My (not recommended) strategy when it was the end of January and I had no advisor.
So, many of you have already been taken under the wings of thesis advisors and have begun the process of writing your thesis in earnest. This is a beautiful thing, although we in the MAPH office are suffering from a mild case of empty-nest syndrome (“Our little babies all grown up and off to contribute new knowledge to their various fields of inquiry…*SNIFF*!”).
For those of you who are not yet at this point, I say very simply: TAKE HEART! When I was in this position last year, I was pretty sure that, come January 31, I would be frog-marched down to the Midway, flogged, and read the endless litany of my inadequacies as a warning to others. Instead, I got an email from my preceptor containing probably the wisest and sweetest tautology ever uttered: “If the process takes longer than we expected, then it does.” Sometimes the advisor search lasts longer than you want it to. Sometimes it stretches past the deadline for proposals, and into February. From the perspective of MAPH Central, this is OK. Our usual protocol for situations like this contains considerably less humiliation and corporal punishment – and considerably more helping – than the scenario that played out in my head. So things will turn out OK. Keep that in mind and make sure you’re doing the following things so that you can speed through this period of uncomfortable uncertainty as quickly as possible:
So just ask, man. Cut the foreplay and just ask.
As usual, I’m just telling you to listen to Tyler Durden, aka the font of all wisdom
This part is surprisingly easy to overlook. If you want someone to be your advisor, you have to actually ASK them to be your advisor. Are you terrified of rejection? Are you crippled by the fear that someone will not be able to work with you, and that their refusal will send you into an abyss of self-loathing from which you will never again emerge? You’re not alone. But you’re just going to have to get over it. People can’t sign on to your project if you don’t invite them to do so. If they say no, then they say no. None of this reflects poorly on you – just move on to the next lead. I realize I’m advising you to do something that’s a lot harder than it sounds, but if this experience helps you get accustomed to asking people for things and maintaining equilibrium they say no, then it may be the most valuable thing you get out of MAPH. For real. Work up a little confidence and ask the question rather than circling around it endlessly.
Use your resources – especially your preceptor!
There are lots of people around here who can help you. Your preceptor, your directors, your office staff: these people know people, and those people know people who know people who know still other people. This whole university is a big ol’ fiesta of people-knowing. Plug into it! And remember that this process can be expedited by optimizing your presentation – something your mentors and preceptors can help you with. If you feel like you’re not representing the project adequately to prospective advisors, bring a proposal to someone else’s office and rehearse it in a low-stakes environment. Preceptors will be especially good at helping you figure out how to make your project look focused, manageable, and significant.
Project Calm, Thoughtful Energy
No one wants to advise this cat. This cat is creepy. Don’t be this cat.
“Nobody,” I was cautioned at one point, “wants to work with a punk.” If you’re still trying to find an advisor at this point, odds are you’re feeling flustered and frustrated. That’s normal. Try not to let it affect the way you present your project. Take a few deep breaths, present your thoughts, listen carefully to their questions and comments. If you tend to be anxious, try to stay relaxed; if you tend to be cavalier, try to stay serious; if you tend to be dour, try to stay enthusiastic. Be aware of your own mannerisms and how they might incline potential advisors against working with you.