simplyatie: the 7 secrets of highly successful PhD students: SECRET 1

The 1st secret is all about the person(s) that you are going to be working with for 3-4 years. Your supervisor is the most important person during your PhD life as he/she will guide you throughout the unpredictable journey. They will or will not be beside you. Why i say this is because, characters of supervisors differ from one to another and i humbly proposed that it is unfair to compare a person's persona and personality. People are different! Technically, i will work with anyone without any pre-assumptions or unnecessary judgments. However, i chose supervisors whom i feel at ease and comfortable to work with for my PhD. Alhamdulillah, they've all been very supportive and generous with the priceless knowledge that they have. No matter who you are working with, be positive and be supportive to each other (i.e. your friends who are also studying for their PhD). I believe that the more i share with others, the more i will get in return.

So, what is the secret?

Secret 1: Care and Maintenance of your Supervisor

* Meet regularly with your supervisor (even if your supervisors think it isn't "that necessary")

*Discuss and negotiate your progress regularly. You might not like doing this, but it is essential

* Understand your different or similar styles. If your supervisor keeps wanting you to follow up new leads and you are happy to and you are 5 years into your study, it's time to get some outside perspective and guidance

* If it's not working out, do something about it. Don't just think it will be better or that you can do it on your own. Hundreds of students before you will tell you that this is not going to happen.

Action plan: Do you...

1. meet regularly?

2. discuss progress regularly?

3. set and review goals together?

4. talk about concerns with supervisor?

5. meet regularly? (yes, we have already mention this, but this is very important!!)

so, what is one thing you could do in the next day to become more effective?

I AM SEEING MY SUPERVISOR NEXT WEEK to discuss my work plans. how about you??