Hello, I just wanted to discuss how important should the supervision part be in a PhD? I know that PhD is personal experience, you have to work on your own most of the time, think your own ideas etc. But then what is the true role of supervision? And how should it be to make the best out of it? Discuss often, meetings. In the interpretation of the results, should a PhD student be alone to interpret or should the supervision be also on that? Thank you for all possible inputs.

It varies according to the student. I was of the type that enjoyed the freedom to develop my own ideas with occassional input from my supervisor. Others need constant care and attention. I also only had one supervisor, whereas the norm is now at least two. So you would probably find that they will have different complimentary styles. Remember, you dont have to suffer a supervisor that doesnt work for you. Simply ask to change them, but do this early on in the process rather than waiting until the last few months of the PhD!

you will need a good supervisor if things go wrong and you need to troubleshoot an experiment that won't work for you. Having people around that can give you advice (with much experiance themselves) can really help if you are at the end of your own whits. So it is always good to have some experianced postdocs in the lab you can talk to - or a good supervisor.

I prefer a supervisor that I don't know is there. In other words, one that is around and I can bounce ideas off, but that I don't feel like they are breathing down my neck. I don't really get on with my postdoc as she is just the opposite to that, but luckily there is another one I can talk to. Oh, and I only have one supervisor!

I feel that having a supervisor who is readily available (and approachable) is important to me personally. I both benefit and enjoy having someone with whom to discuss thoughts and ideas -not only about the experimental aspects of my work, but also with the theory. Even if the discussion topics aren't directly related to the project, they are still in some ways useful.

...Also, speaking with your supervisor as regularly as possible not only helps you to establish a rapport with them, but the intellectual process of discussing things helps with developing your skills as a scientist/researcher. That isn't to say that you should be knocking on their door every 5 minutes; coffee breaks or a pint at lunchtime I find are good opportunities!