Questioning Weakness
There are many causes of doubt before the viva. One possibility is that a candidate believes some aspect of their research or thesis isn’t good enough. They find a weakness and then can do nothing but dwell on it. If...
Daily viva help for PhDs
There are many causes of doubt before the viva. One possibility is that a candidate believes some aspect of their research or thesis isn’t good enough. They find a weakness and then can do nothing but dwell on it. If...
Say no to distractions. Find time and space to do what you need to for your viva prep. Say no to typos when you find them in your thesis. They don’t need to be your focus. Make a note and...
A video viva is still just a viva in the same way that an ebook is still just a book. There are fundamentals that we would expect in both cases – a conversation in a viva, text in a book...
It’s not necessary for every PhD candidate to cite their examiners in their thesis. It might be helpful for you in particular to have cited your examiners. Or rather, who you have cited might have an influence on the list...
Between Christmas and New Year I shared some of my favourite writing from 2021. In case you missed those posts here are links to each with a piece that particularly stands out to me. Best of Viva Survivors 2021: Viva...
Last year I waited for the latest Spider-Man movie for a long time. I wondered if I would even get to see it at the cinema because of the pandemic. Then I wondered if all of the rumours were true...
You can ask for a break in the viva. You can let your examiners know that you need one for a medical or health-related reason. You can ask for one because your viva is becoming long. You can ask for...
After submission you need to read your thesis to prepare for the viva. Inevitably you’ll find a word that is in some way wrong. It’s not spelled correctly, it’s the wrong word, you meant something different or perhaps it is...
Make a plan for submission. Set milestones to help keep you on track. Check the details for the official things you need to do. Maybe ask a friend to go with you if you have to submit paper copies and...
The viva is nearly-but-not-quite the end of the PhD journey. It really won’t take much to get ready for it. You’ll get to have a conversation with two interested academics about your research. Once your viva is finished and your...