Hi,

I would be really grateful for any suggestions....

I started my PhD in October in one institution but at the same time I deferred entry in another one (I'm a triple-check/double-backup kind of person and I had some admin problem with my current institution at that time). Recently I've received the deferred offer from that other institution and it turned out that this time I was assigned a different supervisor (say, Dr Xyz) whose work has become very relevant for me lately (my topic changed a lot).

Although I'm not planning to change universities, I simply have to contact Dr Xyz because my supervisor is an expert for the broader area but not exactly for the topic (and, btw, I'm freaking out because of that). I feel so stressed right now because this whole situation seems so awkward...

How do I explain to Dr Xyz that although I've deferred my place at his institution, I've taken up a place at another one but I'd like to discuss with him several issues anyway.... And also - how do I tell my supervisor about that (the deferral and contacting Dr Xyz)?

Thanks for reading this....