What’s In A Name?
Most commonly it’s “the viva” but I’ve also heard people refer to it – the event, the exam – as thesis examination, thesis defence, defending your thesis and of course the full viva voce. I’ve also heard people call the...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Most commonly it’s “the viva” but I’ve also heard people refer to it – the event, the exam – as thesis examination, thesis defence, defending your thesis and of course the full viva voce. I’ve also heard people call the...
Heard of the feedback sandwich? It’s when you tell someone something good about their presentation/book/paper/whatever, then offer something constructive or negative, followed by something good. Good-“bad”-good. A feedback sandwich – it has another name, but this is a polite sort...
It’s understandable to be nervous, anxious or scared about the viva. It’s not just any other day of your PhD. You can be nervous, and hope that it doesn’t affect you too much, or you can be nervous and think...
Not just a good viva: the best. Make a list of all of the conditions of the best possible viva for you. However long it is, now make another list of the things you could do to help it turn...
There’s a simple, foolproof, two-step process for getting lots of potential viva questions: Google “PhD viva question list”. Take a look at the results. Not every question you find from these results will be relevant. Some you can discard, some...
The acknowledgements page of a thesis is a lovely opportunity to be thankful. Thank your supervisors for all they’ve done. Thank your family and friends by name. Thank your funders if you have them. Thank anyone who has really helped....
I don’t have a magic wand or secret spell to help you get ready for the viva. It’s fun in something like Harry Potter or Dungeons & Dragons when the name of the spell almost literally describe what is going...
Just because some properties of the PhD and the viva are difficult to count, that doesn’t mean they’re infinite. There’s only so many papers you could have read. Only so many ideas you’ve had time to consider. Only so many...
At a minimum you need to have your thesis, pen and paper and something to drink for the viva. Your thesis is there to refer to. You don’t have to commit everything to memory. It’s your guide to years of...
Prompted by the fact that today is my wedding anniversary, I’ve been wondering whether or not people generally celebrate passing their viva years afterwards. June this year marked my tenth vivaversary (if you like forced portmanteau words!). I think about...