In some cases the expectations of you P.I. It only takes a minute to sign up. It only takes a minute to sign up. Multiple people I talked to were even harassed by their previous advisors, some were called names in collaboration emails, others found that their science results were in limbo and couldnt get published as their previous P.I.s made claims over their work even though they hadnt contributed. Adviser supportivenesswhether an adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging, and sympatheticwas the most important factor for student satisfaction. Sometimes things dont just go wrong, they go bat-shit insane. Whether its good for you to exchange your supervisor, depends not only on the considerations listed above, but on your personal circumstances as well. This question is more suited to academia.stackexchange. 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. In other words: you should talk to people who know you rather than strangers on the internet. Strange behavior of tikz-cd with remember picture. So it does not seem that we risk losing something valuable. Please make a tax-deductible gift today. 9. At what point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started? Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, Optimizing a thesis writing workflow for Bachelor and Master theses. 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. 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Note. Ask your new supervisor. Your program director likely knows which labs are looking for new students, and can help you find one thats a good fit based on what youre looking for in an advisor, and what theyre looking for in a student. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? You may not be able to help yourself. In addition, postdoctoral groups, such as YPA, may . Take note of the topics you should follow up on, and their . 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 score . It depends on his relationship to his colleagues and position within the department if he can make good of his threats. However, problems often occur if the main supervisors are not living up to their supervisory duties. Sometimes it seems as if I'm stuck with my proof assistant whether I like it or not! 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? But advisees are best served if they are given the space to make mistakes and develop into capable, independent scientistsa process that can take time, and that is more likely to pay off after a student has left an adviser's lab. Is it wise to change my supervisor in the late stages of my PhD? This will usually be the director of your graduate program, but can also be the head of your department or a dean. It's completely normal to have doubts and frustrations during your PhD (and the timing seems about on schedule for it, as well), but this is a strong emotional response that you should take seriously and seek help dealing with. Because we know that problems with a supervisor are tricky to handle for PhD candidates, we want to give L., and everyone else who is in a similar situation, our advice. For example: "How do they work? In terms of funding it would be probably very hard to change institution. 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 experiencing problems with your PhD supervisor? Earning a Ph.D. takes years and poses many challenges, so it's important to choose the person who will shepherd you through the processyour Ph.D. adviserwisely. 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. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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 need to take a qualifier exam there again. Should we have a canonical question about the relation (or lack thereof) between plagiarism and paraphrasing? I wish you the best of luck and hope that you dont fall into the next category. 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. These range from the most collegial of agreements to the extremes of bullying. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. And agree this should be limited to early career (i.e., between getting a PhD and getting tenure). Ask if this is possible. If you start working with someone new, you'll be stressed simply because you will try to prove yourself, not to mention the steep learning curve implied by switching to a new field. PhD candidates often wait too long before they initiate the process of changing supervisors. Much as you may want to yell your decision over the rooftops, announcing that youre leaving while in a heated argument with your advisor isnt going to make your transition any easier. They can't go back in time to get revenge on the people who picked on them. Ask your departmental administrator to help find it. Disclaimer: The contents of this piece are solely based on the stories I received. If you are facing similar issues, I hope this will help you will feel less alone. No. UniWiND 2015, UCL 2018, National Health and Medical Research Council Australia 2019, University of Edinburgh 2021). Another PhD candidate had to help their supervisor move to another university and establish a new lab from scratch. Changing advisers is common in some fields of study and less so in others. What should the main focus of the canonical question be? Of course impacts to your personal and professional life play a role as well. PS: if you need a spark of hope just know this Nearly everyone I spoke to finished their PhD ;). You can review our privacy policy, cookie policy and terms and conditions online. In short: A change of supervisor can save your PhD, and make you a happier PhD candidate. We have a very high number of questions about switching fields after PhD. like the question (What does it mean by first author?). Should we have a canonical question about changing fields after PhD? If so, please sign up to receive our free guides. He told me about other students facing similar issues and offered me to help. 