You Are Here

Month: March 2023

Nathan

Helpful Mindsets

Daily Post

A famous saying, or an approximation of it: if you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.

Our mindset shapes how we view things and how we do things. If you don’t think something will work, you might not do your best to see if it will. If you’re confident of success then you’ll find a way even if you experience setbacks.

What kinds of mindsets could help with the viva?

  • For submission: done is better than perfect.
  • For prep: small tasks add up.
  • For the viva itself: I am here to respond to my examiners’ questions (whatever they might be).
  • For corrections: get them done, then move on!

A mindset, a sentence, a little saying – however you frame them they can motivate action and produce results. They are not the actions, but the framing for them.

For example, done is better than perfect puts limits on drafting and redrafting. It expresses an end-point. It gives a nudge for action – but then you have to take that action. You have to set a timetable, you have to do the work and decide when you stop.

I am here to respond to my examiners’ questions (whatever they might be) reminds you of what you have to do in the viva. To be ready you’ll need to rehearse, read and feel confident in what you do and say.

A mindset leads to action, the action embeds the mindset: a positive cycle that can lead to good outcomes.

Nathan

Average Viva Lengths

Daily Post

I once took survey responses from over 300 PhD graduates about their viva experiences. There was a lot of data and a lot of clusters within the data. Without being careful it would have been easy to share wrong ideas about what was “average” or “normal”.

What might average mean? If we added up all of the viva lengths and divided them by the number of people it came to around 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Was that average though? Was that normal? What could I share that was useful?

 

In the end, thinking more on the data and on what people asked me I came to share a few key points about the average viva length:

  • Every viva is unique, so knowing an “average” doesn’t help by itself.
  • Sharing a breakdown of percentages doesn’t help either, it’s too much!
  • Expectations are useful to help in preparation: so an expected length has to be useful.

Which leads me to say: expect your viva to be at least two hours, because around 50% of vivas are two hours or longer. Yours could be less, but if you expect it to be longer then you can prepare to engage for a long period of time. You can prepare to take your time – and if it’s shorter then at least you’ll be well-prepared, rather than simply hoping it is over quickly!

And perhaps we should dismiss the notion of “average” vivas completely. There are real expectations we can explore for the viva, but they cover ranges of experiences rather than simple numbers.

Nathan

One Weird Trick

Daily Post

I can’t believe I’ve never shared this before!

It’s this one weird trick that helps with the viva!!

One thing that universities, examiners and PhD graduates don’t want you to know!!!

Whatever discipline you are in, however long you have to go before your viva and whatever you feel about your viva, this one weird trick will help!!!!

Are you ready?

Do the work.

That’s it, the one weird trick that helps with the viva: do the work.

Take your time, but do the work. Feel frustrated, but do the work. Procrastinate, but take the time to do the work.

Have questions? Do the work to find out the answers. Unsure about something? Do the work to ask someone who can give you certainty. Feel unprepared for your viva? Do the work to feel ready.

And sometimes it’s really hard! Sometimes it is hard to get up and do the work you need to do because you’re tired, or you’re nervous or you just don’t know what you want or where you’re going.

There are even times where you know you need to do something but you don’t what that something is!

Then you have to do the work to figure it out.

 

Ask for help. Plan your prep. Rehearse for your viva. Explore expectations. Maybe finish your thesis first!

But do the work.

Do the work because it’s the one weird trick that really will help with everything.

Nathan

Examiner Notes

Daily Post

Do a little homework when your examiners are selected. Make notes on each of them and concentrate on the following questions and points:

  • Why were they asked to be your examiners? Knowing the relevance of their selection gives you helpful information.
  • What do you know about their work? Have you cited their work? Are you familiar with it? Are there recent publications that it might be useful to read?
  • What do you expect from them? What do you know about their reputations?
  • What questions might you expect from them? What could they want to know?

