The Last Review
What will you look for when it’s the last time to look over your thesis before your viva? The sections and sentences you’ve highlighted? The red pen that shows the typos and changes you want to make? The paragraphs that...
Daily viva help for PhDs
What will you look for when it’s the last time to look over your thesis before your viva? The sections and sentences you’ve highlighted? The red pen that shows the typos and changes you want to make? The paragraphs that...
You’ll most likely pass your viva! It really is the most likely outcome. Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be nervous. It doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to prepare for or you can just take time off until you meet your...
I’ll be fine in the viva so long as I’m not asked about Chapter 4… I can only talk about what I did, I don’t want to talk about hypotheticals… I’m happy to talk to my examiners but don’t want...
Academics have a sense of what is right when they come to examine a thesis. This is underpinned by regulations but also informed by what they believe is the right way to do things. These beliefs are a mix of...
Simply hoping you will succeed at the viva is leaving what happens up to luck. It’s not wrong to want to succeed, but you mustn’t believe that passing is only due to whether or not things just happen to work...
Do everything you can to improve your feeling of confidence for your viva. Look back at the story of your PhD and take apart all the key moments and stages to show how you have become a capable, talented researcher....
Just a moment. That’s all you need, compared to the years of work in your PhD already, in order to get ready for your viva. Just a moment. The shortest of pauses, used regularly throughout the viva, is all you’ll...
Your thesis is not written only to pass the viva, or only to live up to your examiners’ expectations. That’s worth keeping in mind as you write it, but also as you prepare for your viva. To share your contribution...
An infrequent-but-troubling question at viva help seminars is “What will my examiners think if I don’t have any publications by the time I have my viva?” Or worse, “Can my examiners fail me if I don’t have any publications?” Examiners...
Cheer up your viva prep with a selection of sticky notes for your thesis. Mark out the beginning of chapters and important sections. Add sentences of clarification to pages. Stick in summaries and helpful bullet point lists. Find the best...