Hi all... I've been having some problems lately with my supervisors and don't know who I can ask about this expect people here! There must be someone who's been in a similar situation???

I think the main problem is that I don't think he (Supervisor One) actually knows what my research is about - whenever I send him something he either doesn't open the email at all, or does open it but shows up to the meeting without having read it anyway. Every time we meet I have to remind what stage I'm at but even then he doesn't seem to remember - for example at our last meeting we agreed I would hand up my literature review the week before Christmas... and then yesterday got an email from him saying that he wanted to see the first three chapters ASAP!?!?!?!

Thankfully I do have a second, more supportive supervisor - she was with me since I started as an MSc but when I transferred to PhD register obviously he had to take over as he has a PhD and she, unfortunately, does not. She is great for moral support, but now that I have transferred to PhD she doesn't want to take 'academic responsibility' for my work and doesn't feel like she can give me the advice I need.

So I have two supervisors, one who 'can't' give me advice because he doesn't even know what's going on and one who 'won't' because she doesn't have a PhD. Most of the time I'm happy enough to just plough ahead with my work, but my big worry is - which one of these people will tell me if my work is a load of crap??? Or will they let me get to the viva stage before I get any inkling of whether my research is good or bad???

My question is what should I do about this??? Or should I do anything? Am I just overestimating the amount of help I should get from my supervisors in the first place?

I recommend you a book 'how to get a phd'. it could tell you in detail what the whole phd study like? including your relationship with supervisor and the role of supervisor as well. IMO, u just cannot expect too much from your supervisor, you have to be very independent, but of course, he should give you some directions. but you know, supervisors are busy, and sometimes they dont know your subject very well,let alone the details. DIY as much as possible. otherwise you have to change a supervisor, but it's not a good idea at all.

I only have my own experience to reflect on, but i really think you should be having a whole lot more than that, particularly from the first supervisor. Theres absolutely no excuse for him not to be reading your stuff and not knowing what stage you're at, however 'busy' he is. Its his job to support you, after all. Of course a PhD is all about independent research but Jeez, hes taking the piss and you should maybe speak to your postgrad advisor and get it sorted sooner, rather than later.

I would write up notes of everything agreed at the supervision meeting and e-mail them to your first supervisor after every session - that way you have IN WRITING what you have discussed and your supervisor cannot turn around and say they dispute/have forgotten it

Hi Rosy,
I had the same problem - leading supervisor knows nothing about my reseach topic; co-supervisor just wants to steer it to her area of expertise rather than my area of research. The academic guidance was poor and I failed the upgrade viva. Had to resubmit and re-viva but I got through. I should have sacked them back then but I didn't. Anyway, I've sacked them now, three and a half years later, 6 months before submission. Amongst many reasons, they were going to appoint examiners as hopeless as themselves and I fear a repeat performance. So my advice to you is request for a change of team to avoid being stitched up at the final viva. Good luck and keep us posted.

Hi Rosy, This is a familiar PhD student situation. You are not alone - as the posts on here attest. I think one of the toughest lessons to learn (and this is not personal to you) is that the only people who really care about our research are...you guessed...ourselves! This can be incredibly frustrating. I would therefore suggest that you take it upon yourself to manage your supervisor. I would do the following: keep an up-to-date log of all your meetings (what was agreed), then email this to him afterwards, turn up to the meetings with an agenda (will focus his mind), and then keep in regular email contact. In terms of handing things in - if he has an aversion to opening his emails - I would put a printed copy in his pigeon - no excuses then. I hope this helps. I think we have all been there at one time or other. Good Luck!

pigeon-hole - hahaha - oops!

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the advice, it's good to know I'm not alone! I actually had a meeting with him last week which went quite well - I think the other supervisor may have had a word in his ear because he said that he knows he hasn't been giving my work enough time etc.

So we'll see how it goes now, hopefully I will get more feedback from now on. Now I'm slightly terrified because that also means handing up work more often (and getting judged on it more often) but I guess that's a better situation to be in - at least I'll get some work done hopefully!!!!!

hillyg, that is fab advice

Can some one please give the real reason behind the stange behaviour of supervisors?

I wonder what makes the postgrad student's expereince weird?