I think getting a great supervisor for your PhD can be a bit hit and miss. I have friends who are friendly with their supervisors and can easily go for a drink after work with them, and I have friends who cry almost every week because their supervisor is putting too much pressure on them or belittling their work.

If there was one piece of advice I wish I had had before I started my PhD it would be this: Don’t go in blind, get to know your supervisor before committing and make sure THEY are right fit for YOU.

My experience has turned out fine in the end, I am still plodding along with my PhD and haven’t felt so bad about it that I have ACTUALLY quit rather than just saying I was going to and then forgetting about it the next day (which I have done multiple times). However, I know at least one person who hasn’t been so lucky and has actually requested a change of supervisor as the fit just wasn’t right.

A real issue I have seen for a lot of students is their own self-doubt. I have read a lot of blog posts about how students can develop ‘imposter syndrome’ where they feel like they don’t deserve to be in the position they are, and honestly I don’t think I have ever met a PhD student who hasn’t felt this at one point to some extent. A lot of the time this is because they haven’t been getting as many results as others they know. A supervisor should be someone able to encourage you through these doubts and assure you that the results will come if you keep going.. because they will! Having a good supervisor who knows when to praise and when to constructively criticise is key to getting past this and realising you are here for a reason, and you can definitely do this!

XOXO