Balancing location with school/department for PhD study I am due to start a PhD in January in a school that has a very good department for my chosen area, but unfortunately is close to my home (2 hours commute by train) and to my previous university (also 2 hours by train).
Unfortunately, I am starting to be incredibly exasperated with living in this country (UK incidentally) and in cities. It feels very incompatible with me (I like mountain climbing, forest hiking and forest wildlife, and skiing and feel I would like these to be a much bigger component of my life, rather than relegated to the occasional 2 week holiday). I also really would like to learn another language and experience different cultures.
I feel like it is taboo at this stage to say that these things are important to me, and I don't know whether I should 'suck it up' and stay with the position I have been offered, or look for PhDs where, outside of PhD work, I would get the kind of cultural and personal enrichment that is important to me.
So my question is: to what extent (and specifically at the PhD stage) should someone choose where they do their PhD based on factors like being able to experience new cultures, spend weekends hiking/in the mountains/forest/[insert your preferred environment here], learning a new language etc, rather than just look at the department and academic resources it offers.
While trying to decide what to do in my personal situation, I found myself with very conflicting messages. Some sources were advising that undergraduate is the stage at which you can go abroad for cultural enrichment, but at PhD level it shouldn't really be much of a consideration. Others suggesting that it is a high priority to go where you would feel happy, because a PhD is psychologically draining.
I guess I ask this because there are convincing arguments in either direction, and I no longer know what is valid justification (to me or anyone else) were I to choose to re-apply to different PhD programs.
I chose to do my Ph.D. in a major American city eight hours away by train from my rural hometown. My adviser is great. I have started to hate the city and pine for the wilderness every day. Yet I know a bad adviser elsewhere could make my life perhaps even more miserable, and might even make me hate my work. Somehow, you should try to balance your need for nature, learning other languages, etc. with the benefits of the institution and advising. I can't say there's any solution to this dilemma. Maybe just try to get through the five years and be sure to choose a better location after graduation.