I was wondering if anyone else has difficulties getting hold of supervisors in the summer term. Mine gets so busy with marking and so on that he takes ages to get back to me at this time of year. To make matters worse, during the summer holidays, he seems to disappear off the radar completely!

I try not to bother him unless I really need to because I know how busy he is and feel guilty - but he has just taken over three weeks to email me back an answer to a very simple question.

I'm starting to wonder whether some supervisors take on PhD student without having the time for them at all.

Mine are terrible at getting back to me. When we actually meet (not very often), it's always very useful and they are very focused, but in between, I doubt they give me a second thought.

I've been thinking about this recently. I like being independent and would hate someone checking up on me, but every now and then it would be nice to get a 'have you seen this article?' or 'interesting conference?' email.

Yes, I know what you mean. Most of the time I'm more than glad that he leaves me to it - but what irks me is the time it takes him to respond to me when I actually do need something. Especially as I hardly ever contact him.

You're right, news about conferences or even the odd email asking how the work is going would be nice, but I don't think that would happen in a million years! Still, I suppose one can dream...

I feel the same way - I always have to contact my supervisor, and very rarely receive any contact from him. I'm sure I wouldn't like him to be constantly checking up on me, but it would be nice to have some pressure from time to time - I'm sure it would make me work a bit harder!

Same here - my supervisor doesn't contact me and we have been meeting 2-3 times/year. Now I'm writing up we will try to meet once a month/2 months to look at drafts but I have to arrange it. He goes on field work during the summer and cannot be contacted.

I wouldn't want someone micromanaging me either - but more interest would be nice!

We are supposed to have a meeting at least every six weeks, but my guess is that communication over the summer will be by e-mail only. That suits me though because I too like my independence and have been given enough advice for me to get on with some of the work on my own several bits can be started but I also hope to be able to get into the library when it isn't full of undergrads - if you go in there on a weekday afternoom its as though they were having a party sometimes, and although some areas are designated silent working, the open planning means noise still drifts about a bit! I'm not that grumpy honest but sometimes it is so noisy it is impossible to concentrate - this is a new library policy, but it doesn't work!

... that sounds remarkably like the problems at my uni library where there's one silent working room with about 20 desks, which has cleverly been placed between the computer room and the group-work area. And they've put in lots of colourful sofas to attract the undergrads - who now treat the place like a common room. Not long ago I saw a student order pizza to be delivered to him at the library, and when he walked passed the librarians with two pizza boxes, chips, ketchup and coke noone batted an eyelid!

Rk, I bet that's the same university as mine...it's like a branch of bloody Starbucks in there.

My uni doesn't allow hot food in the library, although looking at some of the books it looks like several people have bought in coffe and the like and spilt it. However we too have the soft chair areas, it must be a growing trend I suppose. It doesn't help much when you want to work though