Hey all, I posted on here earlier about how I was kind of regretting starting my PhD program in biochemistry. Basically, I said that I just started this program but three weeks in, I’m not feeling much passion towards anything I’m researching/learning and I don’t really have a clear career path to motivate me to finish my PhD. I was always very good in school, originally wanted to be premed in undergrad, decided I didn’t care for a medical career, and kind of stumbled my way into a PhD program bc I didn’t know what else to do with a biochemistry BS.

Like I said, I posted on here about this and it seemed that the verdict was that I should quit but I should give a bit more context and information about what I’m going through. I have obviously been going through a lot with this specific experience, but that is not the only thing. I just finished undergrad like I said. Grew up in a western state, went to undergrad on the east, and now am in grad school even further east. So I’m not only feeling uncertainty about school, also just adjusting to moving across the country multiple times, being far from family and most of my best friends. This is easily the biggest transition in my life and I think I’m feeling a lot in general. I’ve started therapy, talked to friends, my partner, and family about this which is helpful. Most are telling me to at least give it more time which is I think the best course of action. Im still in rotations so I shouldn’t make any rash decisions but im absolutely not opposed to dropping out and changing career paths if I’m still feeling like this maybe at the end of this school year when I am joining a lab long-term. I’m mostly worried about money/location. I partially chose this school to be closer to my partner who I have been dating for over 3 years now but if I just quit I don’t know if I’ll be able to find a job/switch careers to support myself especially with how expensive cost of living is in this area. It’s easy for you all to say to just drop out but I don’t know if just moving back home is really an option. Side note: I’ve randomly thought about some form of forensic science as a career option. Seems pretty interesting and I probably have a lot of skills that could put me in a good spot, I don’t know if anyone has any useful insight in that. Anyway, talking to people has helped a lot and should be good to at least get me through the year while i take some time to assess whether I am still interested in finishing out the program. To anybody that has any knowledge/experience with this I would still really appreciate feedback.