references??

Hi all, apologies for the late posting! I thought id discuss a situation that almost every student will find themselves in at some point this year. As we were approaching the last few days of our last prac one of my fellow students asked me if i was going to ask my supervisors for a reference upon completion of the prac. I think many students will be divided on this issue, but i feel that as one of a large number of students that file through each facility its not our place to request a reference. I dont like the idea of a supervisor feeling obliged to say yes and I think that if you have stood out enough to the supervisor then they will offer to be a referee without you having to ask. I explained my thoughts to the student who agreed, but also suggested i should take a more proactive role in getting good references which is a very good point. I think theres no right or wrong answer to this issue and its always a very individual situation, but id love to hear other peoples opinions!