Daily viva help for PhDs
There’s a few key things it would be good to know around submission time. Questions which occur to candidates all of the time, but which I very rarely have answers for because they’re particular to their institution. If you’re submitting...
I encourage candidates to reflect on their research, their examiners’ publications and think about how these things connect. It’s useful advice but at the same time a little vague. What concrete steps can candidates take? It isn’t always clear to...
There’s a mindset of exploration in viva preparation. Exploring what you did: not simply reading your thesis, but digging into it. Exploring what it means: reflecting on what you think now. Exploring recent literature: updating what you know and what...
What do you need to know about the circumstances of your viva for you to feel happy? Who do you need to turn to for support with your viva prep? How do you describe your significant original contribution? How much...
What should I include in a 15-minute summary of my thesis? The candidate asking me this had been prompted by their examiners to prepare a presentation to start their viva. This isn’t a common situation, but it’s one way to...
A little nudge to start viva preparations: Find five papers in your bibliography that have really supported you and your research. Find five people who can help you get ready for your viva. Find five days that you can take...
You need to read your thesis to get ready for the viva. Then look deeply. Really look. What do you see? What are the structures of your chapters like? How do your chapters connect? What are the key points in your...
It has to be a top ten rather than the top ten, because there are so many useful things that one could do to get ready for the viva! Sketch a post-submission timeline. Stick a Post-it Note at the start of each...
When you submit, you’ve done a lot already that helps you in the viva. After submission you have an opportunity to do a little more work to help you get ready. If your viva is over video, you can do...
Annotating your thesis is useful viva prep. You have to really think about your thesis while you do it and you create a more useful resource for afterwards. I have general ideas I think are good for annotation, but every...