Prologue
People sometimes think of The Hobbit as just the prologue to The Lord Of The Rings. The story of The Hobbit is barely a footnote in the first Lord Of The Rings movie. They take a few seconds to say “Bilbo found...
June 2018
A Lot To Celebrate
Celebration is a human fundamental. We’re wired to mark the important things, and finishing a PhD is a big one. There are lots of points where you can stop and say, “Woohoo!” and it’s useful to mark your progress. Celebrate...
Long, Short
The PhD is long. The viva is short. The many years you spend researching and writing prepare you for the few hours of thinking and talking.
What Could I Do?
I’m fond of short questions. After a chance conversation in a workshop last month I’ve been reflecting a lot on “What could I do?” “What could I do?” is, I think, at the heart of the research process. It’s the...
Illuminate
There’s a lot of light cast around during the PhD process. You shine a light on a topic you found, and create more when you write your thesis. You brighten up your thesis when you prepare for the viva. Your...
Finding Feedback That Helps
After submission and before the viva, feedback is still one of the most useful things you can go looking for as part of your prep. Make a list of who could really give you useful feedback: your supervisor, your office-mate,...
First & Last
There’s a rule of thumb for the viva some examiners have mentioned to me: “The first question will be easy; the last question might not be.” There’s no trick to the first part of the statement. Examiners want the viva...
Power Ups
What have you got that will give you that little boost of ability, of focus, of comfort and confidence before your viva? Will it be a piece of music? A cup of coffee? A mantra or a prayer or a...
All Or Nothing
Is that what you think about the viva? If you do, I get why you would be stressed. The viva is another step along the journey, another milestone to saunter on past to the finish line. It’s not the end,...
Fourteen Faves
Quick exercise to get you reflecting on your whole PhD journey. What’s your… …favourite paper in your bibliography? …favourite discovery you made? …favourite meeting with your supervisor? …favourite conference talk you gave? …favourite question you’ve been asked? …favourite talk you...