======= Date Modified 24 May 2010 07:41:57 =======
In what way am I being an arrogant a$$? On the contrary I think you are being somewhat arrogant (but I don't feel the need to hurl abuse) if you think that your supervisor will drop everything to read your work. Students have little understanding of all the other demands on academics' time - marking, designing new programmes, arranging fieldwork, the plethora of univeristy meetings we have to attend, aside from the pressure on us to publish or the hours most of us put in over and above what we are paid for (around about 20% extra). I have before now (usually the submission day) when undergrad dissertations have been due in been in my office at 6.30am to meet students because I have had 9-1 classes and the needed to see me and I don't think this is that unusual. We may also have to deal with matters in our home lives which would send students running for extensions but we can't say "I can't take that class this week as I have to take the cat to the vet / have got a hangover / need to put in hours at my waitressing job." I've worked around two funerals of immediate family and am currently trying to juggle an inquest (again immediate family) around my work - students don't need to know that though. They need to know that if they stick to their side of the deal (drafts in in good time) I will stick to mine (good feedback that they have time to work with). After all you say "he isn't busy as far as I know" - the fact is you don't know and are making assumptions.

My own supervisor expects me to turn things round in hours but then sits on them for days - I've accepted that I have to fit in with his deadlines not the other way round.

I'm really glad you got the abstract submitted and hope it gets accepted. If you have to submit a full paper then try to get the deadlines now and then work WITH your supervisor to agree a timescale for drafts / who will write which bits and so on, when you will get together to agree final submission etc so that you aren't in this position again.

======= Date Modified 24 May 2010 09:37:03 =======
Hm, wrote a post, I thought I sent it, but obviously did not. Anyway... I completely agree with jepsonclough. My supervisor has been great, but at the beginning we laid down some basic rules. If I want her to look at anything I send it to her at least a week before we are meeting. Or if I can't for some reason we try to arrange for a time when she's not too busy, like now, and then I can send her my work 3 days before we meet. But we have to arrange that first, which is, in my opinion, perfectly reasonable. I never expected her to be available at the drop of the hat, as I know perfectly well that she's very busy. Even so she's been extremely generous with her time, sometimes we end up discussing my topic for 1 1/2 - 2 hours.