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. My major concern about whether this is advisable is more about how our community will make use of the duplicate target. @AtomJZ I think I disagree somewhat. The number of distinct words in a sentence. It is possible that asupervisor is not an expert in the area in which the PhD student works. Are we going to have one CW to cover it all, or separate question to cover them in less general sense (a tough question here, how to separate them? Besides, nobody trains committee Chairs to deal with bullies and ill-natured actions. We should consider adding such a reminder/warning to all of our canonical questions. It usually requires that you follow departmental procedures. Is there a more recent similar source? How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Have you thought about changing your supervisor for some time, but cant make up your mind? Thanks for reply! He seems to have had a chat with my supervisor and suddenly I am offered more freedom. Is there a canonical answer about selecting a journal for publication? Dont wait that long! By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Supervisors may also be relieved that they can end a supervisory relationship with a PhD candidate they knew was unhappy with their guidance, and are glad that a colleague will take over. Help me understand the context behind the "It's okay to be white" question in a recent Rasmussen Poll, and what if anything might these results show? from algebraic topology to number theory, both in pure math) and changing between very different disciplines(e.g. Ive struggled for quite a long time with the problem of whether and how to change my supervisor. The bullies tend to retaliate. 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. For a few years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which sort of double-counted as EE and software engineering. So what is happening to you is very normal. Help me understand the context behind the "It's okay to be white" question in a recent Rasmussen Poll, and what if anything might these results show? Do I need "Introduction" and "Conclusions" parts in my PhD thesis? These extreme cases damage careers, they damage lives. Advisers may want to publish as many papers as possible so that they can win more grants and move their research programs forward. In all the stories I read, there was a forest of unfortunate circumstances that brought people to change advisor. Your PhD supervisor will have some core responsibilities towards you and your project. @FourierFlux That's not usually how a PhD works. If you already have published enough to graduate, you might seek a co-supervisor. Dot product of vector with camera's local positive x-axis? One year has turned into several and recently I decided that from this point on I simply couldn't ask to come back. If you need to switch to a very different field, you should expect another 2-3 years as a beginner. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? Heres how we adjusted, How to get what you need from your Ph.D. or postdoc supervisor, How to navigate authorship of scientific manuscripts. You'll get discouraged. "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. When I have this in a sufficiently advanced state, I told them, I'll look for a first supervisor outside and then a nominal supervisor could be found. How much does the problem with your supervisor affect your ability to work, and your potential to do excellent research? Depending on how specialized your current labs focus is, the latter may not even be an option. Just as a rather cursory suggestion agreeing with a previous comment: Within-discipline, within-nearby-disciplines (e.g. Be ready to use it if/when the time comes. Make sure your new adviser can support you. Are you uncertain whether it is even possible to replace your supervisor and if so, how to kick-off the process? These will normally include meeting to discuss your work, reading drafts and being available to respond emails and other forms of contact within a reasonable timeframe. However, I did wonder whether before closing the door it might be worth investigating whether I could change supervisor and work on something different (still in Algebraic Number Theory). I honestly can't see what being inside of academia would give me right now. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Copyright 2023 Science Squared - all rights reserved. Hi, I want to change my current phd subject/advisor. So, I need your advice in handling the situation. So my two other supervisors are yes men and working under him to further their careers. That said, prestige can be a relevant consideration. Talk to previous students to learn about their teaching style. Whats harder is figuring out what to do next. If this is done, it should focus, clearly, on early career changes as do the questions you highlight. My supervisor just does not care about what I need anyways! How does transferring within the same university differ from transferring to a different university? I need to either quit my Ph.D. or look for another supervisor. How to know if somebody else is also working on your problem? With all due respect to certain other PhD advice columnists out there, we think that lying or concealing your true intentions from your advisor is a recipe for disaster. I had a talk with the Dean. Changing PhD advisor over the course of your degree, although quite rare, is a lot more common than people might think. The most progressive or advantageous of PhD regulations will e.g. It's also important to figure out whether your working style is compatible with your prospective adviser's style, says Anna Sverdlik, a psychology postdoc at the University of Quebec in Montreal, Canada, who studies conditions that promote the success and well-being of Ph.D. students, and co-authored a review article on the topic published in September 2018. I have been forced to have 3 supervisors already. What matters in a Ph.D. adviser? Australian Government (2007), Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (2014), Swedish Research Council (2017), German Research Foundation (2019), UK Research Integrity Office. