MPhil/PhD now or wait?

Hi,

I am in a dilemma about PhD applications I was wondering if anyone had any advice.

I completed my masters, got married and have been a stay at home mum for five years. I always wanted to complete my PhD. My husband is an academic who has a contract for the next two years. My question is should I wait to start an mphil/PhD?

My field is specialist (Latin American studies) so options are limited. The best fit for my research is a programme 4 hours away so not commutable. There is a university I can do a distance learning PhD with but it’s not as good a fit.

Should I:
a) wait two years to apply to my dream university
b) start the PhD with the distance learning option and suck it up knowing it’s not the best university or the best fit
c) start the course with the distance learning university, apply to the dream university in two years and try to exit with the mphil or transfer? (Not sure if this is possible) or quit… if I can do something better (unethical but if I didn’t get into my dream university I won’t have ‘wasted’ these two years.)

Any advice/thoughts?

Many thanks

I would suggest talking with your partner and trying to find a compromise, I assume you are a Mother so I would talk with the uni too, to see if they can accommodate, maybe talk with your partner to see if you can move to the city of your dream university. Divide house work? Idk definitely try to go for it

Thank you. I think doing a PhD at the moment at the dream university would require me Being away from home and my children are just too small.

I would suggest contacting the university, maybe they can accomodate them, it's qorth a try

I cannot realistically move away from my husband with my children now- therefore do you think it’s worth waiting until we are in a position to move?