Your relationship with your supervisor is the single factor most associated with finishing — or not. It is a professional relationship you are expected to help manage, not a service delivered to you. Candidates who steer it actively, come prepared, and keep it on the record fare far better than those who wait to be led.
Before your next supervision meeting, send a short agenda: what you've done, what you're stuck on, and the two or three decisions you need from the meeting. This one habit transforms supervision from vague catch-ups into working sessions — and it puts you in charge of your own progress.
- 01
Agree expectations at the start
Early on, discuss openly how often you'll meet, how quickly drafts are returned, what your supervisor wants to see and when, and how authorship will work. Unspoken mismatched expectations are the root of most supervision breakdowns — surface them before they fester.
- 02
Come to every meeting prepared
Send material in advance, bring specific questions, and know what you want to leave with. Your supervisor's time is finite; a prepared candidate gets sharper feedback and earns the trust that leads to more autonomy.
- 03
Keep a written record
After each meeting, note what was decided and who agreed to do what. This protects both sides, keeps the project honest about its own progress, and is invaluable if expectations later diverge — memory alone is not enough over five years.
- 04
Meet the formal progress checkpoints
Norwegian PhD programmes require regular progress reporting, and most include a formal mid-way evaluation (midtveisevaluering) where an independent panel assesses whether you're on track. Take these seriously — they are early-warning systems that exist to catch problems while they're still fixable.
- 05
Address problems early and formally
If the relationship isn't working, act while there's time. Most institutions have a formal route for supervision difficulties, including changing supervisors. This is a known, legitimate process — not a failure — and using it early beats suffering silently until year five.
Best practices
Drive the relationship yourself
You are expected to manage upward — set agendas, chase feedback, propose next steps. Waiting to be led is the most common way capable candidates drift.
Put decisions in writing
A short email after each meeting confirming what was agreed protects you both and keeps five years of decisions retrievable.
Never let a bad fit run for years
Supervision problems compound. The formal channels exist for a reason; using them early is prudent, not disloyal.
Keep on top of
- Agreed meeting frequency and turnaround
- An agenda before each meeting
- Written notes after each meeting
- Regular formal progress reports
- The mid-way evaluation
- Authorship expectations, discussed early
- The formal route if problems arise
Common traps
Waiting passively to be supervised.
Supervision is something you drive, not receive. Set the agenda, ask the specific questions, and propose the next steps yourself.
No written trail of what was agreed.
Memory fails over five years and disputes happen. A one-line email after each meeting is cheap insurance for both of you.
Enduring a broken relationship in silence.
Institutions have formal processes, including supervisor changes. Using them early is legitimate and far better than losing years to a bad fit.
You're ready to move on when…
- Expectations were agreed openly at the start.
- You arrive at every meeting prepared.
- Decisions are recorded in writing.
- Progress reports and the mid-way review are on track.
- You know the formal route if you ever need it.