Bloopers & Highlights
How often do you compare yourself to others? I did this all the time during my PhD. One office mate was determined to complete his PhD quickly. My friend at the next desk was a superstar, she had real talent....
Daily viva help for PhDs
How often do you compare yourself to others? I did this all the time during my PhD. One office mate was determined to complete his PhD quickly. My friend at the next desk was a superstar, she had real talent....
Over the course of a full-time PhD in the UK, a candidate will probably show up on seven to eight hundred days. I can well imagine this number goes up for a part-time PhD. A candidate shows up when they...
When it comes to viva prep there are lots of ways you could try to prepare. You could read your thesis once and leave it at that. You could read and re-read your thesis to try to remember everything. You...
Silence, in almost any kind of meeting, is almost unbearable. Do you know what I mean? The gap in conversation invites tension, creates a shared awkwardness… Sometimes it can feel almost overwhelming. I used to notice it a lot when...
Hi! This is an extra post for today to announce that I’m running my 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva webinar again on Wednesday 20th May. I’ve enjoyed the challenge and delight of sharing new short webinars with PhD candidates...
Dobble is a simple-but-tricky card game. In our house it’s firm favourite for quick fun. A deck of circular cards covered with colourful symbols, the trick is that every card matches every other card in terms of one symbol: it’s...
You’re not expected to simply remember everything in your viva. Photographic recall is not a requirement, and there are lots of useful reminders you can use: Use Post-it Notes to mark the start of chapters or important sections. Write a...
A few months ago I read a lovely little book called The Great Mental Models Volume 1: General Thinking Concepts – which is a long title for a quick read! Each chapter was a short discussion about different useful concepts,...
I’ve frequently been asked, “What should I consider when selecting an examiner?” – a question which usually produces a very long response from me, but I’ll try to be brief and keep it simple! First, candidates don’t get to select...
If home is nearly everything now, how do you make the space – physically, mentally and cognitively – to do the work you need to prepare for your viva? You may need to close doors to signal to others you’re...