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Category: Update

Nathan

Two Dates

Event, Update

I am very happy to share two upcoming dates that will be of interest to Viva Survivors readers.

 

Next Thursday, October 24th 2024, I’m sharing my Final Year Focus session live on Zoom. I’m asked to deliver this many times over the course of a year by various universities in the UK but I haven’t run an independent session of it for a while.

Final Year Focus is a 1-hour webinar for any PhD candidate working towards submission. How do you take control of the massive amount of work to do in your final year? What can you do to get to grips with the work that matters? These are the big questions I’ll be sharing my thoughts on next week.

Registration details are here on Eventbrite: I’ll be recording Final Year Focus too so if you can’t make it next Thursday 24th October 2024 you’ll be able to catch up for four weeks afterwards!

 

Even more exciting: registration is now open for Viva Survivor on Thursday 5th December 2024.

Quite simply, without Viva Survivor there would be no Viva Survivors blog! Viva Survivor is a 3-hour session that I have now delivered more than 375 times, both in-person and online, for over 7000 PhD candidates.

I’ve had the very good fortune to develop and deliver this session so many times over the last decade and Thursday 5th December 2024 is the first time I have ever offered it as an independent webinar.

What do you need to do to get ready for your viva? What can you expect from your examiners? How can you build confidence for the viva? I’ll respond to these questions and many more at Viva Survivor. There will also be a four-week catch-up recording, helpful handouts and a couple of special surprises along the way.

I’m really very excited to host this session with an open registration for the first time. Information about Viva Survivor and registration are all on this page on Eventbrite. The session itself will be live on Zoom on Thursday 5th December 2024.

 

If either of these upcoming sessions seem helpful to you then I hope you register and can join me for them. If you know someone who would benefit then please do share the link. And if you have any questions about either of the sessions then please do get in touch.

Thank you for reading 🙂

Nathan

Nathan

The Viva Help Parcel

Update

Viva Survivors has almost 2500 posts of viva help. There’s also the old podcast archive, resources and more. If you need viva help there is a lot of it freely available on this site! I’ve created a few publications too:

  • Keep Going – A Viva Survivors Anthology was first published in May 2022 and is my first big collection of Viva Survivors posts, the best of five years of the daily blog.
  • 101 Steps To A Great Viva is the zine that I Kickstarted last summer. Surprisingly it has 101 steps to a great viva! 101 practical steps any candidate can take to help get ready for their viva.

Following a few recent requests I’ve made my last print copies of both Keep Going – A Viva Survivors Anthology and 101 Steps To A Great Viva available for sale as a bundle that I’ll send to your letterbox 🙂

Front cover of "Keep Going - A Viva Survivors Anthology" by Nathan Ryder. Shows five postgraduate researchers sat around a table doing various research-related tasks. Cover by Maria Stoian

If you want print copies of these two helpful viva publications then go to this link – Viva Help Parcel – and look at the images and description to see if they might be for you. I suppose the questions to consider are:

  • Do you want a book of 150+ blog posts from the Viva Survivors blog?
  • Do you want a zine with 101 practical actions to help your viva?
  • And do you want both of these sent to you through the post?

If you answer yes to any of these then please check out the Viva Help Parcel, available with UK shipping included for £20. There are very limited quantities available and I have no current plans to produce more. Thank you for reading!

Cover of 101 Steps To A Great Viva

And PS: If you’re looking for ebooks or pdfs then you can find those here! 🙂

Nathan

A Little Help

Update

I’ve been publishing Viva Survivors for over six years. In writing more than 2300 posts I’ve shared why candidates succeed, what they can expect, what they can do to prepare and how they can find the confidence to believe that it will all be OK on the day. If you need a little help for your viva, you can probably find it in the archives of this blog

If you need a little extra help then remember the community you have around you: you know people who have examined vivas, who have prepared recently or who have succeeded in the past. There’s a lot of help close at hand if you look for it.

And finally if you have your viva coming up and you still feel like you need a little more help, then please take a look at the Viva Help Bundle of ebooks – which is on a very special sale until the end of November.

The Viva Help Bundle contains:

  1. Keep Going, my collection of 150+ posts from the first five years of the Viva Survivors daily blog.
  2. 101 Steps To A Great Viva, my guide to practical steps that every viva candidate can take to help themselves.
  3. How You Got Here, a short reflective writing game to look back over the PhD journey and find confidence.

Actually, there’s a lot of help packed into the Viva Help Bundle – and it is available for £6 until Thursday 30th November 2023. If you think it might be the help you’re looking for, please take a look. And if you want to know more, please get in touch 🙂

Nathan

101 Steps To A Great Viva

Update

I am very happy to share that, after my recent Kickstarter project, 101 Steps To A Great Viva is now available to buy! 😀

Cover of 101 Steps To A Great Viva

Thanks to the generous support of backers I was able to finish this project and create a small print run of this new guide. Copies are now available for purchase from that print run – and 101 Steps To A Great Viva is also available to buy and download as a pdf.

