Right Summaries
I’ve shared a lot of thoughts on the importance of writing summaries as part of viva prep. They can be a useful way to explore an aspect of your work. They can help to focus attention and simplify complicated ideas....
Daily viva help for PhDs
I’ve shared a lot of thoughts on the importance of writing summaries as part of viva prep. They can be a useful way to explore an aspect of your work. They can help to focus attention and simplify complicated ideas....
The viva is the beginning of the end. Passing it is, I like to think, also the end of the beginning. However you feel about your PhD journey, particularly if it has been challenging or coincided with the pandemic, it is...
A long time ago on the blog I offered some thoughts about examiners being like video game bosses: After all of the trials and tribulations of doing research, your examiners appear through the fog, two mysterious and challenging foes! Whatever...
On your viva day you could be tired. You could forget something. You could be surprised. You could freeze. You could be irritated – or your examiner could be! The train could be late or you could mix up the...
You don’t need to find excuses for when you talk to your examiners. You do need to be ready to explain when they ask you something. The reasons for your research, your knowledge and your thesis help explain how you...
Impostor syndrome is a commonly discussed topic in academia. It’s not unusual for a postgraduate researcher to feel they’re somehow not good enough as they get closer to their viva. I don’t know that anyone has a 100% solution to...
You need to read your thesis, write some notes, rehearse for the viva and so on. You need to prepare for your viva, but preparation is only a part of getting ready. You need to build your confidence for the...
Recently I was preparing for a talk and reflecting about the idea of “having a vision” for what someone does. My vision for this blog is: To help all PhD candidates see the viva is a great big manageable challenge!...
That’s the viva. At and after submission there’s still lots to do, but at and after the viva there’s hopefully only a little way to go. Still work, but not too much. The viva is the beginning of the end...
Viva prep can sometimes seem like a huge project. Existing pressure, personal responsibilities and fatigue can all add to overwhelm. There are no shortcuts to getting ready, but you can start the process by completing tasks that take very little...