Three Mini-Vivas
I’m still quite pleased with the Mini-Vivas Resource I made several years ago. I think it’s a nice little way to get ready for your viva with a friend; it doesn’t require a lot of preparation to use, and gives...
Daily viva help for PhDs
I’m still quite pleased with the Mini-Vivas Resource I made several years ago. I think it’s a nice little way to get ready for your viva with a friend; it doesn’t require a lot of preparation to use, and gives...
It’s almost twenty years since I started my PhD. I remember the first week very clearly, sitting at my desk, skim-reading through papers I couldn’t grasp, making notes and chatting with my office-mates. I very distinctly remember thinking, “I don’t...
Old viva advice says that the first question you’re asked at the viva will likely be easy, while the last question likely won’t be. Like a lot of advice, there’s a kernel of truth to this belief but a lot...
When you consider the viva, there’s not a lot you can be precise about. The reasonable expectations of the exam describe a range of possible experiences. Vivas vary in length, examiners can have lots of different backgrounds and every thesis...
How about today? Or tomorrow, if you already had plans for today. If not then, when? Look at your plans for viva prep and make sure you have rest breaks built in. Time to relax and recover on the days...
A small piece of viva prep: think back over your PhD and pick a method you learned, a piece of software or equipment that you became familiar with or a process for getting things done that you put together. Unpick...
Why was your viva so long? I’ve been asked many times before about why my viva was four hours long, but the question surprised me at a recent webinar. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it had been some time since...
Your supervisor is well placed to give you a different perspective on your work. You know how you’ve thought about and written about your work; they could give you their impressions as a more experienced academic, or share how an...
You might have corrections to complete after the viva, but between submission and the viva you don’t need to make any alterations. Find a typo? Underline it or add it to a list. See a reference that needs a tweak?...
You might have a viva that’s finished in an hour or less, but it’s not very likely. You can hope, but that’s about all you can do. Instead of hoping you get some rare occurrence, why not focus your energy...