How Will You Feel?
I ask “How do you feel?” a lot. By my records I’ve asked this question in seminars and webinars at least 300 times, to over 5000 PhD candidates. It’s good to reflect on in a seminar but that’s one moment,...
Daily viva help for PhDs
I ask “How do you feel?” a lot. By my records I’ve asked this question in seminars and webinars at least 300 times, to over 5000 PhD candidates. It’s good to reflect on in a seminar but that’s one moment,...
In viva prep sessions I ask candidates how they feel about their viva. Often, the group are between a few weeks away from their viva to a few months before submission, and there will be a range of emotions in...
There are two kinds of expectations you might have for your viva, facts and feelings. In the swirl of thoughts about the end of the PhD, and anticipation for what might happen, it can be difficult to determine whether an...
As I was setting up one of my last Viva Survivor sessions before social distancing (three months ago!), one of the participants piped up, “Are you here to put the fear of God into us?” The room had been quiet,...
It’s important to reflect on how you feel about your viva. It’s not enough, I think, to just feel nervous or worried or happy or unsure. Ask yourself WHY you feel that way: dig a little deeper to see what...
If you feel good about your viva, ask yourself, “Why?” If you feel nervous about your viva, ask yourself “Why?” If you feel forgetful, ask yourself “Why?” If you feel excited, ask yourself “Why?” Different emotions seem good or bad...
In the viva, it’s you. Your work is what’s being discussed, but you did it. You’re the topic of conversation. How do you feel about that? At a recent Viva Survivor session, a participant told me that he was sure...
Anxiety and negativity crop up around the viva. There are lots of unhelpful associations. If you have negative thoughts then it’s important to take a step back: Make a list, get it all out in the open, what are you...
When postgraduate researchers imagine the viva they often dial it up to 11… The viva is not just tough, it’s very tough. The questions aren’t just tricky, they’re very tricky. It’s not just long, it’s very long, and so on…...