Most vivas go well, but there’s always a chance that something could go wrong a little. With the move towards remote vivas, over Skype or Zoom, there’s that little extra room for doubt and worry that something might go wrong. Video vivas were less common, until now, and so there aren’t as many easy answers for what to do or how to solve something.
In the absence of general advice, whatever the worry or potential problem, there’s three questions that come to my mind:
- How can I reduce the likelihood or the impact? You might not be able to avoid something, but you could soften it somehow.
- What is Plan B? Say the tech fails, what could you have on standby? What’s your backup?
- Who could help? In the viva the answer might be no-one – and knowing that helps because you know you have to get it done. Before the viva there are lots of people who can help you – you have to think about who might be best to ask.
The chances of something going wrong are slim. A little bit of constructive thought, just in case, won’t hurt your preparation or confidence.
