Drivers, Worries, Actions
In the viva, examiners drive the discussion by asking questions that:
- Explore your contribution;
- Investigate your authorship;
- Assess your capability as a researcher.
In turn, a candidate typically worries that:
- They haven’t done enough;
- They won’t remember enough about the process;
- They aren’t good enough to get a PhD.
To combat these a candidate could:
- Review their thesis and work to build confidence in the contribution;
- Rehearse explaining how they did the PhD to build confidence in describing the work;
- Reflect and remember how they have developed to build confidence in themselves.
Preparation helps with the discussion and lessening worries!