Timeline for How to deal with PhD advisor ignoring correct answers
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
21 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
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| Jan 26, 2022 at 9:22 | comment | added | lalala | I heard this anecdote (probably not true): When Hilbert (famous guy with world class group) was visiting Landau's group (also top of the world group), Landau asked him: "How come your group is so successful" and Hilbert answered:"I always tell them what idiots they are" in German. Landau's students:'What did he reply?'. Landau:'His group is so good because he tells them what idiots you are'. ---------- Long story short: praise breeds complacency, | |
| Mar 26, 2018 at 8:32 | comment | added | user53923 | Do you and your supervisor have the same cultural background? Cultural differences could make the communication problem worse (what seems like a "normal" way of giving feedback for some people, could be seen as being very blunt/harsh by others) | |
| Mar 26, 2018 at 2:13 | answer | added | cag51♦ | timeline score: 2 | |
| Mar 25, 2018 at 20:21 | comment | added | JeffE | I think he knows about this. — What makes you think so? Have you actually told him directly? Has he actually told you, with words, that he's noticed the effect of his feedback on you? Unless you've exchanged actual words about his negative feedback and its effect on you, you know nothing of the sort. Advisors are not mind-readers, and they sometimes need to be reminded with words that their students are neither mind-readers nor brains on sticks. | |
| Mar 25, 2018 at 19:19 | answer | added | aparente001 | timeline score: 1 | |
| Mar 25, 2018 at 17:31 | history | edited | aparente001 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
proofreading plus restored some of OP's original text
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| Mar 25, 2018 at 16:54 | answer | added | Wrzlprmft♦ | timeline score: 1 | |
| Mar 25, 2018 at 14:12 | comment | added | Patricia Shanahan | Your supervisor is giving you an immense complement. You getting things right is the normal, expected case, and needs no comment. The unusual, interesting case requiring discussion is when you get something wrong. | |
| Mar 25, 2018 at 8:21 | comment | added | Jessica B | @Kimball I agree that many probably don't realise. But if someone points it out, nearly every response I've heard has approximated to 'deal with it, or you shouldn't be here'. | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 17:34 | answer | added | vol7ron | timeline score: 1 | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 14:51 | comment | added | Alexey B. | I don't know how exactly you communicate with your supervisor, but an academic discussion often looks like what you described. People don't pat each other's heads for every true statement, but they point out and (try to) disprove statements that are (likely) false. Eventually you realize that you've accumulated enough true statements to make a paper out of them, which is supposed to be your reward. | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 14:49 | answer | added | mbdx | timeline score: 11 | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 12:42 | comment | added | Kimball | There seems to be a perception in academia that everyone should be able to cope with constant negativity - I disagree with this part of your comment. I would guess that many professors just don't realize how negative their feedback may come across as. | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 11:40 | comment | added | caorongjin | Doing a PhD is hard work and many students go into depression through the process. I found when doing my PhD that having a supportive yet critical supervisor was what I needed, but it is hard when it seems as though everything is critical. Generally speaking, it is good to have a support structure outside of just your supervisor (e.g. other classmates) that you can complain with and encourage one another about what you are doing that is good. Supervisors can be arrogant and not wanting correction… but perhaps you can ask for support in mediation from your dept graduate director or equivalent? | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 11:25 | comment | added | alha hu | @Jessica B I think he knows about this. | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 10:38 | comment | added | Jessica B | Have you considered telling your supervisor how you feel? There seems to be a perception in academia that everyone should be able to cope with constant negativity (or get out), but I think that's really unhealthy. | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 8:36 | history | tweeted | twitter.com/StackAcademia/status/977464079286702080 | ||
| S Mar 24, 2018 at 7:46 | history | suggested | cag51♦ | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
changed "ignorance" to "negative feedback", clean up.
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| Mar 24, 2018 at 7:10 | comment | added | cag51♦ | I don't have an answer, but will confirm that this is common. This can be a good thing to a point (promotes rigor, deflates egos) but can also be very bad, for exactly the reasons you state (reduced engagement). | |
| Mar 24, 2018 at 7:04 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| S Mar 24, 2018 at 7:46 | |||||
| Mar 24, 2018 at 6:50 | history | asked | user90136 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |