Contact with supervisor over the summer?

[katiegud]

I haven't talked to my supervisor since I got accepted. I feel kind of weird about this. Is it normal to wait until you actually start the program to talk to them? Or should I be contacting him now about what I need to do before fall? Since I have a big move ahead of me and I'm still working full time, I haven't had my mind on my PhD topic lately, so now I'm worried that I'll be behind everyone else when I arrive.

[fuzzylogician]

Now could be a good time to email your advisor with an update. You could ask if there is anything he recommends doing before the semester begins, or if there is any activity he thinks could be of interest to you that will happen after you move to your new city.  It may depend on the school/program, but in my program there is no expectation that new first-years show up for anything before the Fall, though they're of course welcome if they do want to come by early, e.g. for reading groups or dissertation defenses that happen over the summer. Normally no preparation is expected ahead of the Fall, though I do know some students asked about things they should brush up on, and got some suggestions from their advisors. 

[reinhard]

I haven't talked to my supervisor since I got accepted. I feel kind of weird about this. Is it normal to wait until you actually start the program to talk to them? Or should I be contacting him now about what I need to do before fall? Since I have a big move ahead of me and I'm still working full time, I haven't had my mind on my PhD topic lately, so now I'm worried that I'll be behind everyone else when I arrive.

I am too! He sent me a word of congratulatory and I haven't respond which i feel horrible for! And I am of the shy type too lol

[TakeruK]

I didn't talk to my advisor about work until the school term actually started. I arrived about a month in advance but other than checking in to let them know I have arrived, I spent that month getting settled in and preparing myself. It's okay to not start right away, but it's also okay to get a head start if you'd like.

[Maleficent999]

I was assigned a first year advisor whom I've never met or even had any email correspondence. I'm a little confused, to be honest. I emailed her a week ago to introduce myself and still silence. Definitely worrying.

[SomeSortaPsych]

I was assigned a first year advisor whom I've never met or even had any email correspondence. I'm a little confused, to be honest. I emailed her a week ago to introduce myself and still silence. Definitely worrying.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about a delayed reply over the summer; a lot of faculty are off-campus, doing research/development (or on vacation), so they may not be in an e-mail answering position right now. Give it a few more days, then maybe give a slight prod with a question about what she would recommend you do in to prepare this summer.

[Maleficent999]

I wouldn't worry too much about a delayed reply over the summer; a lot of faculty are off-campus, doing research/development (or on vacation), so they may not be in an e-mail answering position right now. Give it a few more days, then maybe give a slight prod with a question about what she would recommend you do in to prepare this summer.

My school is on the quarter system so they don't have summer break for a few more weeks :-/ but I'll prod again soon. Should I be concerned I was assigned someone that I've never met or seem to have any shared interests with? It's just for the first year and then I can choose my own major advisor but I feel like the first year is important and it would've been nice to have someone that's on the same page as I am.

[TakeruK]

At my school, the first year advisor is purely academic and not research. This person helps you pick your courses when you arrive to make sure that you meet all the degree requirements etc. They are also the person that officially signs off on your course choices. Usually, this process does not begin until the fall, so you might be asking too early.

 

My school is also on the quarter system, and this actually means we are still focused on the 2013-2014 school year. So, it might be that the first year advisor is waiting until a more appropriate time to worry about 2014-2015. At my school, the first year advisor is actually the same person for every incoming graduate student so they might wish to wait until everyone arrives and give the whole spiel about course requirements all at once instead of doing it one person at a time. We officially meet our first year advisor for the first time on the first day of orientation, which is one week before courses begin. I don't know how your school works of course, but just saying that if your school is like mine, you might be too early!

[ProfLorax]

My program assigns first year advisors as well, and it has been fine. In fact, I'm happy I got a chance to spend time with one senior scholar who I would have never sought out if we weren't assigned to one another. I have asked the other two assigned advisors to sit on my exam and dissertation committees, and they've said yes! 

 

Really, the first year is all about making sure you're settling in and staying on track. Your DGS might be intentional in assigning entering students especially empathetic, warm advisors--regardless of academic interests--for the first year. 

[ProfLorax]

katiegud, I don't think you're behind, but if you are concerned, there is an easy remedy: email your supervisor and introduce yourself. Then, follow their lead regarding how much interaction and preparation you need before you start your program. 

[fuzzylogician]

Yeah we were also assigned a first-year advisor, who was in charge of signing off on our course selections (which was easy, since all first-year classes are required in my program), and nothing much beyond that. The chosen advisor normally has something in common with the student, but sometimes for various reasons the match isn't quite there. We could change advisors in our second year (or any time after that, really), so this isn't a big deal.

 

FWIW I wasn't in touch with anyone over the summer before my first year and didn't get there early. I basically arrived in town a week or so before the semester started and did the whole get-keys-to-apt, rent-truck-and-drive-to-ikea, assemble-lots-of-furniture, unpack-everything, get-other-supplies-from-store, figure-out-internet-gas-electricity, etc. just before the semester started. I first showed up in my department on the first day of orientation. I met with my advisor for course selection on registration day, and that was that. No one ever paused to say anything about not being there earlier, and now that I'm graduating I can tell you that people who do show up early are the exception, not the rule (at least in my program). So, I'd say there is nothing to worry about, but you can email your advisor to ask if there is anything they recommend you do, just to be on the safe side. 

[Domino]

I too work full-time, but I've been in pretty regular contact with my adviser since I was accepted.  Not constantly, but every few weeks or so.  I've been out of school for 5 years now and want to try to get my brain back into "school mode," so we've talked about things I can work on over the summer- books to read, grants to start brainstorming for, etc.  And she's actually coming to a conference here in my city later this summer, so we're going to meet up in person then as well.  I don't think you necessarily HAVE to do any prep, but it's nice to get the ball rolling if you can.