Solved

Outside of maths, solutions can sometimes be tricky to find.

• There isn’t a solution for the problem of how to best prepare for the viva.
• There isn’t a never-fails approach to responding to a question from one of your examiners.
• There’s no perfect format for opening your viva with a fantastic summary of what’s in your thesis.

There are, however, lots of approaches that might work for all of these for you. You need to sit back, think about your needs, your research, your situation – and your solution will present itself.

• Your way for getting ready: the plan you need, the tools you require, the space only you can make. Your solution and nobody else’s.
• Your way for responding to questions in the viva. Not standard scripts but your thoughts put into words. You are the only one who can respond to your examiners’ questions.
• Your way of summarising the years of work that makes up your research, your thesis.

You have the solution to all of your problems. Advice and expectations help – but if you solved the problems you found along the way through your PhD, you can solve any and all problems you find around your viva.