The Parts of Ready
You need to read your thesis, write some notes, rehearse for the viva and so on. You need to prepare for your viva, but preparation is only a part of getting ready. You need to build your confidence for the...
Daily viva help for PhDs
You need to read your thesis, write some notes, rehearse for the viva and so on. You need to prepare for your viva, but preparation is only a part of getting ready. You need to build your confidence for the...
Recently I was preparing for a talk and reflecting about the idea of “having a vision” for what someone does. My vision for this blog is: To help all PhD candidates see the viva is a great big manageable challenge!...
That’s the viva. At and after submission there’s still lots to do, but at and after the viva there’s hopefully only a little way to go. Still work, but not too much. The viva is the beginning of the end...
Viva prep can sometimes seem like a huge project. Existing pressure, personal responsibilities and fatigue can all add to overwhelm. There are no shortcuts to getting ready, but you can start the process by completing tasks that take very little...
I was helpfully challenged in a recent webinar to define what I meant when I talk about effective viva prep. It was a great provocation to help me unpick what I think. Effective has to mean that it benefits the person...
Viva prep is better if it is planned a little. There’s no universal “best way” to get the work done, but the following questions could help: How busy are you? When could be a good time to start? How much...
It’s two years since my world changed, just before the first pandemic lockdown in the UK. Two years ago today I shared Interesting Times, thoughts on where I was and where I might be going in the weeks that would...
The viva is a discussion driven by questions from your examiners. Every question is an opportunity for you to share your work and show your capability. Every question is an opportunity for you to demonstrate what you did, what you...
On Friday I delivered my 300th Viva Survivor session to PGRs! 300!!! Had it not been for pandemic disruption I probably would have reached this milestone sooner. But had it not been for the pandemic I wouldn’t have had the opportunity...
Make a little plan for the weeks leading up to your viva. It has to include reading your thesis, annotating it usefully, writing some summaries, reading important papers and rehearsing for talking with your examiners. Do the work in a...