4 ms·

Well, as a woman doing a computer science PhD, I'll say I initially felt that my advisor didn't respect my opinions, always argued against my ideas, even though

Well, as a woman doing a computer science PhD, I'll say I initially felt that my advisor didn't respect my opinions, always argued against my ideas, even though I was better informed much of the time (and that's normal, he only has a mile-high view of my thesis work). This made me angry, and I didn't hesitate to show it. I stood up for myself and I must have come off as abrasive at times. Other factors may have contributed (I'm now the most senior student in the lab), but I feel like he treats me with more respect now, and our relationship has much improved.

cperciva 12y ago
Not to discount your experiences (obviously I have no idea about the details), but I know some faculty who are dismissive of all their students' ideas -- and deliberately so, based on the argument that until a student is able to stand up for their ideas, they're not ready to receive a PhD. Personally I think it's an unnecessarily cruel approach, but it does seem to produce good results at times.