Best of Viva Survivors 2021: Viva Prep

It’s an established tradition at Viva Survivors that I finish each year by sharing a selection of posts before the New Year. Over the coming days I’ll share long posts, short posts and posts on confidence; today we start with the important topic of viva prep. In many ways viva prep isn’t complicated, but there are lots of ways someone could get ready for their viva. Here are some ideas:

Getting ready for the viva involves doing the work – but it doesn’t have to be a burden. Sketch a plan before prep time comes, spend time with your thesis, spend time on practice and you’ll be ready.

Tomorrow: a selection of some of my favourite long posts from this year!

In The Margins

You have lots of useful, empty space on the borders of every page in your thesis. In the margins you could:

  • Mark out important sections.
  • Highlight particular types of information.
  • Leave notes to expand on key points.
  • Improve a reference.
  • Clarify something that’s unclear.
  • Correct an error.

You can help yourself: you’re the only person who will see these marginalia, so make them really helpful.

In your preparation, take time to consider what will help your thesis be as useful as possible for the viva. Decide on a consistent way to make margin notes as easy to read and understand as possible.

Then do the work. It won’t take long.

Afterwards you’ll have a better thesis for the purposes of the viva. All of the valuable work you’ve done for years plus, in the margins, some helpful notes to help you succeed when you talk with your examiners.