The viva at the end of the PhD is a unique set of circumstances in your doctoral journey – but there are other events like the viva.
Most candidates will have had to pass a transfer or upgrade viva at some point (for full time candidates this is often around the end of the first year). In some institutions and departments this might be like a mini-viva, testing everything that you’ve done to that point in a similar style to the end of the PhD viva. In some places, the transfer viva is more like a simple conversation.
(I remember two defining questions from mine: “What have you done?” and “Are you happy?”)
Your transfer viva might only have a superficial resemblance to the main viva, but you must have passed it to get to submission. That counts. You were upgraded.
And you must have answered difficult questions in meetings, after conference talks and while you were doing your research. You upgraded then too.
A lot of focus is given to your thesis and research, but it is worth remembering that a far greater output of your PhD journey is you.
A new you, a more talented, more knowledgeable, more capable you.
Upgraded.
