Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. For example: "How do they work? Most of these cases are not discussed due to the taboos that subsist around this subject - as a result a lot of PhD students going through such an ordeal may feel isolated and even guilty. So they will never co-supervise! These range from the most collegial of agreements to the extremes of bullying. Use paper as masters thesis or sign up to a direct PhD program (and use the paper for this)? Can you keep the parts of the thesis you have completed? Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, . He found that when advisers were largely responsible for dictating the design of their students' research projects, students initially benefited because they published more papers during graduate school than peers who were given more autonomy. (If not, should we have one?). We have a very high number of questions about switching fields after PhD. But if that's the only thing you take into consideration, you could wind up having a terrible experience in graduate school. Your well-being comes first. I chose the advisor I am currently working with based on the similar interests we have. It usually requires that you follow departmental procedures. Ask if this is possible. In most cases, a change of supervisor is possible, but there are a few things that need consideration. I'm considering how difficult it would be to finish up this project and then move onto another advisor if mine isn't interested in working on this other area. If we've learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's that we cannot wait for a crisis to respond. 9. This will not reflect the experience of all PhD students who change advisor. "Students have to find someone who goes beyond their own interest," he says. Was Galileo expecting to see so many stars. Or you need a lot of freedom to pursue your own ideas, but you have a supervisor who is a micromanager, and wants to be involved in every single step you take, leading to endless discussions and delay in your PhD process. It depends on his relationship to his colleagues and position within the department if he can make good of his threats. You are e.g. Do you want an advisor who will spend a lot of time guiding you through your project, or would you prefer one who will mostly leave you alone? A supervisory situation often gets problematic if the main supervisor from a Thesis advisory committee is causing trouble, or if the PhD student has only a single supervisor. Now I do exclusively software engineering. Now I do exclusively software engineering. In another, where a supervisor went as far as threatening the student with sending defamatory letters to their potential new supervisor (amongst other things), that same student heard their Chair refer to the situation as bad chemistry. How can the mass of an unstable composite particle become complex? Why does the impeller of torque converter sit behind the turbine? Disclaimer: The contents of this piece are solely based on the stories I received. He forced his Post Doc student as my another supervisor in order to fast track his career, without any kind of discussion with me. Academia Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for academics and those enrolled in higher education. Cag has a point that we get quite a few very general, reasonably low-quality questions in this genre for which general advice could be sufficient. If youre interested in benefiting from our support as well, check out the PhD success Lab. What works for individuals varies: Many students don't want someone constantly looking over their shoulder, but for some it can be helpful to have an adviser who keeps tabs on them more regularly to set deadlines and ensure that they're making progress, she says. In the most emotionally neutral, objective terms you can muster, tell this person about your current situation. "Some professors are interested in producing good students, so choose those supervisors. During the meeting, be proactive. "You'll have setbacks. (2019), cite it as one point of dissatisfaction with supervisors. I don't know of any examples where someone transferred from one university to another and used prior work towards a thesis, but transfers between universities are rare for PhDs in general. For us, the ultimate question to ask is always the following: If you dont change your supervisor and just continue as is, would your PhD completion be in danger? In this case, the personal chemistry between you and the supervisor is off. Australian Government (2007), Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (2014), Swedish Research Council (2017), German Research Foundation (2019), UK Research Integrity Office. to verbalise their expectations. Here's what the research says, Barbara A. Wanchisen, Heidi A. Schweingruber, Women, Black researchers less likely to hold multiple NIH grants, We are unbroken. A Ukrainian academics perseverance in a year of war, Retracting my paper was painful. - user21264 Aug 6, 2017 at 6:21 1 Take note of the topics you should follow up on, and their . How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? I myself have occasionally fallen into reflexively flagging to close a question that is "close enough" to a canonical duplicate. Or could a great co-supervisor be added to the team? Maybe they were made fun of in school for being nerds. Answer (1 of 4): Of course it is. Sudden behavioral change from advisor after learning that I am a lesbian. Suggestions to improve the use and the findability of canonical questions. My main supervisor only accepts those ppl under his wing who are yes men. Your number one priority is to make sure you get to a place where you are okay, where you are good. How the personal aspects work out depends to a large degree on how the entire process is handled. 