My Graduation
In over six years of writing about the viva I don’t think I have ever posted about my PhD graduation. The thought came to me a few months ago as, coincidentally, I was asked in a series of sessions about...
after the phd
The Last Post
I had an idea to do an “April fool!”-style post about this being the last day of Viva Survivors, but couldn’t bring myself to do it! 🙂 The last ever post. What would that look like? A summary? A thank...
New Beginning
Your viva is almost the end of your PhD. What’s next? An ending is also the start of something else. What’s your new beginning? What do you take with you into this next chapter of your life? What new knowledge...
Great Power
With great power comes great responsibility. It’s fun to know that Stan Lee didn’t quite invent this phrase, but lovely to know that it’s popularisation is pretty much all due to Spider-Man. It applies to more than just superheroes and...
Passing Prestige
There are different outcomes to vivas, but in the grand scheme of things there’s no real hierarchy with them. We know this because when everything is complete you’re not awarded anything extra for how you pass. Corrections, minor or major,...
Just Like That
Whatever stage you’re at during your PhD, sooner or later you’ll be finished. For a lot of researchers I talk to this seems to come around much, much faster than they thought it would. Sooner than expected they get to...
You Don’t Want The Viva
Regular readers of the blog might know I am a huge fan of Seth Godin. I’m re-reading his most recent book, This Is Marketing, and I wanted to share a passage I’ve been thinking about for a while now: Harvard...
Possible Future Plans
At the time I went to my viva, just over eleven years ago, I didn’t know for certain that I was finished with my research. I was 90% sure that I wasn’t going to get any kind of academic position,...
The Slush Pile
I have folders of ideas that haven’t quite made it into reality. Everything from blog posts and simple games to books and workshop concepts. Now and then I review them. Sometimes something will click and I’ll see a way to...
Whatever Comes Next
Remember at the end of your PhD – after the viva is done, after the corrections are finished, when you can breathe – take a moment to pause. Whatever you do afterwards – whether you’re returning to a role you’ve...