Bring a writing implement and paper to the meeting. Take notes.

There are three elements to a research meeting:

  1. What you did.
  2. What the results were.
  3. What you plan to do next.

The meeting should be focused around discussing these three points more or less in order. Prepare these things in advance. You should plan about an hour’s work to do this.

What you did

Explain why you did what you did. If you discussed it with your supervisor last meeting, remind him or her! They may have had dozens of other meetings in between and will likely appreciate the help.

If you are having trouble making a calculation work, be prepared to produce details on convergence parameters. Have input files ready to show. Show that you’ve systematically tried to diagnose the problem.

If a calculation worked, have written down all relevant parameters, such as convergence parameters and pictures of the setup. Do not assume your supervisor knows exactly what’s on your mind.

Results

You should have at least one plot, even if that plot has two numbers.
Axes should always be labeled and plots should always be titled.
Make sure to explain what exactly the plots mean, it may be clear to you but not to the other person.

Plans

Have a list of objectives you wish to accomplish in the next time period. Be prepared to explain how your objectives fit into the larger picture of the project.