Gather your thoughts on who your examiners are, what they’ve done and what you can expect from them. Like any viva expectations, there’s no guarantee for what they will ask or think in the viva – but like any viva expectations you can be prepared to meet them and engage, whatever happens.

Nathan

Three Successes

Daily Post

To build confidence for your viva, write down three successes from your PhD journey. Think back over the years of work and find three things that have been good: maybe things you did well, results that didn’t exist before or ideas that you have developed and shared.

Find three successes and write a little about each, focussing on why they are a success and what you did to make them great. You don’t need to spend long to capture something good.

In fact, you could probably take ten minutes every day to write about three successes from your PhD journey. Between submission and the viva make a habit of looking back and finding three successes from your PhD: make a habit of building your confidence for the viva.

Nathan

Playful Prep

Daily Post

Plan your prep. Do the work. Focus on the goal.

But play.

  • Use fun stationery to mark up your thesis.
  • Find music that helps you feel happy while you do the work – or helps you to feel better generally.
  • Draw simple pictures to summarise your work.
  • Reward your progress to keep you engaged.
  • Rest and play and rest some more.

Playful prep has a place in getting ready for the viva. There’s work to do and milestones to meet – but you can take time to enjoy what you’re doing and play on the way to the viva.

Nathan

Part Of Something

Daily Post

Remember that as you finish your PhD journey and have your viva that you are part of something.

Several somethings!

  • You are part of a community: there are many people around you who can offer support.
  • You are part of a tradition: lots of vivas happen every year and lots have happened in the past – stories and expectations are not hard to find.
  • You are part of a genealogy of researchers: whatever your path from here on, you can still share your experience and help with future generations, just as you have had help on your journey.

Also remember that your PhD journey is only a part of you: not all of you and not the best of you. As you finish that journey you have to figure out what it really means for your future and what you will do next.

Nathan

Generating Confidence

Daily Post

What could you do to boost or maintain your confidence for your viva?

  • Think about your research and focus on the good stuff?
  • Read about your examiners and get a sense of who they are?
  • Select an outfit that helps you feel good for your viva?
  • Reflect on the successes from your PhD journey?
  • Create and listen to a playlist of awesome music?
  • Have a mock viva to convince yourself that you know your stuff?
  • Highlight your strengths as a researcher?

Confidence helps put nervousness in perspective, and it’s to be expected that you might feel nervous for your viva. It matters. It’s important. Confidence won’t remove nervous thoughts, but it will help you to remember why you’re there.

There’s no magic pill for confidence, no simple button press. Thankfully, there are many things you could try. What else could you do to build your confidence?

Nathan

Alone

Daily Post

You are the only person in your viva who can speak for you and your work. The questions and comments from your examiners, the discussion that follows, all of it is is centred on getting you to engage and talk. You, and you alone, can respond.

Before the viva, however, you are not alone – there are many people who can offer you support.

  • Your supervisors provide professional support over a long period of time. As you approach the viva they can share their perspectives and offer a mock viva.
  • Friends and colleagues from your research community can share their stories and listen to your concerns, offering support when able.
  • Friends and family from your non-research life can offer their love and listen. They can help to create a good environment for you to do the work you need to do. Share what you really need.

You get to the viva, alone, but supported. You’re the only one in a position to respond, buoyed by the support and help of many others. You, and you alone, can – and will – rise to this challenge.

Nathan

Your Work Matters

Daily Post

In preparation for your viva, take some time to reflect on why your work makes a difference. Unpick the ideas that matter, reflect on why your work is valuable.

Your examiners want to talk to you about why your research is a significant, original contribution – and so you have to be ready to talk, discuss, think, reflect and respond.

Between submission and your viva:

  • Read your thesis and focus on what makes your work matter.
  • Highlight contributions that make a clear difference.
  • Use reflective questions to write summaries about key elements.
  • Rehearse responding to questions and discuss your work with your supervisors and others.

Remember that your work matters. It must – or you wouldn’t have come as far as you have on this journey.

1 2 3 4