Daily viva help for PhDs
If you can honestly say that you tried hard, learned lots and did the work for your PhD then that’s enough. If you can say that despite challenges and obstacles, setbacks and worse, that you did your best throughout your PhD then that’s enough.
Your determination, knowledge and capability helped you to keep going. That will help you to get ready for your viva.
Ultimately, it’s what will lead you to succeed in your viva.
Your best is enough.
Some examiners say harsh things…
Some examiners don’t prepare well…
Some examiners treat the viva as box-ticking…
Some examiners use the viva as an opportunity to be cruel…
I can’t dispute the possibility of these kinds of statements. I’ve heard them before and I’ve heard fragments of enough stories to know that these statements are true.
…for some examiners.
Not all. Not most. In fact, only for a tiny percentage.
The vast majority of academics who take on an examiner responsibility try to do it well. The vast majority prepare and plan and get ready. They’re careful and thorough. Being asked questions might not always be comfortable – but the atmosphere in the viva is not totally dictated by examiners.
Some examiners could be described as not doing the job well.
Most examiners will do what’s appropriate.
Don’t let the rare exception skew your expectations.
If you’re trying to explore any problem or project then remember SWOT:
In particular, when it comes to viva prep, you could apply the questions to consider the following:
Exploring each of these could help you plan your viva preparation.
Remember that while your plans might not go exactly as you want, given the momentum you have from your PhD journey so far and the talent you have built up there are no real threats that could stop you being prepared for your viva.
A to do list could be a good way to tackle viva prep or start framing what you need to do. How about:
The third and fourth items are, of course, simplified – but that doesn’t mean that doing them has to be very complicated.
…is just a choice.
It doesn’t have to be done at a special time on a special day in a special way.
The first day of a new year has a nice symbolism though.
If your viva is some time in the next twelve months, you don’t have to make a heroic stand today. You don’t have to declare that you’re going to do all the things, read all the papers and think all the thoughts to get ready. You can simply make a choice:
These are just simple choices, not big deals. Little steps to help you get where you need to be.
Whether your viva is in the next twelve months or not, I hope your choices take you somewhere good in 2025!
Today’s the final day of 2024 and the final day of my best of posts for 2024.
The blog is called Viva Survivors, so we have to have some posts about surviving!
How have you got through your PhD? What helped you manage to keep going in difficult circumstances?
And what’s going to help you survive in 2025?
Day three of my best of posts for 2024. I love to think about how to encourage confidence, both in general and for the viva in particular. It’s a topic I keep thinking about because of how powerful it can be in changing someone’s way of doing things.
How confident do you feel for your viva? What steps do you take to pursue confidence?
Day two of my best of posts for 2024. I am very fortunate to have time to think about and write about the viva.
I like to try and consider the viva from as many angles as possible, which leads to posts like today’s that reflect on the overall viva experience.
How have you been thinking about your viva over the last year? And how do you think you might need to change your thinking?
I’m always happy to get to this time of year when I can share some of my favourite posts from the last twelve months!
Today we begin with viva prep. It’s a key thing for any candidate to reflect on how they will get ready. The following five posts can help:
And of course there are many more posts about viva prep on Viva Survivors if you’re looking for ideas of what you can do to get ready for your viva!
From me and my family to you and yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and very best wishes for 2025. However you celebrate at this time of year, or if you don’t, I wish nothing but the best for you and anyone you love.
Viva Survivors will take a break for a few days now. On Saturday 28th December I’ll share the first of four “best of” posts for this year. Expect daily lists of my favourite posts through to the 31st.
New Viva Survivors posts return on January 1st 2025!
Until then, here’s one of my favourite posts from 2021: A Visit From St. Nate 🙂