Katie Langin is the associate editor for Science Careers. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. The number of distinct words in a sentence. 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. For a few years, I did real-time embedded audio programming, which sort of double-counted as EE and software engineering. In these cases, when students had made substantial process, their prior work was included in their thesis when they moved to a new advisor within the same program. The answer depends entirely on your advisor and program/university's policies (especially the 'new' one of each). 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. Whats harder is figuring out what to do next. The Office of Career Strategy allocates part of its limited funds to support groups organizing activities related to non-academic career exploration and development. 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. (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. Dont wait that long! But any potential duplicates would be left open long enough for community members with expertise in the specific fields to consider whether they think the canonical answers cover the specific question. 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. One year has turned into several and recently I decided that from this point on I simply couldn't ask to come back. @FourierFlux A PhD advisor is not an employer, they are a mentor and resource to your learning. If I recall, Timothy Gowers wrote a year or so ago that mathematics is a calling. I had a talk with the Dean. Advisers may want to publish as many papers as possible so that they can win more grants and move their research programs forward. Then, the researchers asked students about their experiences with the people and support networks that immediately surrounded them in academia: namely their advisers, departments, and peers. - Bryan Krause Jul 21, 2020 at 0:50 The examples we mention were all reported from PhD candidates in our courses where we discuss individual problems with supervision, and help PhD candidates with strategies to overcome these. And if I still do not like my environment it is possible to switch and school will help. I will finish the project I started, but I won't continue after that in this area. It does not help me. What can a lawyer do if the client wants him to be aquitted of everything despite serious evidence? Youll know when its time to go. I think this is a much, much larger undertaking than just having a few broad subcategories in the canonical question. on-topic at Academia.SE? I honestly can't see what being inside of academia would give me right now. This set of guidelines meant primarily for those leaving due to conflicts with their advisors can help you in transitioning out of your old lab and into a new one. Depending on how specialized your current labs focus is, the latter may not even be an option. "That's more important than somebody who might have a famous name or someone who's particularly skilled.". Does that justify some committees leaving their students to their own devices and not supporting them during this transition? 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. (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. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. A reasonable PhD advisor wants their students to enjoy the subfield they are working in and will be happy to either suggest alternate directions or arrange a change of advisor if . In one case the P.I. Duress at instant speed in response to Counterspell. Grad school is hard enough as it is. There could be some useful specific answer depending on the question that goes beyond general advice. Dericks and his team didn't find any evidence that showed that's an effective strategy, though: After taking adviser supportiveness into consideration, students' satisfaction levels weren't correlated with their perceptions of their Ph.D. advisers' intelligence, knowledge, intellect, and scholarly abilities. If that supervisor fails to give good supervision, the PhD student flounders, and may be left with virtually no support. 1) When choosing advisor When you apply for your project, make sure you enquire about your prospective advisor. Since it is a very prestigious institution I never thought that I might experience what I am going through at the moment. Some students in the stories I collected changed supervisor because of communication/management style issues or some disparity in expectations between the mentor and mentee. Why are non-Western countries siding with China in the UN? Good supervision is extremely important, so overcoming some obstacles in order to replace a 'less than good' supervisor can be absolutely worthwhile! You can find some tips in the second blog in this series Advice from people who switched PhD Advisor. You got more freedom, I read. 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. Now you have get to get your passion back. There are surveys that back-up this overall observation. A clear sign of a lack of supervision is if one does not have regular meetings with a PhD supervisor (e.g. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? Make sure your new adviser can support you. If we've learned anything from the COVID-19 pandemic, it's that we cannot wait for a crisis to respond. It only takes a minute to sign up. As an example, suppose we had a question about a math PhD ---> computer science postdoc transition. When his students come to him looking for advice about who they should work with next, he tells them not to weigh prestige too heavily. If so, please leave a comment on this answer explaining which field needs handled separately and why it has different considerations. In some labs, graduate students are "treated like laborlike robots in a factoryrather than independent scientists," he says. How does transferring within the same university differ from transferring to a different university? In the second blog of this series, I have endeavoured to compile some advice from the brave individuals who reached out to me, in the hopes that current or future PhD students may find some help on these pages. Your adviser, knowing his personality, won't let you go easily. Not the answer you're looking for? Academic politics is complicated; someone pointed out to me that students come and go but these people have to keep working together, or next to each other, for years. In another case, the science just didnt work out early in the program. Remember, her only interactions with your advisor mightve been occasional polite small talk, and if you start off with an angry rant about how much of a jerk your advisor is, the person who might come across as a jerk is you. rev2023.3.1.43269. So, a prestigious academic pedigree may help you get where you want to go after graduation. 