What your supervisor expects
Supervisors usually expect you to take responsibility for your own project: reading widely, proposing ideas, meeting deadlines and communicating regularly. They advise on direction, method and writing quality, but they do not write your thesis or manage your time for you.
Ask at the start about meeting frequency, preferred communication, how long they need to review drafts and what they expect in terms of progress. Check your university's supervision agreement or handbook for formal responsibilities.
Prepare for supervisor meetings
Send an agenda and a short progress update a day or two before each meeting. List what you completed, questions you need answered and what you plan to do next. Bring relevant drafts, data or results.
During the meeting, take notes. Afterwards, email a short summary of decisions and tasks, so you both agree on what happens next. This also creates a record if questions come up later.
Handling feedback
Feedback can feel critical, but it is meant to improve your work. Read it carefully, and then separate comments into major issues (argument, method) and minor ones (wording, formatting). Make a list of changes and deal with major points first.
If a comment is unclear, ask for an example or a short explanation. If you disagree, explain your reasoning politely with evidence. Keep track of what you changed in response to each point.
Agreeing a timeline
Agree on milestones, such as proposal, literature review, data collection, analysis, full draft and final submission, with dates that leave room for review and revision. Put them in writing and check them at each meeting.
Allow your supervisor time to read: a few weeks for a full draft is common. If your plans change, tell them early and agree a revised schedule.
When progress stalls
If you are stuck, say so early. Explain what you tried, where the problem is and what help you need. Supervisors can often suggest a way forward, and they are more able to help when they know about problems early.
If communication breaks down or the relationship is not working, check your university's process, which may include speaking to a co-supervisor, programme coordinator or graduate school. Keep a record of meetings and emails, and focus on practical solutions.
Email etiquette
Keep emails short, polite and specific. Use a clear subject line, greet with the correct title, state what you need and by when, and attach files with clear names, such as "Chapter2_Draft_v2".
Avoid sending several emails in a row, and do not expect an immediate response. If you have not heard back in a reasonable time, send a brief reminder. Thank them for their time and feedback.