And Another Thing
There’s always more. More research. More prep. More you could say in the viva. At some point you have to say enough. You have to figure out and decide when you have enough research and you’ve done enough in your...
Daily viva help for PhDs
There’s always more. More research. More prep. More you could say in the viva. At some point you have to say enough. You have to figure out and decide when you have enough research and you’ve done enough in your...
You can’t know what the first question in your viva be will be until it’s asked. You can’t know how long your viva will be until your examiners say, “OK, we’re done!” You can’t know how you will respond to...
There’s always more you can do. More ideas to be pursued to add to your research. A new perspective or an extra thought to include in your thesis. Another paper to read. And another! All that proofreading and there will...
What can you do now that you couldn’t at the start of your PhD? What skills have you developed that you didn’t have when you began? What do you now know that you didn’t when you started your research? What...
The viva is framed in lots of different ways. It’s an exam. It’s a test. It’s a discussion. It’s the end of the PhD journey or the final challenge. You could be excited to be there or telling yourself, “Let’s...
There’s always a chance you’re wrong about something. There’s always a possibility your examiners believe you’re wrong. Until they ask they won’t be able to know either way. Being wrong or being asked something because you might be wrong is...
Comfort, Stretch and Panic are a helpful trio to consider when challenging yourself. The first two words are helpful to consider as springboards for reflection in your viva prep. For Comfort, think about what skills or knowledge you’ve developed on your...
The simplest definition of what you need to pass the viva: enough stuff. Enough of a thesis. Enough results or findings to write up. Enough data. Enough work. Enough papers read. Enough knowledge in your brain. Enough talent built up...
I wasn’t a fan of The Wizard of Oz when I was a child. At the time it had too many songs for my taste and not enough lightsabers or spaceships, but as I’ve got older I’ve come to appreciate it...
I’ve observed some PhD candidates think their examiners’ expectations will be set way too high. Candidates can worry… …whatever someone has produced for their thesis, the examiners will want more. …if you’ve published a paper, they’ll wonder why you don’t...