A sword could be excellently forged, made with skill from the best materials – but if it’s not kept sharp, it won’t work well.
Similarly, you can’t create yourself and your thesis without making something good by submission – but if you don’t take a little time to prepare before the viva you won’t be at your best.
So: what are you going to do to sharpen yourself for your examiners?
Let’s say you’re a few weeks away from your viva. You’ve read your thesis and it feels familiar. You’re busy with life outside of your thesis. You want to be prepared for your viva, you feel the need to do something this coming week, but you don’t know what.
Block out an hour for each evening of the week ahead and try the following:
This post is a little idea of how you could break your week up, doing different, useful tasks to prepare for the viva. Customise in a suitable way for you.
Don’t drift to your viva; go towards it with purpose.
Your examiners have a high status in the viva for several reasons. They have titles. They have experience. They have roles in the viva (and before it) that gives them authority.
You have a high status in the viva for several reasons. You have worked to be there. You have deep experience that has put you in the room. The viva wouldn’t be happening at all if you weren’t there.
Status doesn’t have to signify conflict though. Status in the viva is just a consequence of recognising that everyone in the room has an important role to play.
Survive means manage to keep going in difficult circumstances. Despite negative associations it is the perfect verb to describe the mode of action for a viva candidate. Every part of the definition matters.
If you’re feeling unsure or uncertain, more like survive-no-matter-what than survive-as-defined, then explore:
And when you know what you need to: keep going!
Nearly all candidates say they’re nervous.
Nearly all vivas result in a pass.
Nearly all candidates could be prepared for their viva if they choose to be.
Nearly all examiners are good.
Nearly all candidates get minor corrections.
Nearly all expectations are met, but most vivas will have something out of the ordinary.
Advent calendars are neat ways to lead up to Christmas. A little fun, a little reminder that something nice is coming. A way to build up excitement.
Often viva candidates do the opposite when leading up to their viva. Where an advent calendar increases – 1st December, 2nd December and so on – candidates count down. Only three weeks left. Only ten days left. Only two days left. For most, probably a way to build up discomfort or worry.
It is important to keep track of the days if you’re preparing. There’s no need to rush preparations, but you still need to get what you need to do finished. Instead of marking days down though – seven left, six to go – write down what you did each day. Like an advent calendar, reveal the gift you’re giving to yourself.
Every day, as you lead up to the viva, record what you’re doing to get yourself ready. Provide evidence for yourself that you are a capable, talented researcher, not just someone counting down the days.
I love visiting friends who have a mat by their front door, big letters: WELCOME.
We’re glad you’re here. You’re supposed to be. Come in, join us.
I’ve never heard of a viva that had a welcome mat. I wish they did.
If it’s viva day, then you are supposed to be there. You did something good to get your thesis finished and your examiners are expecting you.
You are welcome.
I like SWOT – Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats – as a simple tool that provides a lot of direction for thinking. I’ve written about it before but today I want to explore how it could help you think about you as a candidate for your viva day.
The threats are already minimal in the viva; perhaps think about how you will get there, and decide in advance what you will take. There are lots of opportunities to get useful insights from your examiners. They have experience that you can use, ideas that could help you if your plans are to stay in academia, for example. You might have weaknesses, but they can’t be terrible because you would never have got this far if they were. Think about what you might do to help you feel confident despite them.
Remember that you and your work have real strengths. Your work is good. You are good.
There’s a place for honest feedback and difficult questions in viva preparation. Criticism can help too, but all of this has to be in proportion with encouragement. Look for people who can help you see that it is all going to be fine.
Look back over the last few years. Reflect on your story. What events and achievements can you find that encourage you for your viva?
I remember knocking on my supervisor’s office door thirty minutes before my viva to check a mathematical definition.
I know of people who took the day off before their viva and just relaxed.
Some candidates will be checking notes almost until they go into the viva room.
It helps, as with writing the thesis, to decide in advance what you are going to do. Make a decision about what “enough” preparation looks like. What are the tasks you will complete? What needs to get done? I would suggest allowing for a little relaxation time the day before to relax your mind; perhaps you can make a special plan to do something nice, if your schedule allows?
You can stop when you’re done, and you get to decide when that is. Make that decision. Otherwise you may just keep nervously doing more and more until you start the viva.