From: A California Doc-talker
Hello, I am new to doc-talk and actually to the whole U.S. educational system, too. This quarter I should pick a secondary advisor and am having difficulty making up my mind. My problem is that, coming from a system without any advisors except the professor who has to accept (and read) your Master’s thesis or dissertation, I am not used to contacting any professor with my personal study problems. I try to solve them on my own.
What do you usually use the advisor for? The only domain in which I am used to contacting professors is as academic experts, that is, as people who can give me some advice when I am writing on something, or suggest reading material, etc. For that, I would usually contact the instructor of the specific course, who naturally would know the topic we covered-or if I am working on something else, the professor of a course I took which was close to my area of interest. So, what can I expect an advisor to do? What can I ask of him, apart from that? And how easy is it to switch an advisor in general-the discussion I read in doc-talk worries me a bit, because it seems to be more complicated and more political than I have imagined so far.
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From: A California Doc-talker.
At my school, we are excepted to pick two ‘secondary advisors’ for our dissertations. They are usually faculty experts who are knowledgeable in the field who can provide useful insight into your topic or a different point of view. The student gives a presentation of progress at least once a year to this group and gets feedback and suggestions about the direction and focus of your work. In general, don’t get too worried about negative talk. Many people have wonderful advisor relationships (though we try not to rub it in). When choosing advisors, keep in mind that your advisor is your champion. He or she is the one who has to stand up and support you in a pinch. Good luck.
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From: A Michigan Doc-talker
In response to the above foreign student’s question, advisors can: — help you decide what classes to include in your program based on your interests and abilities — help you maneuver the bureaucratic structure of a university — provide knowledge about their particular areas of expertise and interest — share their views of the “real world” in your career interest — assist in professional networking — provide information about job vacancies which they may have learned of through personal connections — provide enthusiasm — provide a sounding board for ideas — provide support regarding non-academic areas of your life which influence academics — look at the same problem in different ways because of their different career paths and interests.
No one advisor can do all of this. Advisor personalities vary widely. Try to have advisors or committee members who are able to work together but have different interests and personalities.