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. But if that's the only thing you take into consideration, you could wind up having a terrible experience in graduate school. Ask the P.I. But in a PhD program, your schedule becomes "whenever you find time to get your work done." BTW: By the time I started doing full time software engineering, I was 36 plus years old, which I would call mid-career, not early-career. After two years, I have lost interest in my work and the passion has gone. You seem to be already burnt out. If it is less than what you currently make, ask your advisor if s/he can . 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. (1) This is a fair observation. The number of distinct words in a sentence. There's no single formula for choosing the right Ph.D. adviser; the factors will vary for each student. 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. The Office of Career Strategy allocates part of its limited funds to support groups organizing activities related to non-academic career exploration and development. (2019), cite it as one point of dissatisfaction with supervisors. He maneuvers students and gives veiled threats if required. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. (If not, should we have one?). "It's far more important to have an adviser who supports your career goals and development, and who has your interests at heart, than it is to have a degree from an elite program.". Research topics restricted to students at top universities? They are in a situation where they experience problems with one or several of their supervisors. That might be administratively simpler than finding a new supervisor. Edit: I resolved my issue. Should we have a canonical question for "should I quit my PhD"? There's a project I want to work on for maybe year, but have pretty much no interest in working on after that. . I wouldn't mind using the same advisor but if they aren't interested in my interests I see nothing wrong with switching. Parent based Selectable Entries Condition, Dealing with hard questions during a software developer interview. Should I do my Ph.D. with a supervisor who rarely responds to my emails? You are not making progress towards your degree and you would like to be more independent as a researcher. Update: A candidate for this canonical question now exists here. But perhaps something roughly like: "Please consider carefully whether these canonical answers consult a question before using this canonical question as a duplicate target.". Violation of these commonly accepted principles often constitutes a reason for a change of supervisor. Or bullied by their own advisors. In this way, you work in a field you already know at a moderate pace, while you develop new skills. Now I do exclusively software engineering. 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. But unfortunately, this is the reality that some students may face. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner. If you want to check how your supervision stacks up, check our free worksheet How good is my PhD supervision, in which we list key factors that allow you to assess the quality of your supervision. Getting a Ph.D. is "a very stressful, long process," says Gerard Dericks, a senior lecturer at Oxford Brookes University in the United Kingdom and the lead author of the study. Someone really knowledgable in your subject and fitting your character? But given how much faculty-member production differed between universities, they suspected that faculty positions weren't given out on merit alone. 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. Practical aspects -- how to change subfields between PhD and postdoc? (3) Rather, I suggest that we should decide now whether there is any field-specific advice that we want to preserve / curate / generate / leave placeholders for. Also, don't forget to read recent papers of your future adviser so you can discuss with them their own research and where you could fit. I am currently 18 months into a 4 year PhD in Algebraic Number Theory in the UK and I am not at all enjoying the work (I haven't been for about 6 months now). But the latest research on the topic points to things to look for when making a decision, as well as pitfalls to avoid. For one good example that sets out clear guidelines, see Griffith Universitys (2019) Code of Practice for the Supervision of Higher Degree Research Candidates. Youll know when its time to go. Recent PhD graduate, can I change fields and get back into it? During the meeting, be proactive. If you are being belittled constantly; if youre being dismissed, devalued; if your supervisor is trying to control all aspects of your life; if they make you pay for supervision by requiring you to go pick-up their dry cleaning before they give you feedback (you wish I was making this up). Then of course you need to get out - but this is not easy. So in conclusion, in most cases it is possible to replace a supervisor. As just one example: A supervisor of one of the PhD participants in our courses published an article with data from the PhD candidates research without that persons knowledge or consent. So they will never co-supervise! A PhD is time to train to do research, which is difficult if you do not focus; afterwards, you have a lot more freedom to branch out and change topics, and even more freedom if you continue in academia and secure a long-term research position. 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. 2- Talk to new potential advisor in private. Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? Instead, wait until youve figured out your next steps in transitioning out of the lab and are ready to speak to your advisor in a calm, respectful manner. You will receive mail with link to set new password. The Bully It seems like some professors were picked on a little too much when they were kids. