How to thank a supervisor

[DandelionAndBedrock]

I'm coming to the end of a masters - it's been part time (effectively distance learning so I've only met my supervisor in person twice). I'm coming up to submitting my dissertation and want to say thank you, but other than a card I'm stumped. I know a masters isn't a lot compared to other postgrad things but I've had a lot going on and he has been a total hero at navigating me through.

Is it the done thing to get someone a present? I know nothing about this man (obviously I know his academic credentials but I don't even know if he is the sort of person who always has a coffee on the go and so would appreciate a giftcard for a local coffee place). I need to be able to send it in the post I think, so wine is out. Should I just do a card and nothing else?

Budget is maybe £10, depending on how much the printers fleece me to bind my work .

[Didiusfalco]

I had a great supervisor for my masters. I wrote him a thank you card and included a book token - I thought it was appropriate and not too personal/over the top.

[FinallyHere]

In these circumstances, a letter of thanks, giving some actual examples of help provided, is that thing that will mean the most to your supervisor. A book token is very nice to receive, but putting the effort into articulating what their help and support has meant to you would in my opinion be more difficult and more appreciated. I expect that distance learning will have been a challenge for them , too, to supervise without getting to know each other do well, so anything you can say was helpful would be good for them to hold onto in future when they are worried whether they are doing a good job as a supervisor.

And yes, if they are good,they will have periods of wondering whether they are doing anything useful.

If they haven't, get them a book token and say no more about it. And poison the life of anyone who reads MN and receives a book token as thanks for supervision

[PiratePanda]

A hand written thank-you card, with details of how your supervisor helped you, means the absolute world to us! Many institutions don't allow staff to accept gifts, but you can't go wrong with a card - and you'd be surprised how few students give them. Bless you for even thinking of it.

[impostersyndrome]

It's very kind of you to do this, but a card is plenty. A gift is really not expected, though I treasure the various gifts international students have given me nevertheless - from the Iranian traditionally decorated photo frame to the Indonesian scarf. But truly, it's the gratitude that counts more than anything.

[Parietal]

a card is great; definitely no need for a gift. I have a selection of odd gifts from past students, and while they mean well, I really don't need another clock or bottle of some kind of alcohol that i don't drink.

so just go for a nice card.

[TonySoppyrano]

A card with a personal note of thanks pointing out exactly what he/we/I did right is great. A coffee voucher would be lovely along with a note saying that it's because he always has coffee on the go!

I always appreciate any gifts.

What I appreciate more though is a nomination for an excellence in teaching/supervision award or at least an email to the HoD in which the student sings my praises and tells my boss that I went above and beyond

[inkydinky]

A thank you card is always enough. I've had wine and flowers in the past which were appreciated but a couple of sentences expressing genuine thanks mean a lot more

[TaggieOHara]

In the last couple of years, I've had wine, lovely cards, a pen pot, delicious Ethiopian coffee... I treasure all of them. I especially like it when former students come by and say hello if they are in the U.K.

A coffee card is a great idea! But as others have said, a card is really enough.