Expect Good
What could your viva be like? It could be lots of things! It could be four hours long but feel like it’s over in half that, like mine felt to me. It could begin with a chance for you to...
Daily viva help for PhDs
What could your viva be like? It could be lots of things! It could be four hours long but feel like it’s over in half that, like mine felt to me. It could begin with a chance for you to...
We have a fireplace in our living room that looks like a coal fire. It’s not. It’s a gas fire. It’s not connected up. The previous owners of the house had it disconnected and we’ve never needed it. We use...
My daughter loves reading but hates tidying. Consequently our living room builds up towers of books and ad hoc bookcases that lean against table ends. About once a fortnight something collapses, usually when just one more book has been added...
There’s a difference between the thoughts you want from your supervisors before and after submission. While finishing your thesis there are all sorts of things you might want them to consider. Does it read well? Is this right? Does it...
What’s the final thing you need to do before submission? What’s the final piece of information about your examiners that will help you feel better about them? What’s the final thing you need to know about the viva? What’s the...
You can’t know in advance what your examiners will ask for every question. You can’t know how long it will be exactly. You won’t know what parts of your thesis they think need changing, amending or updating. You can’t know...
You don’t know how much time you’ll have in your viva. However long it is, it’s not worth stressing or obsessing. The best thing you can do is use the time that you have well. Use your time to listen,...
In the UK there have to be at least two examiners, one internal and one external. Both are important. It’s not true that the external has the final say or is senior to the internal. Both will have read your...
If viva prep seems hard – you’re tired, stretched, stressed, busy – then think about how you can make doing it somehow rewarding to you. Can you incentivise getting it done? Can you record doing it in a fun way?...
If you feel nervous about your viva there is a reason. Don’t try to put it to one side or squash it down, because that feeling is trying to draw your attention to something. If you feel nervous because you...