Feedback on your work
My supervisers provide some written feedback but pretty much always give work back with extensive face to face feedback, sometimes individually and sometimes they do it together. Sometimes it includes the Graduate Research Coordinator as well.
I have learned not to take any of this personally and now, though it can be tiring and disheartening to hear that so much more needs to occur, it doesn't bother me much beyond this any more. I think you become used to it really. I find also nowadays in the late stages of thesis completion, I don't always agree with them but I try to take most of it on board.
Sometimes they all have a discussion about the work with me there, speaking about me in third person while I am still in the room. "She needs to do this" "Okay but I really think it would be better if she did that because she is saying blah de blah de blah". "Well I'm thinking that the examiners might read this and go...so she really needs to...".
It is hard at first, so you need to be a little kind to yourself when you are at the sharp end of this sort of experience. Take care and best of luck.
I agree, I would rather be told it as is, I don't like people dancing around the point either. By less intense, I guess I'm thinking if it's written down I can go back over it later, with verbal feedback I will probably forget most of it and there isn't usually time to write it down as they are talking.
When my current supervisors provide this feedback, the main supervisor has written already on a copy of the draft which is given to me at the time and this helps. Having said this, sometimes new things are discussed if both supervisors are there. Mainly I think because the second supervisor hasn't read the draft and is only now considering both my text and the main supervisor's comments and rapidly reading and taking it on board as we go. She is pretty much head of the faculty though and very busy and that is just how it works with her.
I also agree with pm133's comment about how feedback is often given in the workplace. This is the most prevalent sort of feedback given in the different schools and systems that I work within.
I'd find it rather annoying too. It seems a bit silly to me... I like honest and face-to-face feedback, but I'd rather they spent the hour reading it and outlining several clear bullet points of feedback / or else give 5 minutes of clear verbal feedback.
Also I think referring to "her" or "him" when the person is sat in the room is incredibly rude! Even if it is saying "she's done a good job". We're humans not dogs! I think I find this kind of thing less acceptable from having worked and been treated with respect in the workplace before doing a PhD.
I think my point is - there's a difference between honest, critical, and face-to-face feedback and being rude.
Hi Tudor Queen, thanks. I smiled when I read your comment. To clarify though, I have really nice supervisors who are very busy. The second supervisor who is the Head of School supervises many PhD students and I'm lucky when I do get to meet with her. I think they were arguing over some changes, and while I sat there, I guess I learned a couple of things.
Even highly educated and experienced supervisors who get on very well, will read and interpret your work quite differently and want you to write in different ways.
They were so engrossed in arguing the point about whatever it was I had written, that they forgot about me and were just intent on working through the issue. In retrospect, it is rather funny, although at the time I was a bit annoyed.
The second supervisor who I barely see and is always very busy has a 100 percent track record of getting her PHD students through so I am really keen to get her advice, and value the short periods of time I get to see her. It's excruciating to sit through sometimes but very useful.
