The “Get To” Shift
Our daughter, being eight, says something like, “But do I have to…?!” most days. Shortly after that, on being told that yes she does have to, she’ll give a big sigh and say, “Okaaaay…” then go off to do whatever...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Our daughter, being eight, says something like, “But do I have to…?!” most days. Shortly after that, on being told that yes she does have to, she’ll give a big sigh and say, “Okaaaay…” then go off to do whatever...
A part of my discomfort before my viva was due to general nervousness and lack of confidence in presenting and discussing my work. I knew my stuff but I wasn’t comfortable talking about it. I didn’t want to be in...
It might take a lot of re-reading to remember something that you need to know. On the morning of my viva I knocked on my supervisor’s door to check the definition of something I had been using in my work for...
Some viva candidates find themselves concerned that they might overstep the line from being confident about their research to being arrogant in their thesis defence. I understand the worry, but typically think there’s not a great deal to be concerned...
Since March 2020, for every session I’ve delivered, I’ve created a Zoom meeting, written up joining instructions for participants, been responsible for hosting the session and had to send all of the information through in plenty of time. I’ve had...
I use Why-How-What a lot to help candidates think about the significant, original contribution that they’ve made through their research. Perhaps When-Where-Who, the other three basic questions are useful for unpicking viva prep: When will you start your prep? Where...
Keep a tiny journal for your prep. Every time you do something, add it to a growing list of what you’ve done in pursuit of being ready. Lots of viva prep tasks don’t have a visible output: when you have...
For a change I want to write about fireworks today. To begin with, a lot of hubbub and excitement beforehand, anticipation at what’s about to happen. Will it be like last time? Someone shares their thoughts based on what...
If you’re working towards your viva now you are so close to being finished. And to get this far you’ve already successfully completed many major milestones. Some you will share with other candidates, they’re part of the general PhD journey;...
I learned the same lesson several times during my PhD: when a certain approach isn’t working, it’s a good idea to try something else. This was a hard lesson for me. I knew how to use the tools and concepts...