Finding an advisor is a complicated problem, because there are so many factors to consider.
- Do you and your advisor share research interests?
- Do the two of you get along?
- Do you have compatible working styles?
The list goes on.
When you are accepted into the Ph.D. program, you are assigned a provisional advisor. This is someone who liked you enough to speak up for you and get you admitted.
However, you do not have to stay with this person for all eternity. In fact, students are often a good match for multiple professors and the initial advisor assignments have been made to ensure that no one gets lost or overlooked.
You should expect to become involved in your assigned advisor's research fairly quickly, by doing things such as reading papers and attending group meetings.
However, you should always feel free to change supervisors. Generally, professors in Informatics are comfortable with students switching advisors and bear no ill will afterwards.
When considering a professor as a potential advisor there are a number of things you can do:
- Attend one of this person's lectures or classes. Read his or her papers.
- Make an appointment to see him or her to discuss a paper that you particularly like and your ideas.
- Talk to that professor's students; what's it like working with Professor X?
Your prospective advisor might take you on for a trial period to determine if the two of you are a good fit.
Remember that entering into a supervision relationship is a mutual decision, meaning that both of you must explicitly agree that you have come to some arrangement.
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