What and What Not to Expect from Your Ph.D. Advisor

Pursuing a research degree like a Ph.D. is a tough task. Apart from the breadth and the depth of the scholastic skills needed to finish a Ph.D. program, what makes it also tough is the "human aspect." I am referring to the relationship that a graduate student has with his or her Ph.D. advisor. A graduate student typically spends between four and five years working toward a Ph.D. degree. By and large, both graduate students and their supervisors begin to understand each other\´s personality and style of work a few years into the program. This article is geared toward those who face difficulties in adjusting to the research group, especially with their advisors, in the first one to two years. Those who are able to adjust quickly are better off in their research productivity earlier; those who take a longer time eventually arrive there through a painful process.