New answers tagged advisor
7
votes
How can I avoid this unproductive pattern with my PhD supervisor?
Keep in mind that this is subjective, but here's my advice moving forward:
Point 0: Reframe your expectations
As a PhD student, you want to do independent research, with some guidance from your ...
6
votes
How can I avoid this unproductive pattern with my PhD supervisor?
Obviously I'm not in the same room, so all I have is your description and interpretation of the (indeed unproductive) pattern/cycle. Here is my interpretation, especially since this is now the second ...
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0
votes
PhD: alignment with a supervisor
The advice I always give to those who are considering collaboration/supervision (especially to undergraduates and masters students) is that you can't just work well with the other person on a ...
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0
votes
Etiquette for reaching out to previous students of advisor
I think this is very culture-specific, both in a broad sense (country/region) and a much finer sense (research group culture).
Personally I was very close with my advisor, but they are a taher ...
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1
vote
Etiquette for reaching out to previous students of advisor
In general, contacting former students of your advisor is a good thing. I am very close to many of the former students of my advisor. We have a lot of common bonds because we study the same area, ...
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3
votes
PhD: alignment with a supervisor
To sumarize your problem, the industry partner is ready to fund a PhD position, but their academic reference person is not responsive.
You have a simple choice in front of you:
if you are motivated ...
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2
votes
Should I exclude my supervisor as a reference when applying for academic jobs outside my PhD area?
If you completed your PhD, then your thesis advisor probably knows you better than anyone else. If I was an employer I would want to see that letter of reference.
Since the relationship has soured, I ...
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-3
votes
Should I exclude my supervisor as a reference when applying for academic jobs outside my PhD area?
Whether you exclude your PhD supervisor or not, he will be asked to write you a letter of recommendation in 90% of cases. If you are applying for a fellowship, a letter from your PhD supervisor is ...
0
votes
In my Statement of Purpose (SOP), is it best to write about my specific area of interest, or to broaden my options?
If you seem to absolutely rule out all other options, then yes, it could hurt you since it lessens the likelihood of finding an advisor.
However, it is good to narrow the field somewhat (languages, ...
- 345k
-5
votes
Publishing without supervisor (sidelining Ph.D. supervisor)
A short answer: if you publish a paper without your supervisor, it will be called scientific misconduct, and your career in science will be finished. All your future jobs depend on a letter of ...
4
votes
Publishing without supervisor (sidelining Ph.D. supervisor)
As someone that just finished their dissertation, I can certainly sympathize and I apologize for your situation. It's never fun when you're stuck in am awkward/tough situation with a coworker, boss, ...
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1
vote
Publishing without supervisor (sidelining Ph.D. supervisor)
All the details of your relationship with your supervisor are hard do clarify without a deeper understanding of both sides, you may be right, but also very wrong (e.g. asking your PhD student help ...
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1
vote
Publishing without supervisor (sidelining Ph.D. supervisor)
I don't know your field of research. Are you sure you can carry out research projects independently from your supervisor? For some fields like Math it might be possible, I guess. In my field (...
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-2
votes
How to deal with supervisor's contradictory comments
I am very sorry to say this, but You are doing OK is trying to contain your anxiety attack and God knows what you might do when in the throes of such an episode (yes, PhD students do commit suicide, ...
- 2,206
16
votes
How to deal with supervisor's contradictory comments
(Warning: subjective answer)
One possible interpretation of your supervisor's "contradictory comments" is that they are trying to juggle multiple roles. As a supportive mentor, they reassure ...
13
votes
How to deal with supervisor's contradictory comments
Two things. First, I hope you are working with a professional on your clinical anxiety and are finding solutions to that. Some things you say suggest that there is the possibility of some obsessive ...
- 345k
11
votes
How to deal with supervisor's contradictory comments
What you actually need to know is not where you are at but what you still need to do to accomplish your goals (such as: to graduate).
Rather than asking your advisor about your progress, ask about ...
- 105k
3
votes
Nerves and putting a lot of pressure on myself for meetings and talks with supervisors/professors present
It might help if you shift your perspective about what these meetings are and what they're for.
You seem to consider them as a test of sorts, requiring you to put on a top notch performance. Of course,...
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2
votes
Nerves and putting a lot of pressure on myself for meetings and talks with supervisors/professors present
I was (and still often am) in a similar experience when giving talks. I can give you a tip that worked for me that refers to your statement:
I think the key probably lies on trusting more my own ...
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3
votes
Nerves and putting a lot of pressure on myself for meetings and talks with supervisors/professors present
I definitely went through a stage where I had this problem. In hindsight, it reflected weakness in technical knowledge. You say "When put on the spot I usually don’t [know the answers]." How ...
- 64.8k
4
votes
Nerves and putting a lot of pressure on myself for meetings and talks with supervisors/professors present
I think we humans tend to poorly assess how others assess us. Sort of an egotistical problem we never grow out of as toddlers where we assume we're always being judged by others even as we walk in the ...
- 105k
7
votes
Nerves and putting a lot of pressure on myself for meetings and talks with supervisors/professors present
Let me suggest two things, one simple, one not.
