The Right Way
One of the things I love about summertime is it feels right to treat yourself with a scone. But it has to be a scone with jam and clotted cream. Scone cut open, jam first then clotted cream on top....
Daily viva help for PhDs
One of the things I love about summertime is it feels right to treat yourself with a scone. But it has to be a scone with jam and clotted cream. Scone cut open, jam first then clotted cream on top....
As of last week I have delivered my Viva Survivor session 217 times. More than fifty of those were in 2018! I feel confident with the session and how I deliver it partly because of the number of times I’ve...
What’s your vision of your viva? Lewis Carroll is misquoted as having written, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will get you there.” He didn’t write that, but it’s a neat way to summarise a short exchange...
Your thesis has to contain a significant, original contribution to knowledge. When I work with researchers I tend to focus on “significant” a lot, but originality is a useful concept to dig into before the viva. I get the sense...
Where will your viva take place? You’ll know in advance. Examiners don’t surprise candidates on the day with the examination room. Since you’ll know before the big day, go and check it out. What is the space like? Are there...
A question you have not considered. A question that surprises you. A question that does not seem relevant. These questions could be scary: if the goal of the viva is to engage in discussion then a question you have not...
Focus on perfection for the viva and you’ll be disappointed. Having a focus for your preparations is useful. You can see gaps in your confidence, and set goals to bridge those gaps. There’s a lot you could do. Pick a...
This is a question I didn’t realise I was asking myself before my viva. All of my friends told me I would be fine. They’d passed their vivas, they told me I would pass mine. It would be OK. Why?...
Ask around, you’ll see, Yours will be different, but: Not a mystery! Thesis examinations follow regulations; examiners develop good practice. Talk to your friends who have had a viva in the last few years and learn from the stories...
At some point you have to finish. No more reading papers, no more ideas. Your thesis has to be complete. Enough, done! In preparation for the viva, checking recent publications shows you are a capable researcher. Thinking of how you...