Five Minutes

To prepare for your viva you need time. A significant number of candidates may have a job or be applying for one when the viva comes around. Time is always a precious resource, but can feel quite pressured for some. While it’s still important to organise and have a decent amount of space to think, there are some valuable ways you can use small blocks of time in preparation for your viva.

• Tidy your workspace.
• Make a list of bigger tasks you need to do.
• Write a 100-word summary of a chapter.
• Make a list of papers you need to review.
• Message someone to tell them how you’re doing.
• Listen to a song that helps you to feel happy.
• Write down what you’re going to do next and why that’s going to help.

Viva prep takes time, usually in blocks of more than five minutes, but little things add up. With five minutes you can make something to help yourself, setup future progress or prime yourself for the next big task.

What could you do?