Need some advice !

Apply apply apply! Apppllllyyyyyy!!!!! I strongly advise this. A PhD is so flexible and you can look after baba whenever you want! It sounds like a perfect opportunity!!! 🥰🥰 just apply and then see where it goes! Honestly! Can’t hurt and you’d do yourself a favour due to the flexibility and no taxed stipend! 🥰

Do it! My boyfriend, and father of our twins, is doing a part time PhD at the moment. It's definitely hard at times but it'll definitely be worth it!

I would say apply! It's a great opportunity for you. It can be tough of course, but definitely worth it! I had my first baby in 2019 but I had already started my PhD. I did my last day in the lab in September and gave birth in the October 😅 then took a few months to write up, although that's when COVID hit! Loved every minute of my PhD, and had super supportive parents too. Definitely helps if you have a good supervisor. Happy to talk further if you wish 🥰 go for it 💪🏼 x

Go for it!! I'm also working as a technician in a Uni and if that opportunity presented itself I'm sure I'd do the same. Good luck if you choose to go for it! X

I completed my PhD around 10 years ago and I’d always encourage people to think really hard about what they will get out of it. I found the experience incredibly gruelling and isolating, and I do regret having accepted it because I felt that I could not justify not completing it. A PhD is not essential to the career path I’ve taken (it helps) and I believe I would have reached amore senior position earlier if I hadn’t done my PhD. My supervisor was also a large part of the problem. Obviously everyone’s experience is different and I wouldn’t want to put you off what could be a wonderful opportunity. Just thought it might be worth sharing a different experience

Go for it! Universities have a lot of support these days and most supervisors are supportive and accommodating!

Hi! You need to learn from your experience because not all the supervisor and PhD are the same. My experience was cruelly. I did 6 papers in 3 years with more than 6 points of impact factor without kids. My tutor were asking for more….taking advantage of his position. My advice do it but let your tutor knows your priorities….

@Vanesa that’s a horrible experience. I think they were trying to do that more for themselves than for you! As an academic with a PhD student, I would never do that and my colleagues don’t. I think it’s a dinosaur mentality and also harsh universities. I am so sorry you had that experience but well done for what you achieved. Cxxx

My work colleague did this and the university allowed her to start two months later than the job post. She did want more time off but that was the negotiated offer. I'm planning on 6 months because of career reasons too. Have you looked at local nurseries and worked out the cost of care? Also remember that some people can get 30 hours free childcare a week - you might be eligible.

Also you'll get a good hint about how nice the supervisor is during any negotiations, if they come across as mean and unhelpful, you probably dodged a bullet by not taking the PhD.

Hey folks - unfortunately I never got shortlisted for the position so it’s on hold for the foreseeable future! I’m looking forward to my time off on maternity leave and maybe in the future I’ll look at furthering my qualifications.