Halfway
Think back, if you need to: how far had you come when you were halfway through your PhD?
How much work had you done when you were halfway through the journey?
What did you still have to do? And what had you already learned that helped?
What have you done since then? And what are the highlights of all of these stages of your PhD?
It’s important to look back over your PhD as you prepare for your viva. Practically, it can help you to unpick the story of your research. You can check the details, when you did things, how they happened and what it means.
You can unpick the story of your confidence too.
A story of certainty in your ability, your knowledge and your results. It helps to have more than a vague awareness that you have done things. Really know your story and you’ll have a confidence that can help with any nervousness you might experience in the viva or the days before.