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Tag: capable

Nathan

Qualified

Daily Post

Three qualified people is what you have, at a minimum, at your viva.

Every viva in the UK has one candidate and at least two examiners.

The latter are qualified because of how they are selected. They need to meet criteria, such as having a doctorate, experience and training. There will be a specific reason why they were asked to be your examiners rather than someone else.

You are qualified because you did the work. You invested the hours. You made something. So you’re capable now and qualified to be at your viva.

 

Remember: qualified is not a synonym for perfect. No-one at your viva is perfect or is expected to be perfect. You’re all just continuing to demonstrate your best and most capable selves.

Nathan

Hole In One

Daily Post

It’s really unlikely that any person playing a game of golf – even the most experienced professional – will get a hole in one during a game.

It is still possible though. Players do get them from time to time, but it’s not why most people play.

Similarly, at your viva it’s possible you’ll get no corrections but it’s not very likely. It’s possible your viva will be finished in less than an hour but there’s not much that you can do to bring it about. And it’s possible that you’ll be asked a question that brings you to shocked silence, but far, far more likely that you’d have something to say.

You didn’t do all of that the work for a quick viva, an easy time and a hope that you wrote your thesis perfectly. You did the work and in the process learned how to do it well. You learned how to be a good, capable researcher.

Now the viva is your time to show your examiners you can do it. It’s not a rush, it’s not a game and it’s not done with a hope that it will be done as quickly as possible.

Nathan

Steep Going

Daily Post

Seth Godin’s post on the topic of mountains came back to my memory recently.

“There’s a lot to be said for showing up, one foot in front of the other. In fact, those are the only people who make it to the steep part in the first place.”

It resonated with the definition of survive that I always have in mind: manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

Perhaps viva prep and the viva seem like a tough time. It can be particularly difficult but it’s worth remembering that you’ve got this far because you managed to keep going. In the last few years we really have had a LOT of difficult circumstances because you persisted.

Don’t forget how far you’ve come and how you got this far. The end is in sight.

Keep going.

 

(and please check out the blog and work of Seth Godin who is, in my opinion, simply the best!)

Nathan

Run The Numbers

Daily Post

Success at your viva is not directly determined by:

  • The number of papers in your bibliography.
  • The number of pages in your thesis.
  • The number of words on all those pages.
  • How many days you showed up to do the work.
  • How many meetings you had with your supervisor.
  • How many times you failed.
  • How often you were challenged.
  • The number of times you overcame significant obstacles to get your thesis done.

Success isn’t directly determined by any of these numbers but your capability and confidence can be helped by simply considering just how much you’ve done to complete your PhD.

Run the numbers. Reflect on how much you’ve done, how far you’ve come and what that all means for you and your viva.

Nathan

Whatever

Daily Post, Sabbatical

Whatever challenges you faced during your PhD, they helped you get to submission and to the viva.

Whatever prep you do it will build on a solid foundation of knowledge and ability that you have developed.

Whatever disruption you encountered because of the pandemic you have worked around and persevered.

Whatever questions you are asked you will be able to find a way to respond.

Whatever you feel before your viva, you are a talented and capable researcher.

Whatever happens you are good enough.

 

Viva Survivors Summer Sabbatical: I’m taking July, August and September off from new writing to concentrate on other creative projects, so will be sharing a post from the archives every day throughout those months. Today’s post was originally published on April 29th 2022.

Nathan

Demonstrating Capability

Daily Post

Assuming that you pass your viva it’s you who are the PhD, not your thesis. Your thesis is part of the mechanism for your success. Your examiners need to explore the contribution you’ve made and also examine your capability as a researcher in your field.

It might help before your viva to reflect a little on the last few years:

  • What have you learned?
  • What skills have you developed?
  • What research processes can you do now that you couldn’t when you started?
  • What makes you a good researcher?

The last question is simple to ask. The details should all be there when you look at the last few years, but it might be hard to put them into words. Take time to think about how you can demonstrate that you are a capable researcher.

What makes you good at what you do? What makes you good enough?

Nathan

Hats & Rabbits

Daily Post

A magician lays their top hat on the table after showing that there’s nothing inside.

They cover the hat with a silk handkerchief and wave a wand – and just like that a rabbit appears!

It’s magic! We are amazed!

And depending on our age, savvy and insight we might know that the rabbit didn’t just materialise. We may suspect hidden compartments, mirrors or misdirection, but the effect is all the same. However they did it, they pulled a rabbit out of their hat.

We might not know the exact methods involved, but if we think even for a moment we can surmise that it’s taken years of work, a lot of practice and experience and a certain amount of persistence to pull a rabbit out of a hat. It looks amazing. It looks impossible. But it’s the only way: they really worked to make it happen.

When we reflect on that level of commitment it seems all the more special I think.

 

Understanding how someone talented became that good, even if you can’t understand all of the steps along the way, helps you to appreciate them all the more.

Ahead of your viva, turn that reflection on yourself. Realise and remember that the magic you do, the special feats that you can perform in your work and in the viva, are the result of years of work, a lot of practice and experience and a certain amount of persistence.

You may not be pulling a rabbit out of a hat in your viva but you can create a suitably great impression all the same.

Nathan

Whatever

Daily Post

Whatever challenges you faced during your PhD, they helped you get to submission and to the viva.

Whatever prep you do it will build on a solid foundation of knowledge and ability that you have developed.

Whatever disruption you encountered because of the pandemic you have worked around and persevered.

Whatever questions you are asked you will be able to find a way to respond.

Whatever you feel before your viva, you are a talented and capable researcher.

Whatever happens you are good enough.

Nathan

A Little Extra Is Enough

Daily Post

Another way to think about viva prep: it’s the extra time you get to do a little bit more.

Not a lot of time. Not a lot of work.

The work you’ve already done – research, writing and development – is what gets you through the viva. You’ve written a good enough thesis to share your research. You’ve grown enough in your talent and knowledge to be a capable researcher in your field.

Prep is that little extra to help convince yourself that you’re good enough.

Nathan

Day By Day

Daily Post

Over the course of a full-time PhD in the UK, a candidate will probably show up on seven to eight hundred days. I can well imagine this number goes up for a part-time PhD. A candidate shows up when they come to get something done: work on their research practically, learn something, share something or write something.

They show up when they come to do something that matters.

On most days it might not feel like much. Stuck in the middle of second year, you could feel as if you’re stuck in a loop. Wake up, do work, sleep, wake up, do work, sleep, and so on. But it all helps. It adds up. Over hundreds of days, bit by bit, you build talent. Reflect on them and you can build confidence too.

You won’t have hundreds of days between submission and the viva, but this day by day perspective still helps through preparation time. Do a little every day, and build up how ready you feel. Build up your confidence day by day.

Pay attention to when you show up and confidence will follow.

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