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What to do with elusive supervisors

D

I'm about to submit at the end of August and have more of less written up (hopefully finish the conclusion today - yes!!). Emailed my supervisors my last few chapters about 6 weeks ago suggesting some supervision would be good. Havent heard back from one of them, the other one said he can't meet up cos he's broken his toe! Feel a bit neglected. Am I being unreasonably demanding?!

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Hi DJWickid. It is annoying that they are letting you down at such an important stage in your PhD. On the other hand, your supervisors must be extremely busy as they need to conclude the last academic years' work, interview students to recruit for next academic year, and so on. Perhaps each one is assuming that the other supervisor is paying you attention. I think 6 weeks is far too long. Why don't you call the one who didn't respond you and explain the situation?

A

A broken toe???? I went back to work a week after a broken collar bone (had to persuade GP to let me back!) in the middle of my PhD and recently worked (admittedly not in lab) with one hand bandaged up cos of an incident with an evil hot oven tray. He/she needs a better excuse than that!! Perhaps send him a get well card and a packet of paracetamol?

It's hard to be productive in the 'silly season', everyone goes on hols when you need them!!

A

BTW, I appreciate the toe must be painful but surely he can e-mail suggestions/talk to you on telephone or maybe you could travel to meet him?

D

Thanks for the suggestions guys!
I agree with you Ann, surely the broken toe hasnt affected his ability to read and think!!

D

i sympathise with ur problem. I have one very expierienced supervisor that wud love to see me if she had the tiem (shes head of dept) and another one who gievs me far 2 much attention but the wrong advice (according to my first supervisor). Its got to teh point that when I wrote my report my first supervisor gets outraged by what i write and ask why i did it like that - to which my reply is - IF U LOOK AT MY PREVIOUS DRAFTS - I WILL SHOW U THAT I DID IT IN THE WAY THAT U SUGGESTED BUT THE OTHER ONE SAID NO!! I am getting really annoyed with it all now. i told my first supervisor she has to pay mroe attention to this project. She has agreed... thankfully. The otheroen will only be there in terms of support if i need it.

Maybe u need to get the most interested supervisor really interested so that they wud supervise u more adn make the other one realise what they are missing out on.

D

I think I've kind of given up on them. I think its cos I havent had any major problems in my phd so they just assume I'm fine.

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