You Are Here

Author: Nathan

Nathan

Small Expectations

Daily Post

There is research on viva lengths and the range of experiences. We could plot out the opening questions of a hundred PhD graduates to explore the first questions of vivas. We can examine the fine detail of requested corrections to see how much work is needed.

We can do this and more – and the result would be a big report that does not tell you what your viva will be like.

Keep your expectations small. Keep them simple.

  • Vivas take time. You can take your time.
  • Take the viva one question at a time.
  • Expect it to be difficult. Remember that you are good at difficult challenges.
  • Your examiners will be prepared. You can be too.
  • Most vivas result in corrections. Don’t expect perfection but don’t expect a lot.

What other small expectations do you have for your viva?

Nathan

Significant To Who?

Daily Post

When thinking about your significant original contribution it’s natural to think about why something matters. The results and conclusions in your thesis have value and it’s right that someone – like your examiners – would want to explore that in your viva.

It makes sense to reflect on why your work matters and how you explain that as part of your viva prep. It’s also a good idea to think about who your work matters to as well.

For example, my thesis contained algorithms I’d developed for calculating certain properties of mathematical objects. That’s my simplest explanation without invoking fancy terms and funny symbols! This work mattered because these properties were typically very time-consuming for people to calculate. My algorithms had limits but they were very quick and easy to use.

That’s the why. The who, the people who would be interested, was a little more niche.

People interested in my work might be people who needed a tool. Or people who were looking to develop their own. Or even people looking for a little inspiration. But my work wasn’t for everyone.

Explore why your work matters as you get ready but remember to think about who it matters to as well.

Nathan

A Little Time For You

Daily Post

I remember being excited for public holidays when I was a child because it was an extra day off! A longer weekend! Woohoo!

As an adult I’ve realised that despite my own desire to do nothing on a bank holiday, typically there’s someone else in my life who wants me to do something.

  • “Why don’t we go to….?”
  • “Come round today since everyone is free!”
  • “Now would be a good time to….”

Ah well, that’s life! Still, if your viva is coming up then today might be a good to take a little time for you. An hour here or there to just rest.

Breathe. Don’t pick up your thesis. Don’t check those papers. Just rest.

There’s a day coming when you’ll have a very busy couple of hours. Use today to take a couple of hours just for you.

Nathan

Associations

Daily Post

Eggs. Hot cross buns. Hills. Rabbits. Sunrise.

Easter has a lot of associations. These come from religion and tradition but also from the specific associations that build up in families.

It’s a recurring tradition in our family that we organise little treasure hunts at Easter – I’m not sure how common that is in the UK!

 

The viva has strong meanings for lots of people, whether or not they’ve had one. What associations are you aware of? When you’re getting ready it’s important to unpick what you think and feel about the viva. Why do you think that? Who told you? Why do you feel that way?

Associations can be generally true expressions of viva expectations. Equally they might be part of the local culture in your department, the way things are done in your discipline – or the result of learning of a single bad experience of someone else.

Unpick the associations you have when you think about your upcoming viva. Make sure that the story you’re telling yourself is accurate and helpful.

Nathan

A Dreaming Reflection

Daily Post

I was recently reminded of the Dreamer, Realist, Critic model for creative thinking. One way a person might apply it to a situation that needs ideas is to think in three phases:

  • Dreamer: What ideas can I find for this? The sky’s the limit!
  • Realist: How can I find a practical idea? I have to be grounded.
  • Critic: Where are the flaws with my ideas? I have to be serious.

I’m simplifying for brevity, but you get the idea. Disney is said to have used these various stages of thinking to help explore projects. More generally, it’s helpful to have structure to help focus.

As with so many tools like this I think it has a natural application to viva preparation, particularly in reflecting on the thesis contribution. The three words have good connections with different ways to focus:

  • Dreamer: How can we apply this contribution? What are the different ways someone might value it?
  • Realist: How did you come to these ideas? What tools, methods and resources did you use?
  • Critic: Where might there be problems in your research? How can you account for different perspectives?

I’m simplifying for brevity here too, but again you get the idea. Take the questions, write down some thoughts and reflect on your research and what it means.

Nathan

Eight Years

Daily Post

April 18th 2017: I published the first daily Viva Survivors post.

April 18th 2025: today!

What’s in-between? A lot of words.

 

It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve made to do this daily blog. It helps me to think through what I need to say at work, finds new ways of exploring the viva, unpack questions that people ask and also just help me think.

I’ve had almost 3000 attempts to say something helpful. I’ve been writing Viva Survivors for over twice the length of my PhD journey.

