The PhD Is Supposed To Be Hard
You don’t get a PhD by just showing up. There are no shortcuts, no study hacks, no “five simple tricks” to help you dodge the work you have to do. A PhD is a result of time, work and talent....
Daily viva help for PhDs
You don’t get a PhD by just showing up. There are no shortcuts, no study hacks, no “five simple tricks” to help you dodge the work you have to do. A PhD is a result of time, work and talent....
If you need them, you need them. If you think they’ll help, you’ll feel bad if you don’t have them. Rituals, routines, placebos, priming, good luck charms, special socks or magical music… If this was your whole viva preparation then...
They take time. Confidence and research require evidence. They can be inspiring and could lead you to new ideas. Confidence and research are processes. Whatever you do today, might not be what helps tomorrow. As a postgraduate researcher, your confidence...
Presentations are not often requested by examiners to start the viva, but they can be a useful way to get things started. If your examiners ask for one they’re giving you a way to control the start of the viva,...
Once you know their names, check them out. It’s useful to check recent publications to get a sense of their own knowledge and research focus. It’s useful to follow that up with a look at their staff pages to see...
I got in a taxi a few weeks ago and the driver didn’t wear his seat belt. Nothing bad happened, we didn’t have far to go, it wasn’t raining and the roads were quite clear… But WOW! was I nervous!!!...
Your Worst Critic? It’s probably you. Pulling yourself down for slips, failures and mistakes. Overly critical of things that could be better. Berating yourself for things that are difficult. And the Worst Critic within is self-perpetuating, it’s hard to get...
The PhD is not a sprint or marathon. The closest is maybe the hurdles event: a series of barriers to be cleared. Literature review has to be cleared so you have a good background understanding. The transfer viva has to...
Twenty years ago I had a boss who loved a fun turn of phrase. I worked in an independent furniture shop, and I can remember the day that one customer spent two hours wandering up and down the store floor,...
Your examiners will want to talk about the strengths of your work in the viva. They’re there to talk to you about your contribution. Spend time in your prep thinking about what makes your work strong. How is it new?...