Like parents, there are better and worse advisors.
No matter how you slice it, every Ph.D. student has an advisor. Some mentor you gently and others rule with an iron fist.
Like parents, the lessons your advisor teaches will always be with you.
If you are lucky, you will acquire your advisor's habits and quirks and strengths.
I sometimes forget that.
My students met my advisor this past month. They informed me this past week that I frowned just like him (yikes!) and was engaging just like him (woot!).
I laughed.
I was reminded of how my advisor shaped me.
My advisor taught me the power of service, letting students choose their topics, not playing favorites, and equipping them to be independent.
It wasn't always easy with my advisor.
My advisor sometimes had to crack the whip, tell me to grow up, or remind me that he was the boss. I was an uppity doc student and required much help. He never failed to deliver.
My advisor’s words have stayed with me for 20+ years.
I will always remember when he stopped in my office and said that he was proud of me.
My heart still swells when I think of that moment.
Advisors are not like parents in that Ph.D. students pick their advisors. But, once you pick one, they are with you for life.
So my advice.
For Ph.D. students, take care in how you choose your advisor. It’s a more significant decision than you think.
And one more bit of advice.
When you become advisors, take care in how you choose your words. They have more impact than you think.
Your students will always remember what you said.
My advisor retires at year's end.
I will miss his frown, his advice, and his sharp thinking. I will also be forever grateful to my advisor - he made me a better person - and I try to pass the lessons learned from his advice on to my Ph.D. students.
P.S. For advisors, never forget that advising is like having kids - rewarding, much work, and no one thanks you for it. BUT, when your kids do well, your heart swells, and that moment never leaves you.
Comments