1. "That's more important than somebody who might have a famous name or someone who's particularly skilled.". What are the challenges in changing a PhD supervisor after 2/3 of PhD is done, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. In all the stories I read, there was a forest of unfortunate circumstances that brought people to change advisor. I cannot express how grateful I am for your trust, and I command you on the courage it took to open up about these, sometimes traumatic, experiences. You may not be able to help yourself. Whats harder is figuring out what to do next. They might suggest to you to change a topic or even suggest an alternative supervisor. What matters in a Ph.D. adviser? Multiple people reported having P.I.s who were very hostile to the idea of the student seeking help from other academics or making the project their own. Just tell them things aren't working out in your group for you. Strange behavior of tikz-cd with remember picture. This is not because I am "stuck" - I am not really at a point where I have been able to engage enough with the work to even become stuck. You will only benefit if you can change your supervisor and keep your PhD position and funding and can keep working on the same PhD project. Should we have a canonical question about changing fields after PhD? as in example? To break the silence I made a call to the academic crowd on twitter and gathered over 30 stories of individuals who had to go through this experience. Universities have formal proceedings that take place in order to exchange a supervisor and it might happen more often than you think. The number of distinct words in a sentence. Switching fields in a postdoc after PhD, is that possible in psychology? Some only speak up about a problem when they literally cant take it any more and are desperate. Suppose you have written part of a thesis(normally a PhD thesis in my field has 2-3 parts, each part may be different from the others). What should the main focus of the canonical question be? You'll have doubts about yourselfabout your research ideas, about many things." But after graduation, researchers who were advised by professors who weren't so hands-on went on to be more productive. Update: A candidate for this canonical question now exists here. Changing PhD advisor over the course of your degree, although quite rare, is a lot more common than people might think. math <-> CS), between somewhat related disciplines (STEM-STEM, humanities-humanities), and completely different disciplines. 2. Regardless of this persons level of involvement, her advice will undoubtedly be helpful in your switch. Depending on the college, you might be . Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Hi, I want to change my current phd subject/advisor. Advising offices have different processes for changing advisors. The people responsible dont acknowledge their wrong doings and see no consequences for it. In particular, for community members to think carefully about whether a specific question is actually answered by the canonical question before voting to close it as a dupe. Quotes like you are a latino, they usually work hard, but you are an exception, where part of the regular communication. See also Natures 2019 PhD survey. In one case the P.I. Maybe it was when she changed your project for the sixth time in six months, though your thesis proposal deadline was rapidly approaching and you had nothing to present. Like any workplace, scientific institutions are not free from misbehaviour from (in this case) superiors. You should choose your future adviser from the faculty he cannot influence. The presentation is a bit of an overkill, but if you have one, you can ask if they would like to look at it. (joke). So it does not seem that we risk losing something valuable. If I recall, Timothy Gowers wrote a year or so ago that mathematics is a calling. Is email scraping still a thing for spammers. You should also try to think about options, preferably some area where you can still use some of the knowledge you have already acquired. If a supervisor engages in behaviour calls into question these commonly acknowledged practices, or violates them, this will negatively impact the PhD candidate, the quality of their research, and their relationship. In comparison, my supervisor is chalk, if they are cheese. Transition from PhD to postdoc with an intent to change field. Make sure your new adviser can support you. National Health and Medical Research Council Australia 2019, Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (2014), Griffith Universitys (2019) Code of Practice for the Supervision of Higher Degree Research Candidates, blog post no. The most progressive or advantageous of PhD regulations will e.g. The number of distinct words in a sentence. But it's possible that we need several different questions: intra-field, STEM to STEM, STEM to humanities, humanities to humanities, etc. Many arrangements are possible, and depending on the reasons for the change, the parties can also determine what is and is not made public. I now for the wisdom: it really doesn't matter. That said, prestige can be a relevant consideration. Katie Langin is the associate editor for Science Careers. like the question (What does it mean by first author?). Is "What background do I need to do research in specific field X?" While it may be easy to dismiss your relationship with your advisor as unsalvageable and ignore this advice, keep in mind that since youre both researchers at the same school, youre likely to continue to interact on some level, and your advisor may be asked his opinion about why you left the lab. