Year 12s: what will be the first way you research your future options? >>

Meeting with potential PhD supervisor- what to expect?

Hi guys

I contacted a professor in my university that seems to have similar research interests to me from their online profile, and they have offered to meet up for a coffee to discuss my options. At this stage, I do not have a defined research proposal, just the area I would like to work in and it is open to change. I was expecting to have a formal meeting in their office or something, but the informal coffee idea has really thrown me. What sort of thing should I expect at this meeting? Is he going to want me to rock up with a research proposal and sell it to him? Also, I have been working full time since I finished my masters in August, and feel really out of the academic loop! I'm worried he'll grill me on things I don't know.

Has anyone had a meeting like this, and what was it like? I think at the moment I'm just really worried about having coffee with someone I've never met and who is 100x cleverer than me...but I want to be able to get over this kind of anxiety so that I can be successful in a PhD and not feel constantly intimidated :s-smilie:

Reply 1

scrotgrot

I suspect it's just a chat, just make sure you have an idea of what sort of things interest you within that field and the direction it's taking (as long as you're genuinely interested this should come naturally). They're probably not 100x cleverer than you, most people in life are just winging it.

Reply 2

Klix88

A good idea is to read some of his most recent publications. Make sure you're aware of their particular current interests and be prepared to talk about them in general terms.

I doubt he's going to expect you to present him with a fully-formed research proposal over an informal coffee. Obviously having ideas about what directions your research will take, would be very helpful. Some potential supervisors like to direct their students a little, and giving him a bit of wiggle room to contribute might go down well.

Don't worry about how clever you perceive him to be. He won't be expecting you to know huge amounts about your planned research - otherwise the research wouldn't be necessary in the first place. An informal coffee might be his way of establishing things on a friendly and cooperative footing, rather than a heirarchical basis. I'd take it as a good sign.

Reply 3

Cora Lindsay

Agree with the above. Don't be overawed and don't get too stressed.

Reply 4

Amelorn

Speak truthfully and plainly. Lay out your interests, and why they interest you. If you don't have a perfectly coherent idea, then don't gussy it up. Highlighting your concerns goes down extremely well, in my experience, as it shows self-awareness and reflection, rather than just a "blindly stumbling forward" idealism.

Reply 5

LifeOfDreams

Don't worry about being intimidated. I'm in my first year of a PhD and still struggle with that feeling. Even informal e-mails that I send are checked time and again, just in case I've made myself look foolish. I'm not sure if you ever get over that feeling.

Coffee is a good sign. Although informal settings sound worse than formal, it suggests that he wants to help. It's not a case of you selling yourself, but a chance for him to direct you. Having an area you want to work in and a niche within that (so something more than 'I quite like Shakespeare and would love to write about his plays') will help, and maybe he will be able to point you in directions he would like to see the work develop.

Knowing his work will help, although there are professors who are bored of talking about their own stuff, and those who have themselves forgotten what they once wrote! Don't worry. If he's the kind of man who wants to escape the office to meet aspiring PhD students, then I'm sure he'll be easy to get on with.

Reply 6

threeportdrift

Careers Forum Helper

Original post by covonia

.............

Don't get too stressed about it. Basically they must be interested in your ideas and conversation so far, because they are giving you face to face time, not just emails. So they are interested in what you have to say, but equally you are going to give them the opportunity to talk about the love of their life (professionally!).

You actually need to be unsure about parts of your research proposal to make the chat work. Questions like 'I'm not sure if my research question is narrow enough', 'I'm not sure which methodology would work best, A or B', 'I'm not sure if fieldwork is necessary', 'I'm not sure if I need to consider Dr X's work or whether I can justify excluding it' etc are ideal. Those are just the sort of questions an expert in the subject enjoys talking about.

Just offer to pay for the coffee and you'll be fine!

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Latest

Articles for you

Student accommodation guide #2: private accommodation

How online degree study can help students make ends meet

Artificial intelligence and robotics degree personal statement example (1a) with review and advice

Powerful questions business students forget to ask their career advisers