Take responsibility and ownership

• This is your research project, not mine! Even if you are working on topics related to my own research interest…
• It is your responsibility to receive the data outlined in your thesis proposal. If I have made commitments to providing data, make sure to follow up on those.
• If you are relying on other data suppliers, please make a realistic plan about which data you receive, and when. Delays in the process are your responsibility, not mine.
• You are the captain of this project.
• If you don’t know the answer to a question on the spot, say that you need time to think about it

Invest in your skills

• If you expect that writing will become an issue, check the offerings of Tilburg University’s Scriptorium
• Data preparation and analysis can be quite challenging; make sure to invest in the right skills early on!

Prepare thoroughly for meetings

• Have an agenda of things you would like to discuss.
• Keep an eye on the time so that we do not run over time.
• Be proactive - make suggestions, be creative, challenge the status quo!
• Not only come up with problems during your meetings, but also try to have a set of potential solutions
• Send stuff (as PDF documents, not as Word documents) early enough to allow me to prepare. Check our scheduling sheet for details and submission links.

Work in a team

• If you are supervised in a team, please send your material to each other early enough, so that you can (a) study each other’s work, and provide (b) a round of feedback before submitting material to your advisor

Keep me up-to-date

• Provide a small recap of your project regularly
• If you experience any kind of problem - whether related to the content of your thesis, or related to your personal wellbeing - you can talk to me so I can help you find a solution or refer you to experts that can.