It’s helpful to discuss expectations with your supervisor at the beginning, so please get in touch with them as soon as possible. They won’t necessarily take the initiative in emailing you, and it’s perfectly acceptable for you to approach them to request a meeting.

The University of Adelaide has created a useful questionnaire called Expectations in Supervision.

You might find it helpful to answer the questions and share those responses with your supervisor. Alternatively, your supervisor might be sporting enough to also complete the questionnaire – then you can swap results and discuss any differences.

These discussions can be beneficial in identifying any problems early on. For instance, discovering that your supervisor won’t be setting deadlines for you means you’ll need to find other ways of motivating yourself and tracking progress.