Help!
There’s a lot of help available for your viva. The secret is to ask for help before all you can think is “Help!” Your supervisor can answer questions, offer opinions and put your mind at ease. Friends can listen, share...
ask for help
Practical Matters
Every so often I’m asked the following sorts of questions by future viva-havers: Will I need to solve equations in my viva? Do I need to take a laptop with me to show my programming? Would it be best to...
Out With The Old
What are you holding on to that you don’t need any more? Perhaps it’s a drift of papers that you’ve never quite got around to reading. Maybe some scraps of notes for a section you’re not sure you need in...
Just Ask
Need help before your viva? Just ask. There are lots of people who can help you practically. Your supervisors, your friends and your colleagues could all do things to help with your preparations. Need to know more about the viva?...
A Clear Desk
Start your viva prep with a clear desk, then think about what you might need to add back. Just imagine… You need your thesis. You need some small bits of stationery, either to add things to your thesis or to...
Not Noticed
Twenty minutes before my first webinar of the autumn I realised that I couldn’t close my office door. The panel from the side of the bath was in the way, leaning just beside the door. I had taken it off...
Asking Your Community
Who do you know who could help you get ready for your viva? Your supervisors can help with a lot: setting expectations, hosting mock vivas, sharing ideas of what examiners do – there’s a wealth of support from them potentially....
Whispers
Postgraduate researchers find out a lot of things during the PhD through whispers. “Psst! How do I do this?!” “Who do I talk to about that?” “What even is a viva?!” Of course, some conversations have to be held quietly:...
A Problem Shared
You’re the only person who can pass your viva, but there are many, many people who can support you before you get that far. It may be that you just need a little encouragement, but if you have a problem...
On Banishing Impostors
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...