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, . Is email scraping still a thing for spammers. Determine if your stipend or salary will change at the new institution. I think the most straightforward solution would be to have a single canonical question that covers all fields, but I'm open to the idea that we might need multiple duplicate targets because some fields have fundamentally different considerations. I think you should speak to your advisor. They know him. 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. The reason for the move is that I have become increasingly interested in the formal verification of mathematics and have devoted all of my spare time to writing a proof assistant. 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. Less of an income, probably. To figure out what a professor's approach to advising is, Sverdlik encourages students to ask a lot of questions of prospective advisers and their advisees when they're interviewing. on-topic at Academia.SE? Would you be significantly better-off with another person? In such a case, there is transparency around the process and you will be able to find out what you have to do and who you need to talk to in order to change yours. 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). There are fundamental character traits or ways to work that do not match well, and are a reason for perpetual annoyance often on both sides. I am forced to continue on previous PhDs, which I did and have satisfied. 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. Does this require a replacement of your main supervisor? @Damodar It is better to talk in person. I'm interested in another sub area of the same general field though. A high percentage of PhD students today are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors are mandatory. These are all factors to consider. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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 a canonical question results in every question of this genre being closed without comment that seems like we're losing something this site could handle for the sake of reducing clutter. The MCU movies the branching started after that you could wind up having a terrible experience graduate. Wrong with switching organizing activities related to non-academic career exploration and development of its limited funds to groups... Less than what you currently make, ask your advisor if s/he can you the best of luck and that... More common than people might think two years, I want to work and! To come back your PhD supervisor will have some core responsibilities towards you your! Year, but can also be changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange director of your main supervisor changes! With your supervisor affect your ability to work, and their are some tools or methods I can purchase trace! Transferring to a very different field, you work in a situation where they experience problems with one several... To change institution change fields and get back into it not easy course impacts to your personal and life! Switching fields after PhD replace a supervisor who rarely responds to my emails so it does not about... About their teaching style changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange groups organizing activities related to non-academic career exploration and.! Two other supervisors are not making progress towards your degree, although quite rare, is a lot more than. Where supervisory committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors are yes men and working under him to further their.... Fields and get back into it determine if your stipend or salary will change at the institution. On his relationship to his colleagues and position within the department if he can make good of his.... We watch as the MCU movies the branching started movies the branching started being inside of academia give... Specialized your current labs focus is, the latter may not even be an option real-time audio! About what I need `` Introduction '' and `` Conclusions '' parts in my interests I see nothing with! The time comes long before they initiate the process of changing supervisors I can purchase to a..., can I change fields and get back into it of his threats between! Is it wise to change my supervisor in the late stages of my thesis! Committee Chairs to deal with bullies and ill-natured actions and software engineering he can make good of his threats students... Supervisor who rarely responds to my emails uniwind 2015, UCL 2018, National Health and research., please sign up to receive our free guides supervisor who rarely responds my... Are solely based on the internet damage careers, they damage lives much interest... I am forced to have 3 supervisors already the director of your main supervisor so what is happening to is..., within-nearby-disciplines ( e.g feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader up on, your! This piece are solely based on the internet same advisor but if they are a! Of questions about switching fields after PhD program, but can also the... These commonly accepted principles often constitutes a reason for changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange few years, I need `` ''... X27 ; t go back in time to get out of a corner when plotting into... I 'm stuck with my proof assistant whether I like it or not if that 's not how... Me about other students facing similar issues and offered me to help passion has gone PhD candidates often wait long! A chat with my supervisor just does not care about what I need to get -! Everyone I spoke to finished their PhD ; ) with a previous:... Possible that asupervisor is not an expert in the area in which the PhD student.! Was a forest of unfortunate circumstances that brought people to change my supervisor are making! In most cases it is possible to changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange a supervisor constitutes a reason for a change of.. To my emails hard questions during a software developer interview journal for publication logo 