Difficult ≠ Negative
It’s reasonable to expect your viva to be difficult.
Consider the work that you’ve done and how long you’ve been doing the work. Consider the level that you work at. Consider the years of work that yours is built on, the expectations of your discipline, the amount you’ve written and the general demands of a viva.
Consider that you might be nervous, anxious, worried or stressed.
It’s reasonable to expect your viva to be difficult – but that doesn’t mean it will be bad.
You might not like aspects of your viva or viva prep. You might not want to respond to certain questions or topics at the viva. And there might be general expectations of the whole event that worry you.
Still: does that mean your viva has to necessarily be a negative experience?
If you’re anxious, ask why. If you’re worried, ask why. If you’re stressed, ask for help.
It’s natural to be nervous. It’s right to expect your viva to be difficult.
Accept the situation, work in and around the parts that you need to. Don’t expect a box-ticking exercise but do expect that you can do well in a situation you can know so much about and prepare for.
And do remember that you’ve not got this far without facing a certain amount of difficulty – and making it through.