Set In My Ways
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...
Daily viva help for PhDs
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...
Viva prep is several big tasks and lots of little things. All together they can help a candidate move closer to feeling ready. Here are some tiny things you could do to help yourself: Bookmark the start of each chapter....
Another way to think about viva prep: it’s the extra time you get to do a little bit more. Not a lot of time. Not a lot of work. The work you’ve already done – research, writing and development –...
Whether it’s Halloween or any other day of the year, your viva is not a scary story in your future. No-one is going to jump out at you in your viva. Nothing startling. Nothing horrific. No terror. No torture. Your...
I would hope you don’t need to be brave for your viva. I would hope that whatever worries or concerns you have, they don’t overwhelm so much that you need to find courage. Given everything you’ve done before, your viva...
I’ve asked over six thousand candidates in workshops, seminars and webinars, “How do you feel about your viva?” Less than 1% have said they felt excited. There’s probably some selection bias there; if you’re attending a session about getting ready...
If you work hard at your research then you increase the chance that you get useful outputs for your PhD. If you write the best thesis you can then it’s more likely it will be read well by someone else...
Viva prep helps you to feel ready for the viva. Learning about expectations helps you to feel ready for the viva. Exploring who your examiners are (a little) helps you to feel ready for the viva. Rehearsing the kind of...
It’s not wrong to reflect on what you might do differently if you started your PhD again. No thesis is perfect. No PhD journey can be completed without encountering problems or making mistakes. The PhD process is one of learning,...
If you think you’re ready for your viva then there’s probably nothing to do but find space to rest and relax. If you’re not sure you’re ready then there’s lots you could try: You could find out more about what to...