The CEO Unusual: Margaret E

20/07/2026

6 things that reduce your supervisor's blood pressure when they open your thesis
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Think your supervisors aren't humans too?
Think again.

If you've found your dream supervisor, hold tight to them!
However, in doing so, here are some 6 things to consider to make their already demanding job easier on them;

👉🏽1. Every comment from the previous review has been addressed.

Nothing says "I took your feedback seriously" like not making your supervisor repeat the same correction twice.

If you disagree with a suggestion, justify why. Don't simply ignore it.

👉🏽2. The chapter reads like you've proofread it.

Simple things matter:

Consistent headings.

Correct numbering.

Tables labelled properly.

Figures referenced correctly.

No obvious spelling or grammar errors.....

Your supervisor should be reviewing your research; not acting as proofreader.

👉🏽3. Your references are actually clean.

Broken citations.

Missing page numbers.

Inconsistent referencing.

References that don't appear in the text.....

These are avoidable distractions that consume time your supervisor would rather spend discussing your research.

👉🏽4. Your research objectives match your research questions.

Your RQs give rise to your ROs. Whatever you're planning as objective MUST be answering a research question. Your RO cannot be facing north while your RQ faces south! Alignment is a MUST.

👉🏽5. Half your tables are still not saying "Source: Author, 2025.", when you are now in the year 2026.

Update your work as you go! These tiny details tell a supervisor whether you're paying attention before they've even started reading your arguments.

👉🏽6.Sending work before the agreed deadline.

If a deadline was agreed upon, you must work towards it. Sending works beyond the deadline slows down the process considerably, stressing out your supervisor no end!

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Found this post humourous or real?

Whatever the angle, a thesis is rarely judged by its page count. It is judged by the quality of its thinking and level of work commitment put into it. And when your supervisor sees these thoughtfulness, reviewing your work becomes far less about correcting mistakes and far more about refining good research.

📌📌
Need to have a chapter reviewed before forwarding to supervisor or review board?

0705 909 4702 (WhatsApp) to start the chat.
©️ BFCPOSTS
15072026

13/06/2026

27/04/2026

📚Sometimes, Supervisor Feedback is Strategic.

Supervisors don’t always correct everything.

Sometimes, they;

👉🏽leave gaps intentionally

👉🏽push you to think deeper

👉🏽or test your independence

One adjustment most research students find hard to do, is to begin to realise that, supervisor feedback isn’t always a correction.
Sometimes it is a 'map'.

Your supervisor may not “fix” everything for you, and not because they are being vague or difficult, but because they are trying to *train* you.

We have seen supervisors:

👉🏽leave a gap on purpose so the student can practice deciding what MATTERS

👉🏽push the student past what feels comfortable (eg; “show me why you believe this”),

👉🏽test whether the student can move independently when the guidance isn’t constant.

In other words, not all silence is neglect. Some of it is academic formation; learning how to think like a researcher rather than like a student waiting for the answer key.

📌
Therefore, when you get feedback that feels incomplete, don’t panic. Ask better questions like;

❔What are they trying to make me notice?

❔Where am I relying on their judgment instead of my own?

❔What would a stronger version of this look like, and why?......

That is the real lesson; supervisor feedback is not always just advice.
It can be a structure for your independence.

📚📚
Reading supervisor comments and still feeling lost?

Stuck with supervisor comments on your proposal or chapter and can’t understand what they mean?

Let’s help you interpret those comments so you can move forward faster, and keep your research on track.

WhatsApp 0705 909 4702 to get started.

©️BFCPosts
27042026

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