After eight years a few things occur to me:

  • Writing a daily blog isn’t a lot of work so much as it is a lot of practice.
  • Writing a daily blog is a great way to develop ideas.
  • Writing a daily blog is not a fool-proof plan for fame and fortune!

And writing a daily blog for eight years is a lot like a PhD in many ways: the amount of work required is enormous but spread out over a long period of time. It can be easy to tell yourself at the beginning that it’s impossible because the scale is vast – but it’s also easy to tell yourself at the end that you just kind of bumbled your way to success because you can’t remember so much of what you’ve done.

In both cases you can only do it by doing it. It only exists because someone did the work.

I’m very happy to be eight years in on this ongoing project and looking forward to many more. I hope the same is true for you dear reader, whoever you are and whatever your project.

Thanks for reading!

 

PS: On this eighth anniversary post I have to mention the first issue of Viva Survivors Select – my curated zine series drawing from the daily blog archive! Issue 01 shares twenty posts from 2017 on viva prep, confidence and the viva process. It feels great to start an exciting project like this but it’s made doubly exciting by doing it around the anniversary of the blog. Check out the issue here – and again, thank you for reading 🙂

Nathan

Your Supporters

Daily Post

You’re not alone as you get ready for your viva. There are many people around you who can make a practical difference to your preparations but you might need to ask them for their support.

Don’t leave it too late. A lot of viva prep is work you’ll do by yourself. You probably don’t need a lot from others, but that makes the practical support you do need all the more valuable. It’s important to get it right.

Beyond your supervisor, who are your supporters? What do you need from them? When will you ask for their help?

Nathan

What Did You Improve?

Daily Post

There’s no one-size-fits-all way to define the value of a contribution to research. Expectations vary a lot between disciplines but perhaps one universal question could simply be “what did you improve?”

Do we know something new now? Do we know something more? What is clearer? What new questions do we know to explore?

A starting point to a response might be to reflect on the improvements in you: now more learned, more capable and more thoughtful.

 

PS: I share another helpful tool to help explore thesis contributions in the first issue of Viva Survivors Select – my curated zine drawing from the daily blog archive. As well as twenty posts from the past I share original writing, including a reflective summary process for breaking down thesis chapters. Check out the issue here.

Nathan

Beliefs Lead To Actions

Daily Post

What happens if you believe your examiners are going to be harsh with you?

What happens if you believe the viva is a tough process?

What happens if you believe you’re going to forget something important?

You won’t be more likely to fail, but if you believe the viva will be harsh or tough then you’re going to act accordingly.

You’ll be on alert in your prep, looking for problems instead of looking for progress; you’ll be cautious in the viva, wondering when the bad questions will come. If you worry about forgetting you’ll be watching yourself and distracted from simply engaging with the discussion.

Your beliefs about the viva have an impact on how you approach it. Sometimes they place limits where there don’t need to be.

What happens if you believe that you’ve done enough? What happens if you believe you’re good enough?

Nathan

Better Than Busy

Daily Post

I was really busy when I was getting ready for my viva.

I’m thinking about the volume of work I did. About six weeks, 9am to 4pm with lunch breaks: reading my thesis, reading papers, making notes, planning a presentation, talking with my supervisor and trying to throw away hypotheticals that would pop into my mind.

Here are some things I did not do during those six weeks:

  • Apply for jobs;
  • Work at a job I already had;
  • Have to manage a household or substantial responsibilities;
  • Manage any health conditions;
  • Think about life after the PhD.

I did a lot of work to get ready for my viva and a lot of it was useful. But I look back and see that I did more than I needed to so that I kept busy. I kept the feeling going for myself that I was getting ready.

I did that partly because I could hide in busy-ness, partly because I was unfocussed in my life then and partly because I didn’t know what to expect from my viva.

 

I’m going to assume that you have to commit a serious amount of time to at least two of the items on the list above right now. Your life and time is not as open as mine was. I’m going to assume as well that, if you’re reading this post, you have at least some idea of what to expect from the viva.

You don’t have time to keep busy with your prep. In some ways that makes you fortunate compared to 2008-Nathan. You can be effective in your viva prep instead.

Sketch out your prep plans. Check you know what to expect. Ask for help. Don’t throw yourself into stress and rush and busy. Work out how to get the work done alongside your life.

You can do better than busy.

 

PS: if you’re looking for more helpful ideas about the viva then take a look at Viva Survivors Select – my new curated zine series collecting great posts from the daily blog archive. The first issue is available now here. Thanks for reading!

1 2 3 4 5 6 … 306