Weekly Advisor Update

Copy to notes/updates/YYYY-MM-DD.md. Send it every week whether or not you meet, and whether or not the week went well.

Ten minutes to write. It pays off three ways: meetings start from a shared artifact instead of your recollection, you accumulate a dated project record that makes writing much easier, and problems surface while they are still small.

A bad week still gets an update. "This week went badly, here is what I tried, here is what I am stuck on" is completely acceptable and frequently produces the most useful meeting you will have. Silence is read as trouble and removes the one person positioned to help.

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Week of: Phase: (0 scope / 1 infra / 2 core / 3 eval / 4 writing / 5 revision) Weeks to submission:

What I did

Two to four bullets. Concrete.

What I found

Results, measurements, or conclusions — including negative ones. Attach or link figures rather than describing numbers in prose.

What is blocking me

Be direct. Include things you think you can solve yourself but are unsure about; this is the highest-value section and the one most often left empty out of embarrassment.

What I am doing next week

Decisions I need from you

Things that need an actual answer, not FYI. If nothing, say "none."

Written this week

Words drafted, sections outlined, paper notes written. Track this from week one — writing is not a Phase 4 activity.

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Mid-point review addendum (week 24 only)

Answer these three in writing and discuss them:

1. Is the thesis statement still what my results actually support? (Narrowing to fit the evidence is good; overreaching is the most-attacked flaw in a defense.)
2. What is the weakest part of my evidence, and can I still strengthen it?
3. If everything from here fails, what do I submit?