Nathan

Contributions Matter

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“How would you define your significant, original contribution?”

That’s a hard question for a lot of reasons.

It asks for specifics, your opinion and makes an assumption that there is one big thing you’ve done through your research. Personally, I would struggle to respond because I didn’t have a single focus during my PhD: my thesis was a collection of results, not one overall idea that I explored.

It’s a hard question, but it could be rewarding to unpick nonetheless. Reflecting might reveal some helpful ways to share your research with your examiners (and others).

It’s also helpful to reflect on all of your contributions, big and small. Look back over your PhD and think about your results, achievements and victories. What do they all amount to? Whether or not there is a single headline conclusion to point to, what do your contributions mean?

Remember that contributions can be a stepping stone to confidence: recognising what you’ve achieved can be a helpful way to boost how you feel.

 

PS: exploring confidence is a big part of my Viva Survivor webinar – alongside expectations, viva prep and the whole viva process. Registration is open now for my March 27th 2025 session and includes a catch-up recording if you can’t attend live!

Nathan

Qualified

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Three qualified people is what you have, at a minimum, at your viva.

Every viva in the UK has one candidate and at least two examiners.

The latter are qualified because of how they are selected. They need to meet criteria, such as having a doctorate, experience and training. There will be a specific reason why they were asked to be your examiners rather than someone else.

You are qualified because you did the work. You invested the hours. You made something. So you’re capable now and qualified to be at your viva.

 

Remember: qualified is not a synonym for perfect. No-one at your viva is perfect or is expected to be perfect. You’re all just continuing to demonstrate your best and most capable selves.

Nathan

You Have Time

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Or rather, you can have time.

You have time to get ready for your viva – or, rather, you can have time if you sketch out a plan and know in advance what’s expected for viva prep.

You have time to respond to any and every question at your viva – or, rather, you can have time if you rehearse and get used to the idea that you don’t need to rush to answer.

There’s time to do everything you need to get ready and time to do everything you need at your viva.

You might have to slow down to take that time and make the most of it.

Nathan

Normal vs Typical Vivas

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The normal viva doesn’t exist. It’s a myth. There’s far too much variety in research, individuals and circumstances to allow for a normal viva.

There are typical vivas. There are patterns, trends, regulations and processes that produce reliable expectations.

For example, vivas typically last several hours, conclude with a short intermission while the (typically) two examiners confer and most often result in success – with candidates being asked most often of all to complete minor corrections.

There is a tension between the seemingly opposite ideas that vivas are unique and vivas follow patterns.

Explore the patterns to prepare for your unique experience.

Nathan

Storms & Teacups

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It’s not that you shouldn’t be nervous about your viva: it’s likely that you can’t do a lot to remove nerves if you feel them.

The viva is one of the final stages of a long process of exploration, knowledge generation and personal development. Those three letters – PhD – will make a difference to you, your ambitions and your future destinations.

It’s not that all of this is so big and important that you should be nervous: you just probably will be because it’s all important.

 

Being nervous is uncomfortable, but is to be expected probably.

Being anxious or being worried is different.

Nervousness is a general feeling but anxiety and worry are more commonly centred around something specific. If that’s more of what you’re feeling then you have to get specific too.

The problem will not be impossible to resolve. It might feel bigger than it is because the viva feels big. The viva is important and so any problem with it feels big and important too. It might not be the case.

If you face any anxiety or problem ahead of your viva then pause. Breathe. Reflect on it. Is this a storm in a teacup? Does it just seem big but won’t make a difference really? Can you do something about it? Is there someone you can ask for help?

In my experience, there’s always something you can do and someone who can help. If you face a problem with your viva that makes you worried, then your next step is to do something.

 

PS: if you have any big worries, concerns or questions then take a look at my Viva Survivor session. Registration is open now for my March 27th 2025 webinar and you can ask questions in advance through the booking process.

Nathan

“Have A Great Time”

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…is a sentiment that is a bit like “Good luck” or “Don’t worry” when related to the viva. It’s very well meant, but there might not be a lot that you can do directly.

While you can’t control whether or not you will have a great viva, you can influence things. You can:

  • Do the work
  • Plan and prepare.
  • Check the regulations.
  • Reflect on your PhD journey to build your confidence.
  • Check out your examiners.
  • Read, review and rehearse.

Having a great time at the viva does not rest on good luck. It won’t happen if you simply don’t worry. As with all of your PhD success, you have to do the work.

Nathan

Final Preparations

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My last viva prep task was to knock on my supervisor’s door with fifteen minutes to go, “Hi Hugh, just to check one more time, a genus 2 mutant can be defined as….?”

What will your final prep be?

Perhaps you’ll just check you have everything in your bag. Maybe you’ll focus on re-reading something one more time. Your last prep step could be to relax with a cup of coffee.

Or like me, your last task will be to stress at the last moment.

 

There’s an element of choice involved. You can plan your viva preparation. Sketch out a plan when you reach submission. You don’t need to account for every minute of every day until your viva, but by looking ahead you can remove stress, rush and a lot of doubts.

The last step in getting ready for your viva could be tiny or could be a big task. It’s better if it’s not panicked or stressed.

Nathan

Your Viva, Your Prep

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There are regulations, trends for the viva process and departmental good practice which can give you an idea of what your viva might be like – but then your viva will be one of a kind, unique and never repeated.

There are a lot of well-founded good ideas for the general process of viva preparation, both in terms of what someone could do to get ready and when – but your situation is unique, your preferences are your own and you have to make it work well for you.

 

Vivas are unique to the individual, their research, their thesis and their circumstances – even while there are lots of things that can be certain or expected about the process.

Viva prep is the same: unique to the individual but grounded on good practice and useful ideas that are applicable by any candidate.

What do your PhD circumstances mean for your viva? What do they mean for your viva prep?

Nathan

The Greatest Hits

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What are the best and most valuable references in your bibliography?

What were the biggest achievements of your years working on your research?

What could make the biggest impact now that your thesis is complete?

 

If you reflect on where your work comes from, what you did and where it could go then you have considered the context for your contribution, the contribution and a possible future for it. That’s a good piece of reflection as part of viva prep!

Nathan

Use The Right Tools

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We use tools to help ourselves.

Screwdrivers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Saws vary depending on their purpose and the materials they’re designed to cut. Hammers can be used to assemble or destroy.

Tools are useful to make or maintain, to remedy small problems or big situations.

 

So what tools are you taking to your viva?

Perhaps you have something physical to show your examiners, but more likely you’ll be demonstrating intellectual tools that you have constructed over the course of your PhD.

You’ll show your knowledge. You’ll share your understanding. You’ll demonstrate your capacity for thinking like a researcher in your field.

These are the tools you need to do well. They’ve helped you make the research in your thesis and can now help you to make good on that promise at your viva.

Don’t forget that tools need maintaining too – viva prep is essential for sharpening yourself!

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