International students need supervision to produce better results in their academics. For this purpose, they need to build an effective working relationship with their supervisors. Building a relationship in any capacity takes time, and you need to focus on this particular aspect. The proper guidance by your college supervisor will enable you to achieve your degree successfully.
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Collective Responsibilities and Expectations by Students and Supervisors
The overall rules and regulations of the educational institutes describe your responsibilities as a research student alongside the responsibility of your supervisor toward you. The process of meeting these responsibilities depends upon your discipline and the type of registration, i.e. part-time, full-time or distance learning.
Also, the individual preferences of both of you matter for the positive working relationship. To fulfil the formal requirements of your project, you must agree on these requirements with your supervisor.
Right from the beginning or probably in the first meeting with the supervisor, both of you should express your expectations. The detailed discussion would enable you to know each other’s mutual expectation.
You and your supervisor should be able to share:
- Responsibilities for formulating, agreeing and analyzing your plan and objective
- Regularity and format of your formal meetings with the supervisor
- The type of advice and the response that your supervisor will provide
- Submission of the draft with the relevant work and the requirement for the ample time so that supervisors could read and provide feedback
Do avail the opportunity to put forward your queries in case you are unsure about any particular part.
Demonstrate Confidence and the Ability to Tackle Problem
As an international student, your responsibilities also include:
- Managing and planning your research project including your fieldwork, experimentation, and the data collection process
- Maintaining records and evaluating your findings or results
- Improving research abilities
- Submitting your researched work and results in the appropriate standard thesis format by keeping in view the given deadline
- Knowing the defence of your thesis in a viva examination and amending it as per examiner’s instructions
Your supervisor will be available to provide you with proper guidelines and advice. However, it will be your responsibility to carry out the research work or inform them about every step of your way of working. Your supervisor should be aware of your progress.
The guidance will encourage you to explore more about your subject or the field of study. The supervisors serve as mentors, and they expect you to take the initiative of your project and effectively manage your time. With continuous effort and commitment, you will be able to overcome any difficulties in the work.
Always Approach Your Work With Professional and Positive Mindset
As your supervisors would guide you to take the initiative, they will expect a thorough professional and positive attitude from you.
Following attributes characterize positive behaviour and mindset:
- Developing and maintaining a good working relationship with the supervisor, associate researchers and the relevant authorities
- Acceptability toward all types of feedback from your supervisors and the review panel
- Analyzing your progress regularly and finding ways to improve your working
Start your work confidently and keep in mind that flexibility always sets the foundation of a professional relationship. The primary role of supervisors is to provide you with adequate guidance. Therefore, your flexible approach will be necessary to build a strong relationship with your supervisor.
Keep in Contact with Your Supervisors Regularly
Your research work or the final thesis may demand careful consideration of every single aspect. So, you need to maintain regular contact with your supervisor. If a communication gap arises between you two, it may lead to some complexities in your work. You should strive to make progress at every stage of your project, and that is why seeking expert advice will help.
Regular contact with enable you to draw a structure or the proper layout of the research work so that you could carry move in the right direction. The appropriate structure and the solid groundwork are essential for the appropriate construction of any building.
Maintaining regular contact with supervisors holds significance, especially for full-time students as their complete focus, should be on their studies, and they would expect to achieve a degree with flying colours. Additionally, the professional relationship with your supervisor may help you in your future endeavour after completing a degree.
Follow Required Deadlines
Employers show concern whether you accomplished your research degree on time or not as they are seeking someone who can express their skills to complete a research project in a timely manner. Meeting deadline is one of the fundamentals for proper time-management, and it also makes you punctual in your daily life.
As an international student, timely completion of the degree is your top priority as it will open up the doors of great opportunities for you. Once you are clear about your objectives and goals, you can work wholeheartedly toward completion of your research project on-time.
Importance of Your Supervisor’s Feedback and Suggestion
Feedback and suggestion from your supervisor will help you grow professionally. Sometimes a student may not pay attention to any criticism, and this attitude can harm them in their academic and professional life. Do not disregard any criticism and keep analyzing your work in the light of your supervisor’s feedback.
Remember that your supervisor is an experienced individual, and they have already provided several students with valuable feedback. Supervisors want you to be successful, and that is why they give honest feedback and suggestions. They often highlight the problem and the specific areas that require special attention.
Concluding Thought
Supervision and guidance are essential for international students to produce better results in their field of study. Maintaining a positive relationship with your supervisor will help you in your academics and professional life.
While studying abroad, you seek perfection in your research work; your supervisor guides you on how to complete your thesis. Always take the supervisor’s feedback and suggestion positively and do not take any criticism negatively. Do not hesitate to ask any questions and keep updating your supervisor about your progress.
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