 

Wait, what is this? What are you talking about?

…are two questions you might be asking!

101 Steps To A Great Viva is a 24-page guide to what a PhD candidate could do to help themselves before the viva. From learning about expectations to researching examiners, and from planning viva prep to building viva confidence – this helpful little guide is my attempt to gather together useful, practical advice that any PhD candidate can put into action.

I’ve helped over 8000 PhD candidates with their viva prep in the last decade or so: all of that experience, the questions I’m regularly asked, the worries I hear, the advice I offer – it’s all in 101 Steps To A Great Viva, framed as clear steps for PGRs to take as they prepare to get ready.

How can someone get this?

There are two ways!

First, you could get one of the limited number of print copies still available after the Kickstarter. You can get these from the Books page on this site. For £7 you’ll get a print copy sent through the magic of the Royal Mail (but note that I can only ship to UK addresses).

Second, you can buy and download a pdf copy from my Payhip store for £5: there’s an infinite number of copies so you’ll always be able to get one this way, wherever you are in the world! 101 Steps To A Great Viva has an A5 page size so it will read very well on most screens and devices.

I am excited and happy to finally release 101 Steps To A Great Viva. It’s taken a lot of work but been a lot of fun and I’m delighted at the thought of it helping a lot of people. Take a look, ask me about it if you want to know more and please pick a copy if it sounds like it might help.

Thank you for reading!
Nathan

 

PS: if you’re looking for a lot of help, check out the Viva Help Bundle on my Payhip store, which brings together digital versions of 101 Steps To A Great Viva, Keep Going – A Viva Survivors Anthology and my new, short writing game for viva confidence, How You Got Here.

Nathan

Last Call For Summer Sessions!

Update

I have three viva help sessions running this week and there’s still time for you to join me!

7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva is a tried and tested 1-hour live session of viva help. I’ve delivered it almost seventy times in the last three years. In one hour I break down what the viva is all about, how you can engage with it and what you can do to pass – and we still have time for your questions too!

The seven reasons I share are not tiny things. They’re not hacks, tips or dodges. They’re seven fundamental things to know, explore and hold on to. 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva is a 1-hour confidence boost. I’m sharing it three times over the next three days. You can find out more at these registration links:

Registration closes an hour before the start of each session; I won’t be running more until at least the autumn.

If you’ve already had your viva or have valued my writing or sessions in the past then please pass this on to someone who might need 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your support!

Nathan

Nathan

Looking For Viva Help?

Update

This is an extra blog post today to say thank you for subscribing. This post is public on Viva Survivors but I won’t be publicising it on Twitter etc. It’s really just for you.

I’ve been writing this blog for over six years now and I have no plans for stopping. There are so many reasons why I keep doing it.

  • I know that people, like you, subscribe and read what I write.
  • I know that it helps people.
  • It’s helped me to have a practice, inspiration and an ongoing project.

It really does help to know that so many people like you subscribe. Thank you.

If you ever read a post and it sparks a question or you’re getting ready for your viva, do get in touch. I’m always happy to respond with some thoughts.

And if you’re looking for viva help right now then please take a look at my upcoming 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva sessions.

7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva is a tried and tested 1-hour live session where I break down what the viva is all about, how you can engage with it and what you can do to pass. It’s a 1-hour confidence boost and I’m thrilled to be offering at different times on three consecutive days.

If this sounds helpful, check the dates and register soon: space is limited and I won’t be running more until at least the autumn. To continue saying thank you for your support, if you book in the next three days and use code CONFIDENCE you can save 20% on the registration.

If you’ve already had your viva and have valued my writing or sessions in the past then please pass this on to someone who might need 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva.

Thank you for reading and thank you for your support!

Nathan

Nathan

A Little Update

Update

Draft cover of 101 Steps To A Great Viva

In two days my teeny-tiny Kickstarter campaign to make a helpful little guide for the viva will finish. The campaign has been a lovely success and I’ll soon be producing a print run for 101 Steps To A Great Viva.

But I don’t know how many copies to make yet as there’s still time for a few more backers!

Maybe someone like you? If you’re looking for a clear, action-focussed guide to what you can do to get ready for your viva, then 101 Steps To A Great Viva could be what you’re looking for. It’s simple, direct and will be available very soon to send through the post.

Draft interior pages from 101 Steps To A Great Viva

I’ve been happily writing updates every few days over the last week as I describe the guide, the editing process and a neat little extra that will be included for backers if we reach a stretch goal I’ve set. Fundraising finishes on Wednesday 31st May at 5pm, in just over two days. I’ll have copies available to buy afterwards, but the Kickstarter is the only place you can get the additional rewards I’m offering. Backing the campaign and pledging support ensures you will get a copy of the guide – and you’ll be one of the first to get one too!

