Daily viva help for PhDs
Your examiners are not coming to your viva intending to crush your dreams. They don’t want to tear your work apart. They aren’t simply trying to find fault. They won’t give you corrections for the sake of it.
They might find mistakes, they might disagree, but they’re not there to ruin you. They’re not there to be mean.
Instead, they read, they look, they explore; they try to understand and ask questions to do so.
Examiners examine.
Wishlists for presents and wishlists for the viva are two very different things.
For presents you’re telling others, “If you can, if you want to, can you please get me this?”
For the viva you’re saying, not asking, “These are the things I really want when I meet my examiners.”
Really, the best person to help you get what you want from your viva wishlist is you. If there’s things you want or feel you need then you have to work to make them a reality. If there’s no way of making it certain then you have to act to get more comfortable with the uncertainty present in the situation.
You might also have to recognise when an item on your viva wishlist, like a present wishlist, is just not going to happen. Some wishlist items are a shot-in-the-dark, maybe-just-maybe…
…but they’re probably more of a distraction than anything. Work to remove these items from your viva wishlist. Focus on what you can achieve, not just what you wish for.
My daughter really likes surprise toys. They come sealed, disguised in bags and boxes. Hidden surprise dolls, magical unicorns that change colour, packages within packages hiding what’s there. She loves them. Part of the excitement is not knowing what’s inside until you open the box.
But there’s only so many combinations. Leaflets show you all of the options, whether it’s sixteen Lego figures in a range or millions of combinations of dolls and accessories. Some are more common than others, but all have similar features or stylings.
The viva is like my daughter’s surprise toys. There’s lots of information about what vivas are like generally, but no-one can tell you what yours will be like. You only find out when you get to yours. However, like the best surprise toys, viva quality is generally good, expectations conform to reasonable standards and you can clearly see the process for engaging with them.
And thankfully there’s no unwrapping for the viva as there is with the surprise toys my daughter likes!
Not by hope, but earned;
Actions build up your belief.
Reflect and see them.
Confidence is built through actions and experience. Before your viva, think about what you’ve done and what you could do to realise your confidence for the viva.
(find more viva-related haiku here!)
It’s not the day you submit, or the day after.
It’s not the first time you read your thesis after submission, or when you start to get ready for a mock viva.
It isn’t even when you really start to plan for submission, or first think about what your examiners might ask.
The first day of viva prep was a long time ago. The first day of your PhD, whenever you started the work that has lead to your thesis. You have been preparing for a long time before you get to the viva: developing your talent, building your knowledge, getting better.
A little extra prep after submission is needed to be ready. Don’t forget though, for your confidence, that you have been preparing for a long time.
I try every day to share something useful about the viva, but there are a lot of topics to be covered!
Back in June 2017 I shared A Viva Alphabet as a way to start thinking about many of the different themes and ideas that surround the viva. Today, I share a new series of thoughts. Again, I can’t cover every issue connected with the viva, but it’s a wide range of topics:
Which of these have you considered before? What has passed you by so far? Any ideas for substitutions?
And what might you do now, having considered this new viva alphabet?
You’ll hear them all the time around the viva.
I’m being very harsh. Anyone who says these to you is well-intentioned. They want their friend to succeed. They really do want you to be fine, they want your viva to go well and they want to reassure you that you’re talented.
The five phrases above are kind, but superficial. Far better to give a little more time, a little more detail. When it’s your turn, be a good friend with what you offer others:
Check in with your friend. Don’t give shallow stock phrases but deep encouragements. They don’t need you to solve all their problems. They might need a few friendly nudges to help their confidence.
It’s way too early to pick your highlights, but you’re right on time to set your intentions for the year ahead. If this is the final year of your PhD, submission coming up and viva not far away, ask yourself:
Set your goals, then explore the actions that could take you to them. You can’t reach perfect, but you can set a high standard for completing your PhD.
All the very best for 2020!