abaya:
I've been where you are, somewhat. My field is one of those fields where a Ph.D. can really give you a boost in salary - both in terms of starting salary and in terms of terminal salary. So caveat emptor. However, if you just want to make more money, don't get a Ph.D. You can make more money other ways.
That said - I wanted to quit my Ph.D. a number of times during the process. Regardless of what you choose, you won't make the "wrong" choice. As I've been told many times by many people who care about me - give yourself a break. I'm guessing this whole process feels overwhelming - the Ph.D., and the decision you're trying to make. I'd suggest being ok with that - because if you're like I was, you feel that you shouldn't be this stressed out over this, you don't like having to make these decisions, and somehow you might translate it into a question of "what is wrong with me? I've always excelled and now I'm having
these problems?" I think that's natural.
I don't know that I can really give good advice on this - but I will say a few things. I'm going to avoid making a pro/con against having the degree in your field. I will say that one of the things my mother told me when I working my way through the end of my degree, when I'd call up and say "Shit, I just don't know what I want to do. I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I don't give a shit about what I'm studying. I hate my advisor. I hate what I do every single day."...she told me not to run away from my degree, but to run towards something else if I chose. You run away from your degree because it's hard and you hate it - then you "quit." You decide to take a different path in your life - then you don't "quit," you change direction. Only you can know what you want to do.
I will say that having that degree does give you credentials in your work life, and in little ways in non-professional situations. You're negotiating with someone in a business sense, and your information/card/whatever says "Dr.
Abaya" people tend to fuck with you a little bit less. I'm not saying that's right or wrong, but it is what it is. It can be useful.
If I were you, I'd definitely finish collecting the data - pending funding and financial support. Are you saying you're not receiving any grant money or stipend or anything to finish this fucker? To me, that's horrendous. As a graduate student, you're already working for peanuts. Someone should be ponying up that $$$ to get ahold of your analysis. Regardless, I would also suggest doing some career planning exercises, if you already haven't done so. I didn't do them, not really, while I was in graduate school - and I wish I had. I simply didn't have real exposure to it.
If you figure out some possibilities of what you want to do in 5 or 10 years, then I'd ask myself if having a Ph.D. would be an asset in that.
Although I'm almost afraid to do so, I will also tell you that I'd be happy (in theory
) to try to help you make some decisions to alleviate your difficulties with the statistics you're having trouble with. How are you supposed to analyze the data? What types of mathematical calculations are you supposed to be using? Mathematical packages? Are you familiar with MathLab, Maple, MathCAD? You might be able to find some ways to simplify the things you're having trouble with, although for all I know you've already looked into this and I'm asking ridiculous quasi-insulting questions.
Hmmm...I'm not sure if this is a useful post. In the end, it's your decision. If you decide to bolt, I'd say make sure you've got your post bolt plan in place so you can be happy with your decision. Either way you play this, you can choose to regret it later. So I'd resolve to be ok the decision I made, and always remember that you did the best you could at the time you had to make the choice. And as I said, if I can be of any help, let me know.
abaya: the other thing I'd say is this: don't lose the time you've already put in, leverage it. If you think you want to work for an NGO or non-profit, identify some and see if they're interested in a Ph.D.-trained go-getter who is thinking of pre-empting her degree to pursue something she finds more meaningful. Maybe you can use your work thus far to get a job you really want. Maybe if you spoke to the people you want to work for, you could ask them if having a Ph.D. would make you more of an asset to them in your field. Do you have contacts with any of these groups? Could you make contacts?