Today's 2nd silly question - busy academics

4

How do you get a busy professor to respond to your very urgent inquiry? (Not only I am fed up of chasing people, but also curious about how you handle the situation when somebody doesn't respond.)

4

you are right. What made me annoyed is that I called this person, but he asked me to send him an email. Now he is not responding to the email. Grrrr..... I guess that was his polite way of saying "I can then ignore your inquiry easily...".

4

Thank you DanB. The good thing is that writing here stopped me from sending this guy a horrible email (or a dead duck through his post box)

T

I wonder how many academics work with the office light off so their PhD students don't think they're working in there...

4

I used to share an office with one of my supervisors. The amount of people visiting him was unbelievable; perhaps 8 per second. So in the end he built up a barrier from books and folders to hide behind. And as you said, we used to keep the lights off. I'm so glad I work from home now.

S

I've been tempted to work with the door locked - to keep an academic out! (not my supervisor)

4

why sue? Is s/he one of those non-stop no-sense talking freaks? Doesn't he leave once he manages to enter your office?

S

perhaps Sue has a not so secret admirer!

4

Also called a prowler (or perhaps not? English is my 2nd language)

S

No, not an admirer (if only someone was that keen!)... it's an academic who comes to have long social chats with someone else in the lab - there's just one 'caller' at the minute, but there have been others. Anyway, I'd rather they didn't because 1.I get a bit tired of saying 'no, x hasn't been in today yet' 2.it means I can't do certain experiments (safety reasons) 3.I don't want to hear the conversations! (loud mp3 player to the rescue) I did see a really good idea somewhere - a sheet of paper on a door that said 'I'm not here, I am... (list of options)' with a drawing pin through whichever was correct.

D

r u not able to leave a message with their PA?
Everyone who has a busy prof supervisor at my uni MUST have a second supervisor that isnt as busy. May be you could request a second supervisor?

4

Thank you driven2insanity. I have 3 supervisors plus an external one. This professor is someone I was put in touch with, through one of my supervisor's contact. He is quite important to a project I am currently undertaking for my research. I was furious at the time of posting to the forum but I'm calm now. I'll try him again tomorrow

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