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your supervisor

  • 12-03-2007 1:19am
    #1
    m1ke
    Closed Accounts Posts: 852 ✭✭✭


    I'm interested in hearing about people's experiences with their research supervisor. How would you describe your relationship? Have you ever run into problems you couldn't solve and who had the final say? What sort of good/bad experiences? I ask because i'm at an early stage and i'm particularly interested in how the student-supervisor relationship develops over the years - does it get better/worse etc...


Comments

  • #2
    catho_monster
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,479 ✭✭✭catho_monster


    My supervisor has been my supervisor for 4 years now... I did an MLitt under him, took a year out in which i still researched, and now I'm back doing a PhD under him and all the time he supported me...tbh, he's kinda like a father figure to me now, I dont know if thats a good or a bad thing, but he's incredibly supportive when he needs to be and incredibly hard on me when he needs to be, so much so that if i let him down i think i might have to crawl into a hole and hibernate for ever and ever.
    i think i'm one of the lucky ones though...


  • #3
    dK1NG
    Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭dK1NG


    i'm in a similar position with my supervisor - he's very approachable, always makes time if i need to see him for a chat. he's very encouraging, but finds the right balance when giving feedback on drafts etc.

    i done my fyp under him, then after a year out after my degree (for some much needed r+r, and travel) i started my phd. bout 18months or so thru it now, and all's well so far!


  • #4
    r3nu4l
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,399 ✭✭✭✭r3nu4l


    It really depends on your supervisor. During my PhD I was very lucky and had a great supervisor, he demanded the hours but was very good with advice and direction.

    How the relationship develops is often up to you but it does take two to tango. Some supervisors are completely unreasonable people and you may have to bite your tongue a lot. At the end of the day if you are doing the work and showing willing even those that give you a b*llocking for something will then sit down with you and try to work out the problem with you as they have a vested interest in getting publications too.

    The main thing is to try and keep your cool if he/she tells you that the last six months of work have been a waste of time and you need to start again:D. Things like that do happen but remember that you will have at least learned how to do good research and how to perform the technques (if you're a lab based scientist) and will be faster at things the second time around.


  • #5
    Red Alert
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 7,486 ✭✭✭Red Alert


    I only got to know my supervisor during final year as she only came to our department then. I found her a really clear communicator for our subject and that she'd take the time to explain something to you privately if you went to see her. Probably went hand in hand with the fact that I found her stuff very interesting too, as I hadn't really considered the biomed area at all when i started undergrad.

    She's quite relaxed on a day-to-day level, but in a hands on way. She'd always know what i'd be up to, and i'd know where to find her etc. So it means i've an incentive to get something done each day, which is good :)


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