Please, if you’ve not looked already, take a look, tell a friend, share the campaign with others or support the campaign if you can. I’m thrilled to have made 101 Steps To A Great Viva and can’t wait to send it out into the world.

I hope I’ll send a copy to you.

Thank you for reading!

Nathan

Nathan

The Big Announcement

Update

I’ve written a helpful little guide to the PhD viva and I need your help to make it a reality.

From today until May 31st I’m running a Kickstarter campaign to fund a print run of 101 Steps To A Great Viva. I’ve nurtured this idea for a long time and I’m thrilled to be sharing it now.

Draft interior pages from 101 Steps To A Great Viva

If you find Viva Survivors helpful then please take a look at my Kickstarter. I think you’ll like what you find and if you think it’s worth backing there are some great rewards to say thank you:

  • Copies of 101 Steps To A Great Viva, including limited earlybird pledges at the time of writing!
  • Signed copies of my last book Keep Going – A Viva Survivors Anthology.
  • Your name listed in the special thanks section of 101 Steps To A Great Viva.

There are also a limited number of very special pledges to have a 1-2-1 conversation with me over Zoom! We can talk viva prep, advice, respond to particular questions and just go over anything you need for your viva.

Thank you so much for reading and do take a look at 101 Steps To A Great Viva. I’m so happy to share this with you today and I hope it can help you or someone you know. Pledge your support and help me make a print run of 101 Steps To A Great Viva!

Draft cover of 101 Steps To A Great Viva

Nathan

Another Little Announcement

Update

(The Big Announcement is coming on Tuesday 16th May!)

I’ve written a short and helpful guide to getting ready for the viva and you can help me publish it – in fact, I would be very grateful if you did!

Cover of 101 Steps To A Great Viva!
My draft cover!

101 Steps To A Great Viva is a 24-page zine packed with practical steps for any PhD candidate. I’ve been thinking about this for years while I’ve been writing the Viva Survivors blog and delivering webinars. For the last six months I’ve been planning, writing and rewriting and I’m really pleased with how it has finally come together.

The Kickstarter to produce a print run of 101 Steps To A Great Viva will launch on Tuesday 16th May. I need your help to make my little helpful guide a reality. Please go to the Kickstarter pre-launch page today and use the “Notify me on launch” button. This does not commit you to supporting the Kickstarter or paying any money, but it will help the project to be shared more widely and you’ll be emailed by Kickstarter when the campaign starts.

On Tuesday, when the campaign launches, you’ll be able to decide if you want to pledge money to back it. If you do I’ve got some great rewards to say thank you, depending on your level of support:

  • Signed print copies of Keep Going!
  • Your name in the thanks section of the zine!
  • 1-2-1 Zoom conversations with me!
  • And, of course, 101 Steps To A Great Viva sent through the post!

Thank you for reading. Please use the notify button on the Kickstarter pre-launch page and help me make a print run of 101 Steps To A Great Viva a reality 🙂

Nathan

A Little Announcement

Update

(because The Big Announcement will be in a few weeks!)

The Headline: I’ve written a new publication and I’ll soon be running a Kickstarter campaign to fund producing a print run!

Cover of 101 Steps To A Great Viva!
My draft cover!

101 Steps To A Great Viva is a short guide to the many things that a PhD candidate can do to work towards a great viva. From understanding expectations to building confidence, via planning your viva prep and asking for help, the guide covers 101 actions that any candidate can do. I share a concise and simply-framed statement for each followed by an exploration of what that means, how someone might do it and what it does for being ready for the viva.

101 Steps To A Great Viva is the publication I’ve been thinking about for years: an original, short guide of viva help. Bite-sized help built on my experiences of working with over 7500 postgraduate researchers and writing the Viva Survivors daily blog for more than six years.

I’m really pleased with what I’ve developed and 101 Steps is 95% complete. A few more edits and it will be ready to be printed. Which is where I need help!

Draft of Page 7, Getting Started
Draft of Page 7!

A few weeks from now I’ll launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund producing a print run of 101 Steps To A Great Viva. I need people to help me by pledging money – and in return I’ll be offering rewards, from copies of the guide, ebooks and print copies of my last publication and even 1-2-1 Zoom conversations with me! If everything goes well enough with the crowdfunding, I’ll be sending out the first copies of 101 Steps in July 2023.

If this sounds at all interesting to you today, here’s how you can help: please go to this link and use the “Notify me on launch” button. That way you will be emailed on the day I launch the campaign, which I’m expecting will be Tuesday 9th May 2023. Using the “Notify me on launch” button won’t obligate you to pledge any money at all. The campaign will run for about three weeks after that, but early interest really helps with the algorithms that help organise these services.

Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you check out 101 Steps To A Great Viva!

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