Putting The PhD Together
The process of doing a PhD is like doing a really hard jigsaw when you don’t have the picture to start with. It takes time to get going. You have to find the corners, establish your boundaries, and make sure...
Daily viva help for PhDs
The process of doing a PhD is like doing a really hard jigsaw when you don’t have the picture to start with. It takes time to get going. You have to find the corners, establish your boundaries, and make sure...
What’s your number one tip for the viva? I was asked this recently by a PhD candidate… Take time to think is a good one for the viva; make sure you pause and think before answering. Read your thesis carefully...
Check off the following as you complete these thesis-related tasks before the viva: Added Post-it Notes to the start of each chapter to help with thesis navigation. Read through every chapter carefully at least once. Highlighted key references in each...
You might be. Certain, no doubts, no wavering. Or your examiner might be. 100%, thought about it, no alternatives. When someone is convinced, the best thing you can do is ask why. Once you know the why, you know what...
I’m sorting out my home office while I procrastinate about my next book. I’ve gathered a lot of notes and material over the last ten years of working with researchers, and not all of it is useful now. There are...
I love finding valuable questions. I try to read as widely as possible in things like self-help books, coaching blogs and interviews with interesting people. The ideas and advice are often helpful, but a good question hooks my attention more...
Don’t worry. It means you have something interesting in your research. It means that in the viva your examiners have a lot to ask about. And it means you’ve been working on your thesis for a long time. You will...
The vivas that take place over Skype. The third examiner in the room, or the second external. The examiner that isn’t an academic. These aren’t what most candidates would expect, but they don’t make your viva unique and unpredictable. Your...
The viva seems like a job interview from some perspectives. In both cases you might decide to dress smart. Both vivas and job interviews ask questions to explore, at least in part, how great you are. That’s about all though....
Viva preparation does not have to be a full-time job, but at the same time it’s not a trivial matter. It takes time, it takes space and it takes effort. The result of all of this work is someone who...