Generating Confidence
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?