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My supervisor is making me work on something that is not my PhD project what should I do?
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My PhD project is a very little part of a big study that my supervisor is currently running. I am already four months into my PhD and I just have a 3 years position to finish my thesis. So far I haven’t worked in my PhD topic because I’m helping her with other aspects of this big study. She says doing that is working on my project, however she asks me to write and do research in things that are not really going to be on my thesis. And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions What should I do??
phd
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
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up vote
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My PhD project is a very little part of a big study that my supervisor is currently running. I am already four months into my PhD and I just have a 3 years position to finish my thesis. So far I haven’t worked in my PhD topic because I’m helping her with other aspects of this big study. She says doing that is working on my project, however she asks me to write and do research in things that are not really going to be on my thesis. And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions What should I do??
phd
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
add a comment |Â
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
My PhD project is a very little part of a big study that my supervisor is currently running. I am already four months into my PhD and I just have a 3 years position to finish my thesis. So far I haven’t worked in my PhD topic because I’m helping her with other aspects of this big study. She says doing that is working on my project, however she asks me to write and do research in things that are not really going to be on my thesis. And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions What should I do??
phd
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
My PhD project is a very little part of a big study that my supervisor is currently running. I am already four months into my PhD and I just have a 3 years position to finish my thesis. So far I haven’t worked in my PhD topic because I’m helping her with other aspects of this big study. She says doing that is working on my project, however she asks me to write and do research in things that are not really going to be on my thesis. And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions What should I do??
phd
phd
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
asked 6 hours ago
MWest
112
112
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
MWest is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
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2 Answers
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And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions
So, that seems to suggest a natural course of action. Let her know that at your next meeting, you want to focus on making concrete plans about your thesis. Then do it. Come with a list of questions and make notes. Be sure to bring up the topic of how the big study will tie in to your thesis work, and how she expects you to balance the time spent on both of them.
It sounds like maybe you've been pretty passive so far in your interactions with her. Clearly it's not working, so time to try being more assertive.
If she won't have that discussion, or won't stay on topic, then you probably ought to start looking for a new supervisor.
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
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up vote
0
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There's quite a lot of missing information and context in your question. The best I would recommend is to approach this assertively, but non-aggressively. The reasons is this: it could be the case that you are missing the point of your current work -- perhaps it hasn't been made clear or it was assumed that you understood -- and that your current tasks are honing your skills so that you can apply them to your own PhD.
There's a scene in the movie Karate Kid that exemplifies this well. The protagonist is asked to wax vintage cars by his teacher. After a long time of repetitively applying and removing wax, the student asks what this all has to do with learning karate. The demonstration that he was, in fact, learning karate all this time led to an epiphany.
The question for you is this: is your work so divorced from your thesis that you are, in fact, learning nothing of relevance?
Good luck to you.
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
5
down vote
And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions
So, that seems to suggest a natural course of action. Let her know that at your next meeting, you want to focus on making concrete plans about your thesis. Then do it. Come with a list of questions and make notes. Be sure to bring up the topic of how the big study will tie in to your thesis work, and how she expects you to balance the time spent on both of them.
It sounds like maybe you've been pretty passive so far in your interactions with her. Clearly it's not working, so time to try being more assertive.
If she won't have that discussion, or won't stay on topic, then you probably ought to start looking for a new supervisor.
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions
So, that seems to suggest a natural course of action. Let her know that at your next meeting, you want to focus on making concrete plans about your thesis. Then do it. Come with a list of questions and make notes. Be sure to bring up the topic of how the big study will tie in to your thesis work, and how she expects you to balance the time spent on both of them.
It sounds like maybe you've been pretty passive so far in your interactions with her. Clearly it's not working, so time to try being more assertive.
If she won't have that discussion, or won't stay on topic, then you probably ought to start looking for a new supervisor.
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
add a comment |Â
up vote
5
down vote
up vote
5
down vote
And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions
So, that seems to suggest a natural course of action. Let her know that at your next meeting, you want to focus on making concrete plans about your thesis. Then do it. Come with a list of questions and make notes. Be sure to bring up the topic of how the big study will tie in to your thesis work, and how she expects you to balance the time spent on both of them.
