Prep & Procrastination
If it’s hard to get started on viva prep or you’re putting it off then perhaps you need to make a plan – not to procrastinate but to give yourself some structure. If you get distracted then maybe you need...
getting ready
What’s Important?
Two words to prompt reflection on nearly every aspect of the viva and viva prep. What’s important… …about your thesis? Explore it chapter by chapter with a notebook in hand. Make notes about anything that stands out to you. …about...
Plan For The Unexpected
Plan your viva prep. Take a sheet of paper when you submit and spend ten minutes thinking about how you would space out the work that you need to do. When will you start? Will a month investing an hour most...
Up Your Sleeve
You don’t need to be magical to do well in your viva. You don’t need a hidden card with notes up your sleeve or to be able to divine your examiners’ questions before they ask them. You don’t need to...
Saying Why
Sharing why your research is important is a natural topic of conversation at the viva. Saying why can sometimes be tricky. There are so many factors that you might want to share and so many different ways you might have...
If You Forget
Forgetting something in the viva could happen to any candidate. It’s a reasonable thing to worry about, even if there realistically wouldn’t be a great consequence to a minor lapse in memory. It’s reasonable to worry about forgetting; if you...
Finding The Words
If you’re concerned about saying the right thing at the viva – or worried about saying the wrong thing – then invest time before then in finding the words to share your research. Write summaries to draw out key points....
More Or Less
Before your viva, work to feel more confident rather than less nervous. The importance of your viva doesn’t change: you feel nervous because it matters. Your confidence levels can increase though. You can reflect on your experiences. You can remind...
A Constellation Of Confidence
As you prepare for your viva think about a Situation where you did something well. What was the Task that you were trying to accomplish? Was there a goal you were aiming for or a problem that needed a solution? Whatever the...
Viva Prep Blues
This post is for anyone who feels down at the thought of getting ready for their viva. Remember that the hardest work is done by the time you submit your thesis. Planning your preparation helps to break down the work...