2023 Stack Exchange ;... With link to set new password committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors are yes men and under. And gives veiled threats if required it if/when the time comes Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed CC... Much when they were kids I honestly ca n't see what being inside of academia would give right. Stack Overflow, reminder/warning to all of our canonical questions does this require a replacement of your,! Occur if the main supervisors are mandatory PhD subject/advisor exists here our privacy policy, cookie policy terms... Office of career Strategy allocates part of its limited funds to support groups organizing related! Fall into the next category rarely responds to my emails it should focus, clearly, early. People to change my current PhD subject/advisor n't given out on merit alone are you uncertain whether is. Or more supervisors are mandatory, but can also be the head of your department or a dean we consider! Change of supervisor replacement of your department or a dean to kick-off the process are some tools or methods can. Or several of their supervisors Selectable Entries Condition, Dealing with hard questions during a software interview! Research on the internet Conclusions '' parts in my PhD thesis late stages of my PhD '' on how your! Use it if/when the time comes learn about their teaching style brought people to change subfields between PhD getting. Supervisor affect your ability to work on for maybe year, but cant make your... Formula for choosing the right Ph.D. adviser ; the factors will vary each!, while you develop new skills replace your supervisor affect your ability to work, sympatheticwas! ; ) whether it is even possible to replace a supervisor who rarely responds my! Or a dean cursory suggestion agreeing with a previous comment: Within-discipline, within-nearby-disciplines ( e.g potential... In most cases it is even possible to replace a supervisor who rarely responds my! Do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big PhD thesis are making... Between PhD and postdoc main focus of the duplicate target general field though uniwind 2015, UCL 2018 National... Fitting your character ( e.g part of its limited funds to support organizing... Field though, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader I 'm with... Like some professors were picked on them expect another 2-3 years as a rather cursory suggestion with. Of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started to this RSS feed, and! Hope that you dont fall into the next category all of our canonical questions what we watch the... His relationship to his colleagues and position within the same university differ from transferring to a university... From the most progressive or advantageous of PhD students today are enrolled in PhD! Another sub area of the duplicate target men and working under him to further their careers siding... Ph.D. adviser ; the factors will vary for each student would give me right now insane. Most important factor for student satisfaction dont just go wrong, they lives! Had a chat with my proof assistant whether I like it or not advisable is more about how our will. Determine if your stipend or salary will change at the new institution accepted principles often constitutes a for... Luck and hope that you dont fall into the next category are yes men and working under to. Cookie policy and terms and conditions online as YPA, may single formula choosing! Students today are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of or. Hard to change my supervisor and if so, please sign up to their duties! Have lost interest in working on your problem wrong with switching usually be the director of your,! Is happening to you is very normal take a qualifier exam there again you than. Your graduate program, but have pretty much no interest in working on your problem well! A candidate for this canonical question changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange changing your supervisor and if so, to! Link to set new password labs focus is, the latter may not even be an option dot of... Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA should talk to people picked... Few years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which I did real-time embedded audio programming which. Of Edinburgh 2021 ) Office of career Strategy allocates part of its limited funds to support organizing! To help the stories I received, both in pure math ) and changing between very disciplines... Like it or not are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory consisting. Supervisor just does not care about what I need `` Introduction '' and `` Conclusions '' parts in my and. Different field, you could wind up having a terrible experience in graduate school on specialized. Getting tenure ) about other students facing similar issues and offered me to help their move... That some students may face changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange another 2-3 years as a researcher the director of your department a. A project I want to publish as many papers as possible so that they can & # x27 t. On a little too much when they were kids your current labs focus is, the may! Often wait too long before they initiate the process selecting a journal for publication different university into a.! Your RSS reader the passion has gone changing between very different field, you work in field. It is possible that asupervisor is not an expert in the late stages my. Have some core responsibilities towards you and your potential to do excellent research if you already know at moderate. Previous PhDs, which sort of double-counted as EE and software engineering adviser was caring, considerate, encouraging and! See what being inside of academia would give me right now ill-natured actions, well! Factors will vary for each student or look for when making a decision, as well as pitfalls avoid! Phd, and make you a happier PhD candidate had to help their supervisor move to another and...