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December 31, 2017March 8, 2018 Nathan

Best of Viva Survivors 2017: Reflections

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I’m rounding 2017 off with five days of link sharing for five different areas I’ve posted on this year. Reflections is the catch-all category I have for posts which are when I’m pondering and musing over the viva. I spend a lot of time thinking about the viva and how to help people prepare for it, so it’s not all that surprising that this shows up.

Change The Story – how are you thinking about the viva?
1-10-100-1000 – looking at different dates in the PhD.
The Elephant Story – get the full picture of the viva…
The Perfect Viva – What would a perfect viva look like?
The Fourth Option – viva questions don’t have to only stress you out.
The Most Important Exams (Or Not) – every exam is the most important thing ever. Except they’re not.
When The Tide Goes Out – a reflection for the end of the PhD.
No Accident – my first post on the daily blog, and still one of my favourites.

There will be many, many more reflections from me on the blog in 2018. I hope that some of these have helped you think about what your viva will be like. See you here in 2018: tomorrow! 😀

Found another post that you think is awesome? Let me know! And please share my best of 2017 posts with anyone who might need them. Retweets are always welcome!

Best of Viva Survivors 2017: Short Posts

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I’m rounding 2017 off with five days of link sharing for five different areas I’ve posted on this year. Today I’m sharing some of my favourite short posts. Sometimes I’ll have a thought and realise it doesn’t take many words to explain it. Others, it’s the beginning of something else I’ll come back to another time. In any case, all of the posts below are brief but helpful. I’ve provided a tiny excerpt from each post to give a taste!

The Best – …when can you stop?
One Day – …why would this day be any different?
Examiners Aren’t – They’re not monsters.
On The Other Hand – …you can prepare for viva and be ready…
Useful Words – You get to pick what helps you most…
Your Opinion – Your opinion counts.
Next? – …you have to do something better.
Remember This – Omniscience isn’t a pre-requisite…

These aren’t the only short posts on the blog. In 2018 I’m hoping to make time to go through and tag shorter posts so they become more searchable. Good idea?

Found another post that you think is awesome? Let me know! And please share my best of 2017 posts with anyone who might need them. Retweets are always welcome!

Best of Viva Survivors 2017: Questions

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I’m rounding 2017 off with five days of link sharing for five different areas I’ve posted on this year. Today we’re exploring posts about questions. I love using questions to help people unpick all sorts of aspects of the viva, from prep through to feelings and questions that candidates can work through and answer to get as ready as possible.

9 Questions For The End Of The PhD – a good starting point for looking back.
Six Whys – I love using “why” to start some thinking, and here are six good why questions…
Six More Whys – …and here are six more!
7 Questions To Answer At Submission – some common queries for candidates to resolve.
Examiner Profiles – a step-by-step process for thinking about who your examiners are.
Questioning Your Bibliography – questions to unpick where your research comes from.
3 Questions You’ll Never Be Asked… – a short reflective exercise to help unpick viva anxieties.
Why-How-What – a short three-question framework for summarising your research.

Questions help because they lead to answers. I like series of questions for digging into a topic, and hope to write more posts like this next year.

Found another post that you think is awesome? Let me know! And please share my best of 2017 posts with anyone who might need them. Retweets are always welcome!

Best of Viva Survivors 2017: Acronyms & Tools

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I’m rounding 2017 off with five days of link sharing for five different areas I’ve posted on this year. Today the focus is on acronyms and thinking tools that I think could be really useful for viva prep or thinking about your research. I love these sorts of concepts that try to help with clear thinking or providing structure. Take a look and see what you think.

SMART Viva Prep – putting structure around your viva prep plans.
SWOTting Up – using SWOT to help review your thesis.
A Good INTRO – a presentation structure that helps summarise your research.
Colour Your Thinking – using one of Edward de Bono’s thinking tools to review chapters.
Plus, Minus, Interesting – another de Bono thinking tool inspires some review ideas.
Dreamer, Realist, Critic – a creative thinking process that you can use to look back over your research.

Acronyms are like beautiful little bundles of help. Thinking tools can give frameworks to help direct your thinking. To my mind, both perfect places to look for viva help!

Found another post that you think is awesome? Let me know! And please share my best of 2017 posts with anyone who might need them. Retweets are always welcome!

Best of Viva Survivors 2017: Viva Prep

Daily Post

I’m rounding 2017 off with five days of link sharing for five different areas I’ve posted on this year. I’m starting today with the topic of viva prep which is something I think about every day. How can we best approach it? How can I help people think about it and then do something effective? Here’s a list of some of the best posts from 2017 to help with preparing for the viva!

10 Thesis Reading Tips For Viva Prep – pretty much exactly what it sounds like!
First Thoughts – a quick reflective exercise.
Start – ideas on when to start preparation.
Allies and Acknowledgements – thoughts on figuring out who can help you prepare…
Coffee Break – …and ideas on some essential ways they can help!
A Different Perspective – talk to your supervisors about what they think.
Eight Thoughts About Viva Stress – what to do if thinking about the viva becomes too much.
Rehearsal – thoughts about how to make the most of the mock viva.
Taming The Blank Page – quick strategies for making valuable summaries of your thesis.

I hope these posts are really useful for you. There are hundreds of posts on the blog from 2017, so go looking and see what you find.

Found something else on viva prep that you think is awesome? Let me know! And please share my best of 2017 posts with anyone who might need them. Retweets are always welcome!

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