The simple thing is to ask more questions than you make statements. The others in the meetings have more experience than you do and good questions can ...
- 345k
3
votes
What to do when corresponding author insists adding an affiliation that I do not belong to?
I suspect there may be a misunderstanding, on his or your part, about what "affiliation" means.
It may be that rather than parsing it as "a declaration of groups you are directly ...
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-2
votes
What to do when corresponding author insists adding an affiliation that I do not belong to?
I think your advisor is wildly wrong, and you should protest to/contact the editor if you can risk the conflict ("I checked with the Ed, it is not necessary to... and I'd rather not because... &...
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-3
votes
What to do when corresponding author insists adding an affiliation that I do not belong to?
I think your advisor is just too lazy, but he is OK-ish.
Many research institutions have a lenient rule for adding affiliates. They don't keep a high selection standard for many reasons like getting ...
- 2,107
6
votes
Struggle to regain lost passion in physics
I won't say that "passion" is useless, but it is not a switch you can turn on and off. Nor is this a bad thing. I am somewhat older, and I have felt a passion for pure mathematics, but this ...
- 161
6
votes
I do not receive proper support from my PhD advisor
How do I write him an email to effectively communicate my thoughts? I
feel like my words may not be heard as intended.
You don not write an email. You meet him in the office, you pester him with ...
- 15.7k
0
votes
Struggle to regain lost passion in physics
Just take some time to rest from physics. It's burnout. More walking on open air, especially on sunny days, take vitamin D and good sleep. And desire to work magically will return sooner or later (can ...
43
votes
What to do when corresponding author insists adding an affiliation that I do not belong to?
Your advisor is likely wrong; your advisor's affiliation can include the other institute even if you are not affiliated and even if the work was done by you, but yours should only be your own ...
- 105k
2
votes
How do I support my advisor on his most busy weeks?
The things that go for me in those super busy times are things like organising the lab journal club, remembering to make it to weekly lab lunch, making sure there is coffee, tea and milk in the lab ...
- 36.5k
-1
votes
Should I do my Ph.D. with a supervisor who rarely responds to my emails?
As another person responded long response times by a potential supervisor are a red flag . However, in my experience as a supervisor your comment about your potential supervisor using the 'excuse' of ...
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4
votes
How do I support my advisor on his most busy weeks?
You could try to put your last bullet point of helping the PhD students into a slightly more formal and regular setting. Pick a time when your advisor has a little more time and suggest to be some ...
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32
votes
I do not receive proper support from my PhD advisor
To be honest, it sounds like you are entirely too passive in this situation, expecting that the advisor will simply "give" you something. While I don't know your field, that would be very ...
- 345k
18
votes
How do I support my advisor on his most busy weeks?
I would just directly ask him if he needs your help and let him know when you’re in a phase of your postdoc with more “free time”. But really I would trust him to tell you if he needs you to do ...
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2
votes
Struggle to regain lost passion in physics
To recover lost passion in a subject, I cannot recommend anything more highly than the "plate story" from the physicist Richard Feynman. (I also highly recommend the book this comes from; ...
- 64.2k
3
votes
Struggle to regain lost passion in physics
Good supervisory practice should not kill the student's passion for the subject
If you'll indulge me, I'm going to give an "answer" here that is actually directed to supervisors and is ...
- 64.2k
-8
votes
Struggle to regain lost passion in physics
Passion is not useful in physics. Hard work is.
If you are not enjoying your work, you should not be a PhD student. Find a job you would like better, and if you cannot do that, find one that at ...
- 98.3k
38
votes
Accepted
Masters advisors want me to become a Phd Student, but afraid he won't get tenure before I finish
I suggest that you have a conversation with him and ask what the consequences would be if he leaves before you finish. You don't need to raise tenure as a reason. People leave for other reasons. If he ...
- 345k
1
vote
Accepted
How to recover from a bad time in a Master's program
Most Ph.D. programs look for assurance that a Ph.D. candidate can do successful research. Normally, candidates cannot possibly display the type of creativity and grid needed for doctoral work in their ...
- 19.7k
2
votes
Accepted
When Masters advisor said she will not gonna write a favorable rec letter to ph.d
I'm sorry to hear about the difficult experience you had with your Master's advisor. It's understandable that such a situation can have a lasting impact on you. When it comes to applying for a Ph.D. ...
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-5
votes
How long do I give my supervisor to read my paper?
You are asking the wrong question. You need to ask yourself how long you are going to give him before you start explaining the situation to the department chair. I'd say about 3 months, maybe a bit ...
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6
votes
How long do I give my supervisor to read my paper?
I got this suggestion from a professor who is really successful and sharing it with you here.
Email/meet and politely tell them that you are waiting to receive their feedback soon. You may give them a ...
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2
votes
How to communicate a late rejection of a PhD offer from a close contact?
I think all the points you laid out in sequence are a good way to communicate your decision. After all your personal pathway for your future/life matters to you the most and your advisor will ...
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8
votes
How long do I give my supervisor to read my paper?
Set timeline expectations with your supervisor and send calendar prompts/meetings
As a general rule, in a supervisor-student relationship, it is a good idea to have some conversations around timelines ...
- 64.2k
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