Mentoring Scenario 2

Description of the Problem

You are a 3rd year graduate student working in theory. Your research professor has not provided you with a problem and seems uninterested in the work you are doing on your own.

Questions

What should you do?
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What commitments were made to this student when she was accepted as a thesis student? Are the problems the student is working on interesting or is she wasting her time? What kind of supervision should a graduate student expect from a thesis advisor? Should a student expect substantive and appropriate help from an advisor or are there different supervision styles, all of which are appropriate?