Every individual student has unique requirements for academic supervision and academic supervisors are all different. So choose with care.
Choice of academic supervisor
Your choice of academic supervisor is very important. To ensure good results, the relationship between you and your academic supervisor must be a sound one. This is especially true with major papers, such as a BA project or a thesis; you must be very critical and spend time in finding the correct academic supervisor. Academic supervisors are as different from one another as students are different from one another.
Subject focus or process orientated
Some academic supervisors focus solely on the subject content but if you think you need a supervisor who can help you through the writing process itself then you should try and find one who is willing to invest the time in that aspect of the paper.
Idea catalyst or idea limiter
Some students have such a wealth of ideas about perspectives and contents of their paper that they need an academic supervisor to set limits and create structure. Others need a supervisor who can be a catalyst for ideas and a motivator.
What do you need?
You must spend time to consider what kind of academic supervision you require. And remember: The best academic supervisors are not by definition those teachers who “know most” in the subject you are involved in. Many students get excellent advice from academic supervisors who have a limited knowledge of the student’s subject.
Read more about academic supervision
The Study Metro illustrates what you can expect from your academic supervisor and how to get the most out of your academic supervision.