Soundbites
It’s cool when you can summarise your research in a tweet. I loved the challenge of explaining my work so that a layperson could understand. I explore ways to tell apart complicated knotted structures. For my PhD, I found several...
Daily viva help for PhDs
It’s cool when you can summarise your research in a tweet. I loved the challenge of explaining my work so that a layperson could understand. I explore ways to tell apart complicated knotted structures. For my PhD, I found several...
There are four elements of practical viva preparation, four key modes of activity to pay attention to: Thinking: specifically, reflecting on your work, how you did it, what it means. Reading: your whole thesis, carefully, and any papers that you...
I love Star Trek. I love the visions of the future, the philosophical explorations and wonder of seeking out new worlds. I also love it when someone shouts, “Red Alert!” Two words that signify danger and excitement, but not panic:...
Pro-tip for the viva: never try to bluff your way out of a tricky question. If you don’t know something, don’t try to pretend that you do and hope that you can get by. Another pro-tip for the viva: ask...
Treat every question as interesting, important, a chance to learn and an opportunity to demonstrate your talents. If you treat a question as interesting, you’ll do a courtesy to the person who asked it. If you treat a question as...
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times… It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead...
My daughter will be four in the autumn. For some time now, “Why?” has been the most-uttered expression in and out of our house. Why is the sky blue, why did you say that, why are we having pasta for...
In a workshop a few weeks ago someone asked, “How can you keep the viva short?” I took a long pause before answering. My answer: “Not much.” You can answer questions well – providing the information or analysis requested, explaining...
I’ve heard there are three common responses to anxiety or fear: freeze, fight or flight. Now, my PhD is in pure maths, so I have no idea if that’s 100% right, but it got me thinking about stress over questions...
A common fear: what if your mind goes blank in the viva? You could erm your way through a response: “Erm, well, I think, erm, hmm, that’s… Hmm, erm, if…” You could waffle your way to freedom: “…in conclusion, as...