete agreement with the above. There is nothing wrong with taking a break. A year or two doing something else will refresh you and give you a broader perspective on your life and where a PhD fits into it. Starting a PhD with burnout is probably the worst way to do it. Good luck in making a decision.
I considered doing a PhD straight after my masters, but ended up taking 3 years in between. I'm glad I did - I wasn't ready, and now I have a real research interest, whereas before it was just something I thought was vaguely interesting. No harm in taking time out.
Reply 4
Very few people go BSc, MSc, PhD without some kind of break, I took two years between BSc and MSc and then a year until I started my PhD (although that was not intentional).

I share an office with people who have been in the private sector for 5+ years before deciding to take a PhD/MSc.
Original post by OL1V3R
... I should maybe get a 9-to-5 graduate job in order to get a better sense of discipline ....Is it a good idea to go into a PhD straight after doing a Master's degree or to take a break for a while afterwards? I worry that I'll burn out even more doing a PhD and if I carry on at this rate I probably won't enjoy it as much as I should.


I think you already made the decision and taking some time out is probably right for you, but only if you use this time to get better. (Sorry, sounds like an illness, but I only mean regain motivation and discipline, which is not an illness, some of us are just not made to only flourish at university.)

Concerning the 9-to-5 job: Sounds nice, but you will need the same comittment. You have free weekends, fair enough, but after a fourth year, where you will have to learn again, a REAL BREAK might be a better idea. Not a break, you spend only with job search, worrying, applications, but something really getting you a step forward, which isn't the same as hard work. And a 9-to-5 job usually is hard work, too, especially at the beginning. Not as demanding maybe, but still work and being concentrated for 7 hours a day. Not necessarily refreshing for someone already struggling.

I don't think taking time out after your MMath is a bad idea, there are people just planning for their PHD application a whole year, without other plans. (Fair enough, usually the more well-off.)
Reply 6
I think it's a very personal decision to make, and it seems as though you are thinking about it in terms of the long-term good. I will give you my perspective as someone who did not take a break at all (although my situation is slightly odd, as I moved from a March-November school-year to a September-July school year and literally had a weekend off between submitting my MA thesis and starting my PhD, most of which was spent in the air).

I'm coming up to the end of my PhD (c. three months to submission) and I am burnt out. I still love my work, and I'm still very enthusiastic about my research but it is a huge struggle to actually do it. I'm only pleased that I didn't get burnt out earlier, otherwise I don't think I would be able to make this final 'only x months/weeks to go' push to finish, and would have had to take a break.

Also consider what you can do in the extra year that will really boost your chances of getting good funding - spend a lot of time working on your proposal and personal statement. Don't underestimate how much having good funding can really ease the pressure during your PhD.

I know several people who took time off, either between undergraduate and master's or before their PhD, and it's just not something that is ever taken into consideration as a negative. There isn't any 'Oh, well so-and-so clearly isn't as passionate about xyz because they *gasp* took time off.'

It seems as though you already know that you'd benefit by taking some time off, and there is no reason not to. I kind of which I had.

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