During the course of my PhD, while I was on teaching assignments, it was quite normal for students to drop in with chocolates and eateries and it was not strange. One thing that stayed with me and is still a good memory is a brass plate souvenir of best teacher that is etched on my table and came as a gift from one of the students. A “permanent” kind of a present is unlike from students but it does stay with you and keeps reminding them of their importance in your lives. Whenever my other colleagues visit, the plate resting on my study is a matter of my pride and a topic of discussion. Mostly it comes down to the most important person in our PhD journey. The supervisor. Firstly, we have brainstorming over whether or not the supervisor should be given festival souvenirs and then further on the options.
Often I have seen that people have very diverse opinions when it comes to this; mostly because it is very opaque in terms of structured etiquette or guidelines in this area.
I think the best way to understand whether or not to give a gift to your supervisor is to speak to fellow researchers to know the normal trend in your university. People who have been there longer would be able to tell you better and it is always good to follow the trend in the university so you don’t take your supervisor by surprise. If you do decide to give a gift, one of these options could be a safe bet:
- Wine/Chocolates: One of the most neutral choice is to go ahead with Wine and chocolates. It is safe and socially acceptable. However, be very sure about the drinking habits of your supervisor. If he is a teetotaller then of course chocolates is the most commonly acceptable and safest choice.
- Baked eateries: These may seem like common and easy passable gifts but my suggestions are while keeping in mind the cost involved in the gift. An expensive gift might become a burden sometimes on the supervisor or make you appear distinct from other research scholars. The entire purpose behind giving gifts to supervisors is to let them know in a warm way about how much you value them and a small token as a gesture of gratitude can take care of it pretty well. Small edible gift assortments work well with most of them.
- Table Souvenirs: As I discussed earlier in the blog, a small souvenir like a table keep serves as a memoir for a long time to come. A nice quote on a plate or a blessing souvenir always works well with most supervisors
- Pen: A pen is mightier than a sword, it works well here, as much as it works at other relevant places. Some professors are very protective of their stationary and pens and nothing makes them happier that having a new addition to their previous collection.
It is important that you know the taste and liking of your supervisor to know what they would like and be pick up your gift accordingly. The entire purpose should be to make them feel special and important through ac small token. It would go a long way in building positive vibes with your supervisor in a long and tough journey.
