If you are in the process of achieving your doctorate and are at the stage of writing a thesis, it is highly likely that you may be struggling to keep your supervisor happy and on the same page as you. It is a fact that if your thesis supervisor is happy with you, you may be on the right track and you may taste success at the end of the project, however it is also important to follow some essential do’s and don’ts while dealing with your PhD supervisor.
- You may never be sure about the work that you take to your supervisor for an evaluation. You may have had nightmares of failing the thesis and being rejected, but don’t let your supervisor see it. Keep up your confidence and take criticism positively.
- You may be the hero of your subject and may have all the confidence in the world about the work that you do. However, do try to find out what your supervisor expects from you. Chances are that your understanding and the supervisors expectations may not be the same.
- Don’t hesitate from holding open discussions with the supervisor. He or she exists so that you may be able to get the right kind of guidance while going through the process of the thesis.
- Do make sure that if you take help from external mentors or hire professionals to help you with your project, you do not let the evaluator know that. This may lead to a conflict of interest and you may be accused of having your work done externally.
- Finally, don’t attempt to play with the work ethics of thesis supervisors, not only will you get rejected right away; you may also face stern action from the evaluating body for malpractices.
When you are dealing with the supervisor in the course of writing your thesis, make sure you know what you are doing. You may not realize it but you get checked at all levels and at all the times, one wrong move may land you in a soup, which is why you are better off safe than sorry when it comes to dealing with the PhD supervisor.