Is PHd about getting on with advisor?

MonkeyDoo

I'm contemplating doing a Phd..but I just get the impression that if Phd you could get stuck with a nasty supervisor you don't get on wait and be stuck doing the phd for years.

I've seen people top of my undergrad class doing phd for 8-9 years then others seem to get phd 3.5 years on the dot.

Are you stuck with superviser over the whole phd who has you over a barrell or can you move supervisors if things dont work out....just curious if this is how the phd academic politics works out

djpbarry

MonkeyDoo wrote: »

I've seen people top of my undergrad class doing phd for 8-9 years then others seem to get phd 3.5 years on the dot.

3.5 – 4.5 years is usually the norm – to take twice as long is very unusual and to be honest, I if were an employer, I’d have serious reservations about hiring someone who took that long to finish (unless they had a reasonable explanation, of course).

MonkeyDoo wrote: »

Are you stuck with superviser over the whole phd who has you over a barrell or can you move supervisors if things dont work out....just curious if this is how the phd academic politics works out

Getting on with your supervisor will certainly help, but you’re going to fall out with them at some point. They wouldn’t be doing their job properly if you were best mates all the time – they have to push you when necessary. That said, there are going to be cases when people simply cannot work together, but most institutions will have dispute resolution procedures to deal with this sort of thing. At the end of the day, if you’re 12 – 18 months into a PhD and it’s clear that it’s not working out, you can always cut your losses, write it up as an MPhil (depending on the institution) and then start fresh elsewhere – it won’t have been a complete waste of time and you’ll hopefully have learned some useful techniques and the basics of how to conduct research. I would say the most important thing, if you do end up doing a postgrad, is to communicate problems when they arise, particularly with your supervisor, and don’t let yourself become overwhelmed with worry and doubt.

magneticimpulse

To be honest, if your PhD supervisor has alot of work on, you might only see them once a week for a group meeting! Alot of the time, you might have an intermediate full time member of the group as a supervisor.

My main advice is to pick a group with other group members you think you will get along with. At the end of the day, they are the ones who will be in the lab all the time working side by side. They are the people you should be asking for help if you need something, or have a problem.

My main problem in my PhD was i didnt get on really well with anyone in my group. Most were Indian or Chinese. Dont get me wrong, nice enough people, no fighting or anything like that. But they were all post docs..came in, did their work and went home. The other people (europeans) were even less friendly and kept to themselves. Which means come the weekend, there is nobody to party with or have a drink.

This then becomes a major problem, if you have a question to ask someone or for help. If the people in your group are really anti social, you will have major problems progressing and being happy. A PhD is more of a mental challenge. The only people who fully understand a PhD and what its like to go through are other people who are doing or have done a PhD. You usually need sympathy from these types of people. So its good to be in a group where you can find that. Lucky for me, people in other groups were more like this. It depends on your personality thou, some people this does not matter at all. Im a team player, whereas alot of acadamics are really solo workers.

Hope this helps. I think once you can stick up for yourself, and fight your corner, it doesnt matter who your PhD supervisor is, because if they are doing their job, it will be difficult and a challenge and they will question you and your ability to do the PhD. Some are nice in this process...others can be a bit of an arse...at the end of the day, its you who has to stick up for yourself.