You Know Enough
Before your viva remember: You don’t know everything. You can’t know everything. You’re not expected to know everything. But you know a lot. You know a lot more than when you started. You know enough.
Daily viva help for PhDs
Before your viva remember: You don’t know everything. You can’t know everything. You’re not expected to know everything. But you know a lot. You know a lot more than when you started. You know enough.
Most candidates will be asked to complete corrections after the viva. Most candidates will have other things to do which could make doing corrections feel like a tricky task. Being busy won’t excuse you from corrections; here are some ideas...
It’s not impossible that a question or comment could seem irrelevant to you. It’s not impossible you could start responding to a question but go off topic from the discussion. However it happens, if you experience any confusion because you...
Just because the viva is serious, it doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy your preparations. Buy some nice stationery to write notes on. Use bright colours to highlight your thesis. Have coffee with friends while you discuss your work. Find...
Thank you for taking the time to assemble your viva! Be familiar with the instructions before you begin assembly: regulations, general expectations, thoughts on useful preparations, advice from friends, advice from the internet. The viva requires a minimum of three...
I haven’t met many PhD graduates or future viva candidates who weren’t at least a little nervous. Nervous is very common; if you feel it before your viva then you’re in a pretty normal state. But feeling nervous isn’t usually...
In the viva it means supporting your thesis. It means restating what you did, or replying to a question about a related aspect. It could be listening to another point of view and reconciling it with your work. It could...
One of my favourite questions to ask final year PhD researchers is “What’s the biggest challenge in the way of you finishing?” It’s good to focus. It’s good, even if it is something scary, to get it out in the...
Be cautious when someone tells you there’s only one way to get ready for the viva. I think there are some really good principles in effective preparation. Read your thesis, annotate it, find opportunities to practise, and so on –...
You don’t need to memorise your thesis, you’re not expected to memorise your research, and most viva candidates couldn’t do that even if they wanted to. Your examiners expect you to do the work, be familiar with the literature you’ve...