First year PhD. Thinking about switching to another subfield at the end of my second year as i hate my field. This means that I will apply at the end of this year (2017).
One of my biggest concerns would be when and how I should tell my advisor this decision, and where should I obtain LOR?
- i am thinking about doing this without acknowledging anyone in my department. if i get accepted into a new program at another school, I will let my advisor know by then. however, the problem is that my prof would have no prep for that...this can bring him a lot of trouble as he needs to hire someone new.
- but if i tell him now or sometime before i send out my application, this can be detrimental to our relationship. what if i don't get admitted to another program? how can i stay and work as a RA for him?
- for LOR, i don't think i will be able to get a LOR from my advisor or anyone from my current university if i want to keep things low profile...can i still use my LOR from undergrad schools?
i would also appreciate any advice regarding switching PhD programs. Thank you!