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No word from my supervisor?

A

I just wondered if it was normal not to hear from your supervisor after handing in an MA/MRes?

Mine was handed in in September and the results will be released next week. What bothers me is receiving no feedback from my tutor before I receive the results. I have a feeling it doesn't bode well. Other people i've spoken to got their results a few weeks after they deposited their thesis.

Now I'm thinking my work did not warrant a response :(

Hi Amaryllis, your tutor may not have received the reports yet. Or they may have only just received them and haven't had the opportunity to comment. Furthermore some tutors may not believe a personal response in addition to the formal reports/results are warranted, while others might. The other thing is that the other people (in your course) whom you speak of, may just have examiners who are more timely with their marking and feedback (for any number of reasons).

I don't think your lack of response from your tutor would be because your tutor doesn't believe that your work is not worth it. Just hang in there for the duration (it is a tough wait) and best wishes for a sound result! :)

A

Thanks Pjlu, the waiting is unbearable and my self doubt has reached its peak during this past week. I'm imagining all kinds of catastrophic scenarios. Both the research and the writing up have affected me physically and mentally. Now I don't think I could do a PhD, I couldn't take the stress of it.

Hopefully, I'll have some good news to post here on Wednesday :)

B

Here tutors are forbidden to communicate results to students before the official release date - it's a disciplinary offence.

A

Yes bewildered, that is the case at my institution. Nevertheless, some tutors do tell their students their marks prior to the official release date with the proviso, I think, that they must keep schtum.

T

You could email and ask right out! He'd probably reply telling you you've nothing to worry about (and if in person would probably tell you the region of the result). Otherwise, patience!!!

Hi Amaryllis, my results/reports are formally due this Friday, although we are warned that examiners often do not keep to the schedule and we are asked to not contact anyone in admin until at least 3 months have passed without a result. Still, I check the online reporting timeline page every few days. (This page is the official record and timeline and we can access this with a password). Yesterday, I noticed that one of the examiners had requested another two weeks after this week and the date had been pushed out until the 8th of December. So at least this particular examiner is relatively organised I guess and knows that they won't have finished it by this Friday.

C

Quote From Pjlu:
Hi Amaryllis, my results/reports are formally due this Friday, although we are warned that examiners often do not keep to the schedule and we are asked to not contact anyone in admin until at least 3 months have passed without a result. Still, I check the online reporting timeline page every few days. (This page is the official record and timeline and we can access this with a password). Yesterday, I noticed that one of the examiners had requested another two weeks after this week and the date had been pushed out until the 8th of December. So at least this particular examiner is relatively organised I guess and knows that they won't have finished it by this Friday.


3 months? The turnaround time at my place is 20 working days....

The timeline for marking examiner reports for PhD's at my university is officially 6 weeks or 30 working days, which is pretty reasonable for a PhD I would think. The 3 month bit is that we are advised that even though the deadline for marking results is 6 weeks, (after which they will start sending the examiners reminders), we (the candidates) are requested not to pester admin before 3 months. I guess after 3 months we can pester all we like :). All in all once you add up marking, report collation and panel review, corrections and timeline for corrections, panel review after corrections, and then admin finalising results, it will easily be 6 months-and that is if it is only minor corrections. I don't think this is unusual though.

A

Pjlu was right. I received my results this morning: 84% for my dissertation. It's such a relief after such a long period of great stress. Good luck to anyone else getting their results this week.

T

Wow - congrats!!!

Congratulations Amaryllis, this is great news-well done on your terrific results.

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