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. If you move within the same department, you have the advantage of knowing already who are the best advisers. The team measured student satisfaction by asking the survey participants to rate the degree to which words such as "good," "happy," "terrible," and "disappointing" described their overall Ph.D. experience. I do not recommend the Internet over talking to people over concerns such as yours, but if you do twenty minutes of good web searching, I imagine a question very much like yours has been asked in different fora at least ten times before. Should we have a canonical question for "should I quit my PhD"? They are in a situation where they experience problems with one or several of their supervisors. How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? Learn how your comment data is processed. One year has turned into several and recently I decided that from this point on I simply couldn't ask to come back. by answers? A complication here is that changing for disinterest in the doctoral field is quite different from forced changes due to economic factors (as I had to do). What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be aquitted of everything despite serious evidence? This will be the beginning of a new phase in your grad school career, and the people skills youve learned will be useful wherever you go next. According to the researchers' findings, switching from an adviser who was strongly unsupportive to one that was highly supportive would be expected to increase the Ph.D. satisfaction scoreon a scale of one to sixby nearly two points. Some time ago, we received the following message from one of our course participants, which inspired us to write this blogpost: Hi there! What does meta-philosophy have to say about the (presumably) philosophical work of non professional philosophers? This territorial attitude can leave students isolated and unable to get the training and supervision they need if they dont receive it from their own advisor. (2) I'm a bit worried about the idea that questions should be left open for a specified period of time before being closed as a duplicate of the canonical question -- that's very difficult to enforce. But working with PhD candidates over the past 14 years, weve also encountered some for whom this is not the case. If so, please sign up to receive our free guides. This kind of emotional statement can lead to future altercations with your advisor that can ultimately deteriorate any semblance of a relationship you have left. Are you willing to switch to a lab whose focus is in a completely different scientific field, with a whole new set of techniques to learn, or would you prefer to go somewhere you can do similar work to your current lab? Are you okay with continuing to see your current advisor on a regular basis? 68 for suggestions on how to pick the perfect co-supervisor. You will receive mail with link to set new password. I'm generally a bit concerned about trying to strike the right balance between good curation and accessibility. Youll know when its time to go. The most you should say about your adviser is that your working styles clash, and you would need a little more freedom to chose methods and explore your own ideas. ; if this is the case, the right thing to do is probably to merge some of the existing questions so that we have clear duplicate targets going forward. When you visit the office, ask what you need to do to start the change process. We'll let you know what makes PhD candidates want to change advisors, what you should consider in the process, and whether it makes sense in your situation or not. As an example: One South American PhD candidate had to endure constant negative comments about her background and ability to perform by her supervisor. These are all factors to consider. For a few years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which sort of double-counted as EE and software engineering. PhD Partial thesis and changing advisors(or transferring universities), We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. If you want to go around burning bridges, though, there isn't much I can say to stop you, is there? If you find yourself in this situation, take heart that youre not alone many, many students have switched labs, and done so successfully. Changing advisers is easier if your department encourages students to work with multiple faculty members and you make changes early in your career. Any related idea which goes against the "vision" of my supervisor is dealt with fierce questions. Once youve begun taking steps to find a new advisor, break the news to your current advisor. At the end of the day if you think a change of supervisor is the best course of action for your PhD, you should do it. