So I have just heard through our research assistant that my supervisor is taking on two new PhD students in September as she has suggested that she should apply for one of the posts. She is a brand new supervisor (I am her first student) and is currently on a grant that is due to run out in August and is busy a lot of the time with undergraduate teaching.This grant may well not be renewed which means my postdoc will be leaving and assumably my supervisor will not be covered on either. She hasnt even told me that she was applying to get new students which has peed me off slightly as they are apparently advertising next week! In an entirely selfish way I am worried for my own project, it is my final year next year (only got a 3 year studentship) and I am desperate to finish on time as I cannot afford to be still working unpaid and now it will be my responsibility to train two new PhD students during this time. Am I being unreasonable? How do I approach my lovely yet not very approachable supervisor about this? Any advice would be hugely appreciated, I am a natural worrier/stressed!

EDIT: forgot to add this is a lab based PhD hence the need for a lot of training!

Honestly, yes you are being a bit unreasonable. Your supervisor doesn't really have to tell you anything (but usually they do, especially if you are expected to train the new students).

Just ask what your responsibilities will be for the new students, and explain your concerns. I've trained lots of new students, and I don't find it takes up that much time to be honest, but then again it's something I enjoy so that probably makes it easier for me.

Thanks for your reply, it really is appreciated!

I probably am being totally unreasonable. I also don't mind and actually quite enjoy doing a bit of training here and there but I already know one of the people that will prob take on one post (she has been in our lab before) and she requires a lot of help in the lab.. So I am really hoping that my supervisor can help out a bit there as I think it will be fairly time consuming. Let's hope we can keep the post doc!