The Last Time

Maybe your viva is the full stop on your research. Maybe it’s the final occasion where you will really have a conversation about what you’ve done.

That’s OK: a PhD is a big, important thing but it can be seen as a stepping stone. Maybe a stepping stone to a career in academia or perhaps a stepping stone to cross the river out of research and into something else.

Even if you have plans to continue the viva really is the last big challenge of your PhD journey. Corrections take time, but they’re not generally a big deal. This is it. This is the last time before you move on to whatever you’ll do next.

So make it count.

This last hurrah, the last time to share your work, defend your ideas, expand on the contribution you’ve made and what it really means to you. Don’t rush it, don’t put pressure on yourself. Go and make it great.