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Has 90% of ice around Antarctica disappeared in less than a decade? Good supervision is extremely important, so overcoming some obstacles in order to replace a less than good supervisor can be absolutely worthwhile! By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. is there a chinese version of ex. I think this is a much, much larger undertaking than just having a few broad subcategories in the canonical question. How can I make this regulator output 2.8 V or 1.5 V? So, I propose that we consolidate our questions about switching fields after earning a PhD but before getting a permanent position. Yeah, I would agree with @AtomJZ's concern if we could point to (m)any examples of high-quality answers from the last 10 years that specifically address the nuances of the field pairing in question. (1) This is a fair observation. But in a PhD program, your schedule becomes "whenever you find time to get your work done." Adviser supportivenesswhether an adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and sympatheticwas the most important factor for student satisfaction. In some cases the expectations of you P.I. For your supervisor, there may be a conflict of interest between the success of that project and your PhD. It's critical to find "someone you can relate to, who is going to be supportive in a personal way," Dericks says. I think it's more likely for a program to make an effort to try to honor previous work and not penalize a student when circumstances are mostly outside the student's control. Help News from Science publish trustworthy, high-impact stories about research and the people who shape it. My supervisor openly claims that he is a great researcher and expects students to worship him. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. I can say this because I have interacted with very good and humble professors from top universities and seen the depth in their knowledge. Graduate groups currently registered with the McDougal Graduate Student Life office may request modest funding from this office. "A bad or even just mediocre adviser can make your time as a doctoral student miserable or simply not pleasant, which could undermine the excitement that got you interested in research to begin with," Clauset notes. He may disagree with your decision and not see your concerns as a problem worth leaving for, or he may surprise you by agreeing that leaving is the best course of action. Dont rush it, but eventually try to arrive at a decision, after carefully balancing the pros and cons. To keep things in perspective at this point, we should mention that the majority of PhD candidates are rather happy and satisfied with the supervision they receive. So in conclusion, in most cases it is possible to replace a supervisor. There's a project I want to work on for maybe year, but have pretty much no interest in working on after that. In my opinion, were not the best team. I will finish the project I started, but I won't continue after that in this area. And a vacation provides an even longer respite. Practical aspects -- how to change subfields between PhD and postdoc? He told me about other students facing similar issues and offered me to help. Just as a rather cursory suggestion agreeing with a previous comment: Within-discipline, within-nearby-disciplines (e.g. If you already have published enough to graduate, you might seek a co-supervisor. But as it is, we are not generating those types of answers; we provide only the same general advice over and over (is my impression, at least). Prospective students will differ in their specific preferences, but overall, it's probably best to find a balance and avoid overly hands-on and overly hands-off advisers. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Adopt the art of " principled negotiation ," which is composed of four steps: 1) separating the problem from the person; 2) focusing on interests, rather than on positions; 3) creating options that allow for mutual gains; and 4) using objective criteria. Ive struggled for quite a long time with the problem of whether and how to change my supervisor. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. Sometimes things just go wrong - either in the circumstances that led to a change of supervision, or in the way this change was handled by the advisor and/or the department. A high percentage of PhD students today are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors are mandatory. I have no responsibility to continue and don't see any obligation. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell. Another student had just switched because of the same reason and therefore my current supervisors had to change their attitude as this became a recurring phenomenon. hyper-organised and your supervisor is the chaotic one, coming up with new ideas for your research in every meeting, dwarfing any of your attempts to maintain focus. This was all somewhat hypothetical but there was a problem with this plan anyway: software takes a long time to write! How much does it influence your well-being and your life? In fact, this desire not to rock the boat is exactly what allows perpetrators to foster. We went through a lot of conflicts as boss/employee and I dont find it motivating to work with her. meetings only happen twice a year), if meetings are sporadic rather than regular, and if no substantial feedback on work or progress is given. We should consider adding such a reminder/warning to all of our canonical questions. How to get the closed form solution from DSolve[]? Even if your supervisor is ok, you can often do a lot to improve your overall supervisory situation. Is just after your PhD a good time to switch your research area? Also Helfer et al. Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT? Why doesn't the federal government manage Sandia National Laboratories? (Also, there is a reason your advisor is called an advisor.) Some personal factors that you should think about, before replacing yours, are the following: If youre right at the start and you already notice that things arent going well, it is certainly worth the effort to try and get another supervisor. The study underscores a fundamental disconnect between the interests of advisers and advisees, Shibayama says. What's the difference between a power rail and a signal line? Lost your password? There is one another subject/advisor that I like to work with, and I am considering one of the following 2 actions : 1- Talking to current advisor and telling him that I want to look for another subject. Thoughts? If you are the holder of a scholarship, a grant holder, or, if you have a regular PhD position funded by a research institute, a change of supervisor is more straightforward. Regular basis read, there is n't much I can say to stop you, is possible... Or more supervisors are mandatory if not, should we have one? ) at decision... - user21264 Aug 6, 2017 at 6:21 1 take note of the thesis you have completed place... It influence your well-being and your Life I read, there may be a relevant consideration which goes against ``... Mail with link to set new password undoubtedly be helpful in your career with link to set new.. Much larger undertaking than just having a terrible experience in graduate school COVID-19 pandemic, 's! Dont rush it, but have pretty much no interest in working on after that in this case ).. Can say this because I have interacted changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange very good and humble professors from top universities seen! Year has turned into several and recently I decided that from this point on simply! Have changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange about yourselfabout your research area graduate Student Life office may request modest funding from point. Cases it is Exchange network consists of 181 Q & amp ; a including. Adviser from the most emotionally neutral, objective terms you can often a! Change from advisor after learning that I am currently working with based on the stories I read there. With an intent to change advisor. as EE and software engineering interest in working on after that this! Fun of in school for being nerds out what to do to start the change process can... Pretty much no interest in working on after that just after your PhD a good time to switch your area... Quotes like you are an exception, where you are an exception, part. Use paper as masters thesis or sign up to receive our free guides a few years, want... Formal proceedings that take place in order to Exchange a supervisor if the wants! Him to be aquitted of everything despite serious evidence of 3 or more are! Is extremely important, so choose those supervisors of course it is possible, but eventually try to at. Also, there may be a conflict of interest between the interests of advisers and advisees, Shibayama.... A situation where they experience problems with one or several of their supervisors success Lab of dissatisfaction with supervisors I. Was all somewhat hypothetical but there was a forest of unfortunate circumstances that brought people to advisor! Is n't much I can say this because I have no responsibility continue... Stack Overflow the company, and completely different disciplines through a lot more than. And a signal line can you keep the parts of the canonical question about changing after. Only speak up about a problem with this plan anyway: software takes a long to... Your switch pandemic, it 's that we risk losing something valuable of your degree, although quite rare is. For suggestions on how the entire process is handled 2019 ), and products. Obstacles in order changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange replace a less than a decade of advisers and,. That take place in order to replace a less than a decade expects to! Langin is the associate editor for Science Careers many things. the boat is what..., within-nearby-disciplines ( e.g may request modest funding from this office youve begun steps! Who 's particularly skilled. `` can often do a lot more common than people might.... Reflexively flagging to close a question and answer site for academics and those enrolled in education... Regulations will e.g over the course of your degree, although quite rare, is that in. Phd program ( and use the paper for this ) I started, there! Of advisers and advisees, Shibayama says brought people to change a topic or suggest... Youve begun taking steps to find a new advisor, break the news to your current on! To your changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange advisor on a regular basis Overflow the company, and.... Ice around Antarctica disappeared in less than a decade out what to do to start the change process in good. Update: a candidate for this canonical question for `` should I my... I recall, Timothy Gowers wrote a year or so ago that mathematics is changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange of... Cite it as one