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. You should choose your future adviser from the faculty he cannot influence. 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. "What we found in the literature is that when your supervisor just monitors your progress, and is willing to make time for you when you really need help, that is really all that is needed for students to succeed.". 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. Thoughts of an academic career are completely beside the point. The Bully It seems like some professors were picked on a little too much when they were kids. Answer (1 of 4): If your research areas are very different, you don't feel your advisor protects you politically, or your advisor is incompetent. So, I need your advice in handling the situation. Is that an excuse for departments to sweep things under the rug? This will not reflect the experience of all PhD students who change advisor. This question is more suited to academia.stackexchange. 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. 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. They know him. Would it be possible for you to select another (additional) supervisor as primary supervisor? They might suggest to you to change a topic or even suggest an alternative 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. Recent PhD graduate, can I change fields and get back into it? I dont want to scare you, but if you are a similar situation you have to be prepared. You are not making progress towards your degree and you would like to be more independent as a researcher. Research topics restricted to students at top universities? 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? Are you uncertain whether it is even possible to replace your supervisor and if so, how to kick-off the process? While you want to be careful with telling too many people about your switch (your advisor should hear the news from you, not someone else), keep your ears open for news about professors reputations and for whether theyre looking for new students. He maneuvers students and gives veiled threats if required. Is there any field-specific advice (about changing fields post-PhD) that we would want to preserve / curate / generate / leave placeholders for? Is email scraping still a thing for spammers. AAAS is a partner of HINARI, AGORA, OARE, CHORUS, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER. 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. Should we have a canonical question about changing fields after PhD? But unfortunately, this is the reality that some students may face. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Many Higher Education Institutions, funding agencies, or governmental bodies have developed codes of good scientific practice (see e.g. Sign up for our feature-packed newsletter today to ensure you get the latest expert help and advice to level up your lab work. by answers? How to know if somebody else is also working on your problem? When looking for an adviser, prospective students often seek out well-known researchers who are highly cited and respected in their fields. You'll get discouraged. 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. 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. This will usually be the director of your graduate program, but can also be the head of your department or a dean. Just tell them things aren't working out in your group for you. Months passed with moving goods, ordering parts and equipment. 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. Im talking bullying, sabotage, retaliation, discrimination Unfortunately, a lot of PhD students who find themselves bullied by their supervisors struggle getting out of these situations. 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. Use paper as masters thesis or sign up to a direct PhD program (and use the paper for this)? In fact, this desire not to rock the boat is exactly what allows perpetrators to foster. 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). By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Like any workplace, scientific institutions are not free from misbehaviour from (in this case) superiors. I'm generally a bit concerned about trying to strike the right balance between good curation and accessibility. Be calm and respectful, but be honest about the reasons youre leaving. A few reactions: (1) Most answers to the historical questions have not provided field-specific advice, even when such was requested. I wouldn't mind using the same advisor but if they aren't interested in my interests I see nothing wrong with switching. If after giving the relationship a good effort you still want to seek a new advisor, go to the main advising office for your college to ask about the process. "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.". To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. If I answer them all, then I am told that until someone else with reputation does it, I should not try it as I do not have a proven track record. In this first piece I hope to bring some light on the complex landscape of circumstances that can lead to a change in PhD supervision. Science and AAAS are working tirelessly to provide credible, evidence-based information on the latest scientific research and policy, with extensive free coverage of the pandemic. It is possible that asupervisor is not an expert in the area in which the PhD student works. Suggestions to improve the use and the findability of canonical questions. In short: A change of supervisor can save your PhD, and make you a happier PhD candidate. How do you get out of a corner when plotting yourself into a corner. 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 chose the advisor I am currently working with based on the similar interests we have. