My Two Questions
In the opening minutes of any viva session I ask two simple questions of the cohort: When is your viva? & How do you feel? Both of these questions, and their responses, are really helpful to me. I start to...
how do you feel?
Viva Feelings
You can feel happy about your viva or sad. You might feel ready to get started or nervous about what your examiners might ask. You might feel certain of what you’ve done or unsure about work from several years ago....
Nervous & Excited
If you feel nervous about your viva then you’re reacting to the importance of the event. In anticipation you feel that you want everything to go well and that’s the nerves you feel. If you feel excited about your viva...
It’s Personal
How do you feel? Happy, sad, excited, nervous, elated, terrified – that mix of emotions could be all in one hour. I ask PhD candidates how they feel, but their response is a snapshot, that moment or how they’ve felt...
How Do You Feel?
I start every workshop by asking the room how they feel about their viva. I get a range of answers. Most are centred around nervous, anxious, stress. One or two fears or terrors. A few people will say they don’t...