Ask Me Anything
Seriously. If you need to know something about the viva and you think I might have an answer or opinion or advice, please ask me. You can send me an email, or just tweet at me, I don’t bite! I...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Seriously. If you need to know something about the viva and you think I might have an answer or opinion or advice, please ask me. You can send me an email, or just tweet at me, I don’t bite! I...
There are clear contents: a candidate, a thesis, a research journey, some examiners, some preparation, some expectations. Shake them all up, just add questions. Unlike other packet mixes, you won’t know exactly how this confection will turn out in advance....
Being clear matters. Words help shape how we see and feel about things. Better words can help someone else understand what we mean, and can help us see things differently. For example, in the last year I changed how I...
Like a lot of important things in life, candidates tend to be nervous or excited for their viva. Two sides of the same coin, the currency that marks out something as a big deal, and your viva is a big...
Friends and family members may not get it. “Viva?” they’ll say, “What’s that?” While academic friends can offer tangible preparation with your thesis, friends and family can offer emotional support. They can offer space for you to get ready after...
Who are these people? What do they know? What do they want? What have they done? Why are they here? And what can they do in your viva? Spend a little time, answer these questions, honestly, and you’ll find a...
Before your viva… …ask graduate friends about their experiences. …make a list of what you might expect. …tell your friends and family what you need from them. After your viva… …share your experience with others to help them on their...
We can see stars directly. Some are big, some are small (relatively speaking), some are bright, some less so, but so long as nothing is in the way, they’re there. We can’t see black holes directly. They’re tricky, difficult to...
I like the idea of making an edited bibliography – a list of the most important references in your thesis’ bibliography – as a means to focus on what really matters and helps shape your work. I like using Why-How-What...
You’re not in control of your viva and the situation around it. You’re not totally out of control either. You can’t control who your examiners are, not directly… …but you can control what you know about them through research before...