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   Kimberley (kimberley@ecoevo.social)'s status on Tuesday, 02-Jun-2026 21:39:30 JST Kimberley

   Current and former PhD students - is there a question you wish you'd asked your PhD supervisory team before starting?

   #PhD #Academia

   • GreenSkyOverMe (Monika) repeated this.
   • Embed this notice
     Janne Moren (jannem@fosstodon.org)'s status on Tuesday, 02-Jun-2026 21:39:55 JST Janne Moren

     in reply to

     @Kimberley
     How often do PhD students in this lab meet one on one with their supervisor?

     Also, what proportion of students finish and how much time do they take; and how much better or worse is this compared to the science (or other) faculty at the university?

   • Embed this notice
     GreenSkyOverMe (Monika) (greenskyoverme@ohai.social)'s status on Tuesday, 02-Jun-2026 21:40:40 JST GreenSkyOverMe (Monika)

     in reply to

     @mjr Oh shit :-(

   • Embed this notice
     MJ Ray (mjr@masto.bike)'s status on Tuesday, 02-Jun-2026 21:40:42 JST MJ Ray

     in reply to

     @Kimberley "Have you noticed that a recent medication change has stopped me forming new memories and I am currently incapable of learning anything so this is all a waste of everyone's time, money and opportunity?" but to be fair, my doctors should have spotted it first and it took them over a decade!

   • Embed this notice
     Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE (timwardcam@c.im)'s status on Tuesday, 02-Jun-2026 21:41:54 JST Tim Ward ⭐🇪🇺🔶 #FBPE

     in reply to

     @Kimberley Back in my day, one didn't seem to have to apply for a PhD place, I was just told that one was open to me (in the same institution where I was finishing my first degree), with X as supervisor.

     Then I was chatting to Y, another academic in the department. "Y'know, X's students don't usually end up with a PhD" he said.

     I was too politically naïve to understand what he was saying, and did nothing in response. I started the PhD course with X as supervisor and dropped out after a year.

     I realised some considerable time later that what Y was suggesting was that I should request a change of supervisor, presumably that Y should be my supervisor instead. But he couldn't say that explicitly - it would be unethical to poach someone else's student - it would have to look like my idea.

     So, to answer your question, I should have asked "can I have Y as my supervisor?"