If you’re unsure about some aspect of the viva – the process, expectations or even something as subjective as the tone – then the answer is simple:
Figure out what questions you need answers for, then find people who can answer them.
If you need to know something then you need to do something.
Need some help thinking of who could examine you? Start with these six questions to get a list of names:
With these six questions you can get a long or short list quite quickly. Then you have to figure out how you narrow it down so that you can have a chat with your supervisors.
A more useful question perhaps: what are you really looking for in an examiner?
Once you know the answer to this, you can have a more meaningful conversation with your supervisors about who might be a good choice.
You could be enthusiastic but untalented at the start of a PhD, and unsure but hardworking in the middle.
The only explanation for getting to the end is that you’ve done the work and done it well. It’s not an accident you’ve made it this far: you’ve done something that’s valuable, and you can only do it by being good at what you do.
The viva’s not a formality, it’s just one more challenge – a challenge you are fully capable of making a success.
What will they ask?
What will they think?
What will they say?
How long will it take?
What corrections will I get?
What if I freeze?
What if I don’t know?
What if they don’t like it?
You can’t answer any of these questions before the viva. For some of them, there might not be an answer at all as circumstances don’t go that way. You can definitely spend your time thinking, maybe worrying about these problems, trying to anticipate different outcomes. That’s one approach.
Another approach would be to disregard these problems entirely. Instead, spend your time preparing for the viva and reminding yourself how you got this far.
Consider your examiners. Two people sat across the table from you and they’re interested. They’ve read your thesis, thought about it and now have questions for you. You’ve got to answer their questions to pass, but maybe you can get some answers to questions of your own. You might ask:
You don’t have to ask them questions, but there’s an opportunity in the viva to get ideas and insights from two experienced researchers who’ve read your thesis.
What do you most want to know?
Don’t make assumptions about why a question is being asked in the viva.
Don’t answer a question without listening and understanding it first.
Don’t bluff, evade or lie.
Don’t hope for a particular finish time.
Don’t expect the viva will be impossible.
Don’t expect it will be easy either.
Don’t go without being prepared.
Don’t discount all of the work you’ve done and the talent you must have.
Don’t forget to celebrate when you’re done.
They’re not always looking for answers.
Viva questions aren’t unfair, but they might not always be asked with the expectation of a definitive answer. It could be they simply start a discussion.
You might not know, your examiners might not know, maybe no-one knows “the answer”.
But you might have an idea or two. Or you might know why you don’t. Or you could discuss the topic with your examiners.
Another secret: you’re among the best people – possibly the best person in the world – to discuss the questions that are asked in your viva.
It’s really tempting to have a couple of answers tucked away for the viva, ready for the obvious questions you’ll almost definitely be asked.
But how do you know you’ll definitely be asked those questions? If you’re not, you’ll be asked different questions – questions you’ve not prepared answers for! So then: best to find more questions to have answers for, get them prepped, ready to deploy when the examiner says this or that.
So how many questions to have ready then? 10? 20? 100? More?!
It’s ridiculous when we take it to these extremes, of course.
Preparing answers to every question is a bad idea. Too many plausible questions could come up. You’ll be asked a small number of these in the viva, and probably several more you couldn’t anticipate. Better to focus on answering questions generally than specifically: get comfortable with being asked unexpected questions, rather than happy at being able to recite something for many specific questions.
The exception that proves the rule: make sure you feel happy answering “What’s the contribution of your research to your field?”
What did you not put in your thesis?
As my submission got closer there were several ideas I worked on which didn’t make it into my thesis. One little project was just too big in the end, and I couldn’t find a way to explain it concisely. One I chose not to pursue because it was just a restatement of ideas in a different way. And one section was a nice idea that just wouldn’t add much to the overall value of my thesis.
Reflecting with years of hindsight: the reasons why I didn’t include something stand in stark contrast with the things that I did include in my thesis. My thesis made contributions to my field. I judged, with support from my supervisor, that the things I left out did not make a meaningful contribution compared to the things I kept in.
If you’re finishing your PhD, what are you leaving unwritten? Why is it staying out? How does it compare with the work that makes up your thesis?
What could get you enthusiastic for your viva? Not just “not stressed” or “prepared” but ready.
Would a piece of music do it?
Exercising in the morning?
A motivational talk from someone who believes in you?
I meet very few candidates who are excited about their viva or even looking forward to it. I think sharing expectations and viva stories can help change perceptions – but, on reflection, that won’t make many people fired up that their viva is coming. They’ll be prepared, not scared, but not excited either.
What might do it for you? Even if you can’t get super-excited, what steps are you going to take to get you further away from worry, closer to happy?