What’s the number one factor that makes PhD students happier?
𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧. 👇
That’s what stood out to me in Nature’s latest global PhD survey. Students who met with their supervisors for at least one hour a week were significantly more satisfied with their PhD experience.
Not just because of research progress, but because they felt supported as people, not just as research machines.
⭐In countries like Brazil and Australia, where students reported the highest satisfaction, supervision was more collaborative and grounded in mutual respect.
⭐In India, most PhD students spend at least an hour weekly with their supervisor.
⭐But in the UK and Germany, over 60% of students see their supervisor less than one hour per week.
It’s not surprising then that one of the most common pieces of advice from PhD students was:
"𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐫."
𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨:
👍 An hour a week is more powerful than you think.
👍You don’t need to have all the answers, just show up consistently.
👍Even short check-ins can prevent small frustrations from becoming major problems.
𝐀 𝐟𝐞𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐏𝐡𝐃:
👍You deserve to be supported, not just supervised.
👍You are not asking for too much by wanting mentorship.
👍Your supervisor matters more than your research topic. Choose wisely, if you still can.
Good supervision shouldn't be a luxury.
It should be the foundation!
And in the long run, it benefits everyone, including the students, the research, and the entire academic ecosystem.
Have you had a supervisor who made a difference during your PhD?
Would love to hear what helped you feel supported.
I hope this helps.
Btw...
Be sure to check out our podcast on YouTube, where we share...
✅ Helpful advice for in and outside of academia
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✅ advice to make your research life less of a struggle
👉 You can find us on YouTube as The Struggling Scientists