I realise this probably sounds really trivial to most of you, what with peer reviews etc to worry about. But I'm so nervous about my new supervisor, and wanted to reach out to you fellow PhD studes. I started with the new one, after a less than great year (part time) with the first, a couple of months ago. He's very on the ball, and at the very top of his field, which I am very glad about, in fact, it's wonderful. But I just feel as though I'm always making stupid mistakes even though I check things through - like in an email where I put the wrong date for something which caused him a bit of confusion. I just feel like I don't have it together and make daft mistakes with him that I wouldn't with other people. And I'm getting a bit worried that he's starting to think I'm a bit daft. Do other people feel this way? is it just because this is a new set up for me? I thanks for listening.

Be warned - the more you worry about this - the dafter you will get. I have done soo many daft things I hardly no where to start. How about calling my supervisor and thinking I was talking to my husband :$

If you haven't done that yet - you're doing OK;-)

Thanks for making me laugh Smilidon!!! that's so funny. I must stop creating this image I think he has of me in my head - I sort think he sees me as this daft lady with crazy but interesting ideas, who pulls random objects out of her handbag, sends emails to the wrong address, and doesn't know exactly what her own name is etc. I think I might be a bit star struck - I've always admired his work.

LMAO!!! Smilodon, you're worse than me, 2 years ago, when I was at college, I texted nasty rubbish about a horrid prof to my dad, but sent it to the prof himself.

Dont worry about mistakes, we all make them, my sup is so forgiving, she even forgets my mistakes sometimes!!

The other day I sent her my work to read with four files embeddd inone, she printed and 1000 pages came out in place of 25.

''this daft lady with crazy but interesting ideas'' - but that's me! Is it so bad?

PhDbug - that reminds me - I once sent 20 pages of blank fax to Hong Kong because I put the paper in the wrong way round. They telephoned to ask why we had done that......

there you go Eska, your post has inspired many a recollection of daft moments!

I think it is perfectly normal - at least I hope it is! I'm in complete awe of my supervisor(s) they are both top of the tree, and me, well I'm the lowly worm nibbling away at the root. however I think they look upon all these things as sweet, and say nice things all the time, and never say -'that is complete and utter rubbish' either which I thinkis very good of them as I expect they think it all the time. They also boost my confidence no-end when they say things like 'you are the expert in this, I expect to learn from you about X'. Great people, I have found, are always generous with their priase, its the ones who think that they are great that cause problems! :-)

Thanks folks!!!! for all your funny responses. Yes, he is nice. I should stop worrying, I think I've been wasting too much time with mediocre/rubbish academics who like to score points.

My grammar was a bit off in the second piece of writing I gave him - I said that the film maker I'd written about explored his grandmother, instead of explored with his grandmother. My sup seemed to found that quite amusing.

I'm guilty of daftness too and it used to make me really nervous (seriously, sweaty palms and all) until I realised a) my sup is fallible and I should be more irreverent and b) pretending not to be an idiot made me seem more like one - now if I don't know/understand etc I don't care who knows. It also means I can ask questions in lectures without the beating heart thing!