Making Prep Better
The time between when you submit your thesis and have your viva is your viva prep period.
Is it possible to wing it? To go with the flow and do things as and when you feel like it? Probably! It might not be very comfortable though.
Everyone is different – in themselves, their research and their situation – so I’m sure some people could do what comes to them as they go through the weeks leading up to their viva.
If that doesn’t feel like a comfortable situation for you though, or even if it does and you want to make sure your prep is as good as it could be, consider doing some of the following:
- Sketch a plan. Think about the time you have available and how you might do the work to help you get ready.
- Prioritise. Make sure you make time to do the things that matter most.
- Ask for help. Ask early and as you need it. You’re alone at your viva but before then there are many people who can support you.
- Recognise when you have done something. Mark a checklist or record it on your calendar. Make it obvious to yourself that you have done the work.
Finally, take time to remind yourself of the work you’re doing now and all the work you’ve done before. Viva prep is for the particular challenge of your viva. In the years before you have done a lot of work that helps you.