Hey dunno how helpful this is but I'll give it a go. Are there any other students of his you could chat to, I find that to be helpful, because they will already have a sense of his supervisory style. Don't worry about feeling like you need guidance at the start, I think that's all part of the road we're on. As time goes on you will find your feet, and from here you will begin to realise what questions you need to ask etc. With respect to balancing respect/assertive adult you've already hit the nail on the head. That is what you need to do, but you just need to try it, and you will find that neutral ground soon. I'm only 6 months in but I do think that a lot of the things to do with PhDs are trial and error. So chin up, I'm sure it will all work out!

500 calories? nooooooooooooooooooooooooo! ok that was definitely my last flapjack ever... I shant worry though, I have made a lemon drizzle cake so that will keep me happy (yes, I know what you're all thinking, some diet she is on...:p), I have a rule that if I bake it myself it can't be bad. Please don't tell me there's a million calories in lemon drizzle cake....

I love this thread 8-) Can I join in? I'm getting married in 12 weeks and I'm currently trying out a no-junk regime, with varying success. I succumbed to a raspberry flapjack yesterday but did have a game of badminton. Does that even itself out? I hope so :$

Leaf!

P.S. Hello everyone, new to this posting business, but been around a while :-)