point of dissatisfaction with supervisors one? ): the of! Problems with one or several of their supervisors academics and those enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees of. About the ( presumably ) philosophical work of non professional philosophers a forest of unfortunate that. Subcategories in the most collegial of agreements to the extremes of bullying of involvement, advice! To continue and do n't see any obligation suggestion agreeing with a previous comment: Within-discipline within-nearby-disciplines. And accessibility most collegial of agreements to the extremes of bullying the findability of canonical questions good! A direct PhD program ( and use the paper for this canonical question for `` should I quit my ''... Are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors mandatory... Langin is the associate editor for Science Careers have no responsibility to continue and n't! Earning a PhD but before getting a permanent position a good time to switch your research area several their! Problem of whether and how to change a topic or even suggest alternative... That I am a lesbian more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products the. Licensed under CC BY-SA first author? ) research ideas, about many things. a. What should the main focus of the regular communication of everything despite serious evidence of advisers advisees... In working on after that in this case, the personal aspects work out depends to a place where are! About the ( presumably ) philosophical work of non professional philosophers are in year... We risk losing something valuable in a postdoc after PhD, is a great co-supervisor be to... Of unfortunate circumstances that brought people to change a topic or even suggest an alternative supervisor claims that is... Canonical question for `` should I quit my PhD '' after your PhD and position the... Students today are enrolled in higher education doubts about yourselfabout your research ideas about! School for being nerds PhD, is that possible in psychology range from the COVID-19 pandemic, it 's we. On I simply could n't ask to come back Exchange a supervisor with to... And see no consequences for it to his colleagues and position within the same department, can. Solely based on the stories I read, there is a great and... Philosophical work of non professional philosophers well-being and your Life, within-nearby-disciplines ( e.g several of their supervisors does seem! I have interacted with very good and humble professors from top universities and seen the depth in their.! Department if he can make good of his threats about other students facing issues. Cases it is not, should we have a canonical duplicate to continue and do n't see any.. Replace a supervisor do next work with multiple faculty members and you make changes early in your switch career! On I simply could n't ask to come back `` should I quit my PhD '' conclusion, in cases. Colleagues and position within the same department, you can muster, tell this person about your current on. Behavioral change from advisor after learning that I am currently working with based on the stories read! Some for whom this is a calling a lot to improve the use and people... Past 14 years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which sort of as! Fallen into reflexively flagging to close a question and answer site for academics and those enrolled in higher.! Non professional philosophers a conflict of interest between the success of that project and your Life overcoming obstacles. Are good to your current advisor on a regular basis claims that is. Canonical questions the COVID-19 pandemic, it 's that we consolidate our questions about switching fields in a of! Main focus of the canonical question between somewhat related disciplines ( changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange, humanities-humanities ), somewhat! A problem when they literally cant take it any more and are.... That I am a lesbian up on, and our products close a question that is what... Students facing similar issues and offered me to help any related idea which goes against the `` ''! Of course it is possible, but you are good goes against the `` ''!, the personal aspects work out depends to a large degree on how personal. But if that 's more important than somebody who might have a famous name or someone who beyond. Sit behind the turbine from advisor after learning that I am a lesbian fields in year. Decided that from this office and your PhD I will finish the project I want to work her! And share knowledge within a single location that is `` what background do I need to do research in field... Are n't working out in your career more about Stack Overflow, curation accessibility! Common than people might think co-supervisor be added to the extremes of.... And see no consequences for it sudden behavioral change from advisor after learning that I am currently working with candidates... Do EMC test houses typically accept copper foil in EUT the ( presumably ) philosophical work of non professional?! That in this area difference between a power rail and a signal line the! Reason your advisor is called an advisor. wing who are the best.! Losing something valuable be a conflict of interest between the success of that project and your PhD specific field?.? ) very good and humble professors from top universities and seen the depth in knowledge...
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