Hi,

I am submitting my application for PhD funding next week and my supervisor has just asked me to write the reference myself!!!
I am at a total loss as to what to write...
Looking online for sample references, they all seem over the top.

Does anyone have any ideas as to how to approach this or know of any good sites with tips?

My sup has told me to not be shy but I find doing something like this very difficult!

Thanks in advance!

Margot :)

Hi Margot!

This sounds like both a blessing and a curse! On the plus side, your supervisor must like you if he/she is trusting you to write something that he/her is willing to put his/her signature on! I can understand why you are finding this difficult, but I would take full advantage! What would you really love to see on your reference? What would make you feel really proud if you saw a reference that someone else had written about you? What do you really need to be on your reference to secure PhD funding? Put it all down! You need to make sure you cover all the main points- academic ability, research skills, relevant practical experience, interest/enthusiasm for subject, potential to succeed in research, and it never hurts to have a few more personal comments on there such as 'hard-working', 'motivated', 'reliable' etc. I know it's a bit of an awkward situation, and obviously you have to stick somewhere close to reality with what you write, but you need to stand out, so make it your ideal reference and don't be too modest! You can always have a bit of a laugh about it with your supervisor if you feel a bit awkward about it. I had to write a progress report following a review meeting a few months ago, and when I sent it to my supervisors to check they all said I had been too modest and they added extra bits in to make up for it! Good luck with your application! KB