It sounds like maybe you've been pretty passive so far in your interactions with her. Clearly it's not working, so time to try being more assertive.
If she won't have that discussion, or won't stay on topic, then you probably ought to start looking for a new supervisor.
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
And during all our meetings so far, we haven’t really discussed my topic, the chapters of my thesis, my research questions, the literature I should be looking at, or the instruments I need for answering my research questions
So, that seems to suggest a natural course of action. Let her know that at your next meeting, you want to focus on making concrete plans about your thesis. Then do it. Come with a list of questions and make notes. Be sure to bring up the topic of how the big study will tie in to your thesis work, and how she expects you to balance the time spent on both of them.
It sounds like maybe you've been pretty passive so far in your interactions with her. Clearly it's not working, so time to try being more assertive.
If she won't have that discussion, or won't stay on topic, then you probably ought to start looking for a new supervisor.
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
answered 5 hours ago
Nate Eldredge
98.5k31279382
98.5k31279382
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
There's quite a lot of missing information and context in your question. The best I would recommend is to approach this assertively, but non-aggressively. The reasons is this: it could be the case that you are missing the point of your current work -- perhaps it hasn't been made clear or it was assumed that you understood -- and that your current tasks are honing your skills so that you can apply them to your own PhD.
There's a scene in the movie Karate Kid that exemplifies this well. The protagonist is asked to wax vintage cars by his teacher. After a long time of repetitively applying and removing wax, the student asks what this all has to do with learning karate. The demonstration that he was, in fact, learning karate all this time led to an epiphany.
The question for you is this: is your work so divorced from your thesis that you are, in fact, learning nothing of relevance?
Good luck to you.
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
There's quite a lot of missing information and context in your question. The best I would recommend is to approach this assertively, but non-aggressively. The reasons is this: it could be the case that you are missing the point of your current work -- perhaps it hasn't been made clear or it was assumed that you understood -- and that your current tasks are honing your skills so that you can apply them to your own PhD.
There's a scene in the movie Karate Kid that exemplifies this well. The protagonist is asked to wax vintage cars by his teacher. After a long time of repetitively applying and removing wax, the student asks what this all has to do with learning karate. The demonstration that he was, in fact, learning karate all this time led to an epiphany.
The question for you is this: is your work so divorced from your thesis that you are, in fact, learning nothing of relevance?
Good luck to you.
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
add a comment |Â
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
There's quite a lot of missing information and context in your question. The best I would recommend is to approach this assertively, but non-aggressively. The reasons is this: it could be the case that you are missing the point of your current work -- perhaps it hasn't been made clear or it was assumed that you understood -- and that your current tasks are honing your skills so that you can apply them to your own PhD.
There's a scene in the movie Karate Kid that exemplifies this well. The protagonist is asked to wax vintage cars by his teacher. After a long time of repetitively applying and removing wax, the student asks what this all has to do with learning karate. The demonstration that he was, in fact, learning karate all this time led to an epiphany.
The question for you is this: is your work so divorced from your thesis that you are, in fact, learning nothing of relevance?
Good luck to you.
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
There's quite a lot of missing information and context in your question. The best I would recommend is to approach this assertively, but non-aggressively. The reasons is this: it could be the case that you are missing the point of your current work -- perhaps it hasn't been made clear or it was assumed that you understood -- and that your current tasks are honing your skills so that you can apply them to your own PhD.
There's a scene in the movie Karate Kid that exemplifies this well. The protagonist is asked to wax vintage cars by his teacher. After a long time of repetitively applying and removing wax, the student asks what this all has to do with learning karate. The demonstration that he was, in fact, learning karate all this time led to an epiphany.
The question for you is this: is your work so divorced from your thesis that you are, in fact, learning nothing of relevance?
Good luck to you.
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
answered 8 mins ago
St. Inkbug
2,260524
2,260524
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
MWest is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
MWest is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
MWest is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
MWest is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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