Your Why
Whether you feel good or bad as you finish your PhD journey, remember why you did this in the first place. What was your reason for starting a PhD? Why did you want to do it? Your why can help...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Whether you feel good or bad as you finish your PhD journey, remember why you did this in the first place. What was your reason for starting a PhD? Why did you want to do it? Your why can help...
After many years of working in this area I still think survive is the best verb to associate with the viva. Manage to keep going in difficult circumstances. Survive doesn’t mean it’s going to be a struggle, but it doesn’t...
Before submission focus on getting your research completed and your thesis finished. After submission focus on getting your confidence raised for the viva through a little preparation. Before submission you don’t need to prepare for your viva. After submission...
If ever you’re tempted, by a hard day or a tough moment in your PhD to say one of the following, remember to add the word “yet”: I haven’t got it to work… I haven’t figured it out… I’ve not...
That’s how long I’ve been writing this blog. Longer than I spent on my PhD! I started with the following short post in 2017: I’ve got a few questions for you: Did you do the work? Did you show up...
A lot of space is given to the origins of a research project in how we think about the viva and what you might need to talk about. How did you get started? What ideas influenced your first steps? What...
A short reflection for today using my favourite thinking provocation, Why? How? What? The last year or so has been hard – but if you’re reading this today (March 26th 2021) and your viva is soon, then you kept going...
Nothing. Nothing is going to stop you now your viva is in sight. You were good when you started your PhD, and have invested work and time into getting better. You’re good enough now. You started with ideas and questions,...
Not just the 1st of January. Not the 2nd, once you finish celebrating New Year’s Day! Every day is a chance to look at what you do, how you do it, why you do it and think, “What else…?” What...
Deep breath. Get ready. However much of your PhD is left, whatever 2020 did to you, take what you’ve got – of your research, your thesis and yourself – and build on it. Find what’s good and do more good....