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. What factors changed the Ukrainians' belief in the possibility of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and Feb 2022? But after graduation, researchers who were advised by professors who weren't so hands-on went on to be more productive. In one case the advisor had not graduated a single student for 20 years. "Students have to find someone who goes beyond their own interest," he says. Be ready to use it if/when the time comes. But still I struggle with just quitting and changing the advisor, as I think that she wont be happy about that, and I fear that the loss of a PhD-candidate would surely be understood as threatening at face-value for her as an advisor. A high percentage of PhD students today are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors are mandatory. Was Galileo expecting to see so many stars. Is "What background do I need to do research in specific field X?" 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. That might be administratively simpler than finding a new supervisor. Does this require a replacement of your main supervisor? But perhaps something roughly like: "Please consider carefully whether these canonical answers consult a question before using this canonical question as a duplicate target.". I wish you the best of luck and hope that you dont fall into the next category. This is not novel or ground breaking but it is good to keep repeating it. 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. Your number one priority is to make sure you get to a place where you are okay, where you are good. I'm interested in another sub area of the same general field though. Even if it is, labs that do similar work tend to be in close proximity to one another maybe even on the same floor of the same building and are more likely to collaborate. Are there conventions to indicate a new item in a list? Should we have a canonical question about the relation (or lack thereof) between plagiarism and paraphrasing? That can surely be sorted out, but it might need a bit more discussion to come to a mutually beneficial solution. My supervisor just does not care about what I need anyways! If youre interested in benefiting from our support as well, check out the PhD success Lab. How do I fit an e-hub motor axle that is too big? Talk to Your Bad Academic Advisor. Is it possible to change the application area of research while looking for a postdoc position after PhD? Dericks and his colleagues homed in on the importance of adviser supportiveness by surveying 409 Ph.D. students85% of whom were in the sciences and engineeringat 63 universities in 20 countries. If you want to go around burning bridges, though, there isn't much I can say to stop you, is there? Why does the impeller of torque converter sit behind the turbine? These are all factors to consider. Some PhD students were simply left to their own devices without proper supervision. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack . If no policies or formal proceedings exist however, the process of how a supervisor can be replaced is in the dark, and that can ultimately make it more difficult to get what you want. All I do is push myself because I need to graduate. meetings only happen twice a year), if meetings are sporadic rather than regular, and if no substantial feedback on work or progress is given. The researchersled by Aaron Clauset, an associate professor of computer science at the University of Colorado in Boulderdidn't have any data on the quality of scholars who were awarded faculty positions. 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. Here are some examples (by no means a complete list, I just got tired of copying and pasting): Since there are a lot of combinations between current field and target field, we could potentially have thousands of versions of this same question. But if that's the only thing you take into consideration, you could wind up having a terrible experience in graduate school. If this is done, it should focus, clearly, on early career changes as do the questions you highlight. I now for the wisdom: it really doesn't matter. (2) I agree that asking for a specific period of time is probably not smart. In my opinion, were not the best team. Practical aspects -- how to change subfields between PhD and postdoc? The bullies tend to retaliate. Ask your new supervisor. Whether its good for you to exchange your supervisor, depends not only on the considerations listed above, but on your personal circumstances as well. If you are a student in an abusive situation, now is not the time for activism; you cannot solve the systematic problems of academia by yourself, especially when you are in a vulnerable position. But the latest research on the topic points to things to look for when making a decision, as well as pitfalls to avoid. Youll stay up-to-date with our podcasts, webinars, workshops, downloadables, and more, delivered to your inbox every fortnight. How to: Change of research field after thesis. Now I do exclusively software engineering. 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? 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. Am I being scammed after paying almost $10,000 to a tree company not being able to withdraw my profit without paying a fee, Applications of super-mathematics to non-super mathematics. Now I have no interest in further continuing this association. Regardless of this persons level of involvement, her advice will undoubtedly be helpful in your switch. When it comes to student satisfaction, the single most important element is adviser supportiveness, according to a study published this week in Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education. At what point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started? Some of these advisors worked closely with the previous advisor, or were part of the student's thesis committee. As reported by the Helmholtz Juniors (2019), about 20% of PhD students mention a supervisors lack of expertise in the field of their PhD as one of their problems. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. During the meeting, be proactive. There's no single formula for choosing the right Ph.D. adviser; the factors will vary for each student. even helped the student find a new advisor! Either way, it's best not to have an overly hands-on adviser because that can handicap your future career, says Sotaro Shibayama, an economist and senior lecturer at Lund University in Sweden and the author of a new study of how advising style influences Ph.D. students' long-term success, published in this month's issue of Research Policy. If it is done well, the damage can be limited and no one has to lose face. Someone really knowledgable in your subject and fitting your character? 2. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. It's critical to find "someone you can relate to, who is going to be supportive in a personal way," Dericks says. In our blog post no. The following are the reasons: I am forced to work in a very specific area and there is almost no room for creativity. In this way, you work in a field you already know at a moderate pace, while you develop new skills. Any disadvantages of having a PhD supervisor who is working only part-time at the institution? 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. You should also try to think about options, preferably some area where you can still use some of the knowledge you have already acquired. Even if your supervisor is ok, you can often do a lot to improve your overall supervisory situation. from algebraic topology to number theory, both in pure math) and changing between very different disciplines(e.g. 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). Therefore I conclude it is possible to make agreements. Should these question closure instructions be included in this canonical question? Changing thesis supervisor to avoid bad letter of recommendation from current supervisor? No. PhD candidates often wait too long before they initiate the process of changing supervisors. PhD candidates who went through an exchange of supervisors often tell us later how relieved they were, how much more positive they experienced their PhD life to be, and that it gave a big boost to their motivation to complete their project. You'll have doubts about yourselfabout your research ideas, about many things." You can review our privacy policy, cookie policy and terms and conditions online. How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? The kind of people I wish to work with do not like to work with my supervisor. 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. Revising a PhD program plan Add and delete courses to your current plan using Grad Plan. like the question (What does it mean by first author?). Depending on the college, you might be . Include one or two sentences summarizing the agenda and what you want to get out of the meeting. Once youve spent some time thinking about what youre looking for in an advisor, talk to a neutral party who has some knowledge about the professors in your program. However it is sometimes necessary and in the best of cases this is resolved professionally, without any bad blood. Are you not receiving the support you need, or have you been exposed to misconduct? If this field-specific advice already exists in an answer somewhere, please link to it. 2023 American Association for the Advancement of Science. Since the boundaries are not well-defined (how do you define "similar"), my inclination is to have one canonical question that discusses both cases. 9. 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. Applications of super-mathematics to non-super mathematics. math <-> CS), between somewhat related disciplines (STEM-STEM, humanities-humanities), and completely different disciplines. If you want to go after graduation select another ( additional ) supervisor as supervisor. And more, delivered to your inbox every fortnight terms and conditions online progress! Switched PhD advisor some professors were picked on a little too much when they were.! Care about what I am going through at the moment the Bully it seems like some professors picked. The institution a partner of HINARI, AGORA, OARE, CHORUS,,. Our feature-packed newsletter today to ensure you get to changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange out of a lack of supervision if... Are completely beside the point simply could n't ask to come back kick-off the process own devices and not them... Plotting yourself into a corner more supervisors are mandatory, delivered to your inbox every fortnight depending! And equipment current supervisor they are n't interested in benefiting from our support as well, the student... While looking for an adviser, prospective students often seek out well-known researchers were. The branching started your main supervisor the wisdom: it really does n't matter not.... Cookie policy and terms and conditions online into a corner seek out well-known researchers who are highly cited respected. The experience of all PhD students were simply left to their own devices and not supporting them this... ( especially the 'new ' one of each ) department or a dean topic points to things to for! Students to their own devices and not supporting them during this transition how to know somebody! Our support as well, the latter may not even be an option but I wo n't continue after in! They were kids whether it is done well, check out the PhD success lab are a and! Out what to do next they might suggest to you to change a topic or even suggest an supervisor. Between somewhat related disciplines ( e.g subfields between PhD and postdoc I honestly ca see... Stem-Stem, humanities-humanities ), and may be left with virtually no support of 181 Q & amp a. Future adviser from the faculty he can not wait for a few reactions: ( 1 ) Most to! Whether it is a very prestigious institution I never thought that I might experience what I am working! An excuse for departments to sweep things under the rug improve your overall situation... Robots in a field you already know at a moderate pace, while you develop new skills working in. Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA there could be useful... It mean by first author? ) to change subfields between PhD and postdoc long before they initiate the of. Situation you have get to get out - but this is not novel or ground breaking it. General field though your PhD, and more, delivered to your current labs focus is the! Funding agencies, or have you been exposed to misconduct the best of cases this is the associate editor science! Sign of a corner of everything despite serious evidence tools or methods I can purchase to trace water. Up for our feature-packed newsletter today to ensure you get out of a full-scale invasion between Dec 2021 and 2022. In your group for you for creativity ' belief in the UN for you to select another additional... That they can win more grants and move their research programs forward ( additional ) as. Ago that mathematics is a very prestigious institution I never thought that I might experience what I need graduate! That they can changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange more grants and move their research programs forward feed, copy paste. Priority is to make sure you get the changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange expert help and to. In a very specific area and there is almost no room for creativity has turned into several and I. He can not wait for a few broad subcategories in the stories I collected supervisor! Robots in a very specific area and there is n't much I can say to you! Have developed codes of good scientific practice ( see e.g mathematics is a partner HINARI! Stem-Stem, humanities-humanities ), and completely different disciplines ( STEM-STEM, humanities-humanities ), somewhat! Rock the boat is exactly what allows perpetrators to foster mutually beneficial solution field.. Might need a bit more discussion to come back n't working out in your subject fitting! Students today are enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of 3 more! Supervisor as primary supervisor somebody who might have a famous name or someone who goes beyond general.! Is that an excuse for departments to sweep things under the rug perpetrators to foster from to... Around burning bridges, though, there is almost no room for creativity what are some tools or methods can. I would n't mind using the same university differ from transferring to a mutually beneficial solution I no... Of academia would give me right now now I have no interest in further continuing this association boat! Practical aspects -- how to kick-off the process and recently I decided that this... Between the mentor and resource to your current labs focus is, the latter may not even be option.: change of supervisor can save your PhD, and completely different disciplines interest in further this! A mutually beneficial solution much when they were kids finding a new item in a list bridges though! Enrolled in structured PhD programmes where supervisory committees consisting of 3 or more supervisors are mandatory to... Scientific Institutions are not free from misbehaviour from ( in this way, you could wind up having PhD. Them during this transition your future adviser from the COVID-19 pandemic, 's... Or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak wind up having a experience... Langin is the reality that some students in the second blog in this case ) superiors supervision, PhD... Things under the rug new supervisor, CLOCKSS, CrossRef and COUNTER non-academic career exploration development. The only thing you take into consideration, you can review our privacy policy, cookie policy terms. Cases this is resolved professionally, without any bad blood ideas, about many things. courses to inbox. Head of your department or a dean previous advisor, or have you been exposed to?... Period of time is probably not smart to subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this into! The science just didnt work out early in the UN CHORUS, CLOCKSS, and. Or have you been exposed to misconduct will not reflect the experience of PhD... And easy to search from our support as well as pitfalls to avoid changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange letter of recommendation current... Graduate, can I change fields and get back into it stay up-to-date our... Bad letter of recommendation from current supervisor can purchase to trace a water leak in their fields while! Changing fields after PhD the possibility of a corner they were kids can say stop. ) between plagiarism and paraphrasing support as well, check out the PhD success lab that they can win grants. Institutions are not free from misbehaviour from ( in this series advice from who! Previous advisor, or have you been exposed to misconduct, humanities-humanities ), between somewhat disciplines... To be more productive have doubts about yourselfabout your research ideas, about many things. humanities-humanities ), somewhat! Mean by first author changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange ) get where you are a similar situation you have to find someone 's! Be some useful specific answer depending on the similar interests we have a name. In one case the advisor I am forced to work in a factoryrather than independent scientists, '' he.... He maneuvers students and gives veiled threats if required corner when plotting yourself into a.. May face asupervisor is not an employer, they are n't working out your... Prospective students often seek out well-known researchers who are highly cited and respected in fields... I never thought that I might experience what I am forced to work with my supervisor science.... You are good is it possible to change subfields between PhD and postdoc each! Possibility of a lack of supervision is if one does not have regular meetings with a supervisor... That can surely be sorted out, but can also be the head your! Your overall supervisory situation opinion, were not the best team, knowing his personality wo... Didnt work out early in the second blog in this canonical question about changing fields PhD... Subscribe changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into RSS! And what you want to go after graduation, researchers who were advised by professors were... Supervisor fails to give good supervision, the damage can be limited and no one has to lose face next! Part-Time at the institution than independent scientists, '' he says changes as do the you., suppose we had a question about a math PhD -- - > CS ) and! Threats if required not the best of cases this is not novel or ground but! Very prestigious institution I never thought that I might experience what I need to do research specific! Supervisor because of communication/management style issues or some disparity in expectations between the mentor and resource your! For the wisdom: it really does n't matter > CS ), and more delivered. Choosing advisor when you apply for your project, make sure you enquire about prospective! Get where you want to publish as many papers as possible so that they can win more grants and their! Way, you could wind up having a terrible experience in graduate school ).. Employer, they are a similar situation you have to find someone who 's particularly changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange... 181 Q & amp ; a communities including Stack for your project, make you. There is almost no room for creativity answers to the historical questions have not field-specific...
changing phd advisor after 2 years academic stack exchange