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Tag: manage to keep going in difficult circumstances

Nathan

Surviving Isn’t Easy

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Manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

Manage, not struggle.

Difficult not almost-impossible.

Keep going – implying that you’re already in motion, this isn’t new.

I share this definition of survive in all my work. I want to emphasise to PhD candidates that surviving isn’t about life and death, swerving tragedy or overcoming mythic danger. A successful viva requires capability and results but surviving is really about determination. You show up and push forward and do what you need to with each new challenge.

It’s a hopefully helpful way to explore the viva and what’s involved but I’m not saying it’s easy.

Surviving the PhD might require difficult choices or exceptional effort. Getting ready for the viva could involve more work than you like or even a task you would rather avoid. The viva itself might be tough: challenging questions, longer than you would like and a deeper reflection on something than you want.

For all that you’ll succeed.

There’s work to do and you can do it.

There’s talent required and you have it.

It’s not easy but it’s nowhere near impossible. You can do this.

Keep going.

Nathan

A Reflective Definition

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Matured and necessary and good enough,

That OK?

Knowledge exceeds examiners’ probing;

Glad of insight, no grumbling!

If necessary,

Dig into fiddly factors; if certain, use learned terms.

Consider interesting reflections; consider useful memories. Significant times and new contributions expected soon.

 

A reminder of one way to define the verb “survive” and how it might apply to the viva.

Nathan

Stay Determined

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Manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

This definition of survive applies to the PhD journey and to the viva.

You get to the viva and you’ve done the work. You’ve written the thesis. You’ve done the prep.

So you just keep going. Stay determined and do what you do well.

Keep going, then go on to your next difficult challenge.

Nathan

Keep Going In Difficult Circumstances

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How did you do it?

An assumption: however enjoyable, rewarding, satisfying and interesting a PhD journey can be, there are always difficult circumstances that are part of the process.

So given that assumption, how did you do it? How did you manage to keep going in those difficult circumstances?

Or, to simplify, how did you survive?

 

I’m not suggesting that any difficult circumstances are fair, right, justified or should be shrugged away. Difficult covers a wide range of things and some situations can’t be excused.

Whatever they were, you made it this far.

You managed to keep going. Part of that is knowledge, capability and work. You applied yourself. Effort lead to results in one form or other.

Part of it is simply determination: if you made it through it’s because you kept going.

Whatever the situations and however you did it you have found yourself on a path to success. You submitted your thesis. You’re doing the work to get ready for a successful viva.

 

It’s easy sometimes to think of these things like knowledge, capability, work and determination as somehow separate.

We can put them at arm’s length, other things, when in fact it’s you.

How did you survive? How did you manage to keep going in difficult circumstances?

Every answer may be unique but at the core there is always a simple truth.

You did it – and that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Nathan

Beyond Belief

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It’s OK to hope that your viva will go well…

…but remember that you can do more than hope.

  • You have years of work leading up to your thesis submission.
  • You can learn about the process and what to expect.
  • You can take steps to make sure you’re prepared.

You can do a lot more than hope that you will be ready for your viva.

Nathan

Your Best Is Enough

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If you can honestly say that you tried hard, learned lots and did the work for your PhD then that’s enough. If you can say that despite challenges and obstacles, setbacks and worse, that you did your best throughout your PhD then that’s enough.

Your determination, knowledge and capability helped you to keep going. That will help you to get ready for your viva.

Ultimately, it’s what will lead you to succeed in your viva.

Your best is enough.

Nathan

Best of Viva Survivors 2024: Surviving

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Today’s the final day of 2024 and the final day of my best of posts for 2024.

The blog is called Viva Survivors, so we have to have some posts about surviving!

  • You Did The Work: four words to remind you; four words to help you keep going.
  • Pick A Number: a little exercise to help you take positive action.
  • Hope Helps…: …but actions help more!
  • Whatever You Need: reflect on what you need then work to get it. Create the situation you need to succeed.
  • How Many Times? A reminder that the viva is the latest challenge – and you’ve already overcome a lot of them.

How have you got through your PhD? What helped you manage to keep going in difficult circumstances?

And what’s going to help you survive in 2025?

Nathan

Survival Aides

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Who can you count on to help you get ready for your viva?

To survive you need to manage to keep going in difficult circumstances. You don’t have to do it alone.

To keep going you might need someone to talk to. Your supervisor, your colleagues or university staff could help.

To understand the difficult circumstances you’ll face it could help to listen to people who have already faced the viva.

To manage you might need very practical help: resources that others can highlight or simply quiet time to prepare.

Most candidates manage to keep going in the difficult circumstances of the viva and viva prep. Few candidates do it without support.

Ask for help as early as seems sensible. Do the work but get support.

Nathan

Steep Going

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Seth Godin’s post on the topic of mountains came back to my memory recently.

“There’s a lot to be said for showing up, one foot in front of the other. In fact, those are the only people who make it to the steep part in the first place.”

It resonated with the definition of survive that I always have in mind: manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

Perhaps viva prep and the viva seem like a tough time. It can be particularly difficult but it’s worth remembering that you’ve got this far because you managed to keep going. In the last few years we really have had a LOT of difficult circumstances because you persisted.

Don’t forget how far you’ve come and how you got this far. The end is in sight.

Keep going.

 

(and please check out the blog and work of Seth Godin who is, in my opinion, simply the best!)

Nathan

For The Hundredth Time

Daily Post, Sabbatical

It might take a lot of re-reading to remember something that you need to know. On the morning of my viva I knocked on my supervisor’s door to check the definition of something I had been using in my work for over two years. I tried and tried but it just wouldn’t stick.

It’s not trivial to build up a mental model of the knowledge you need for your research. What’s harder is building up the certainty and confidence that you are good enough, that you’ve done enough. You might need to repeat that over and over to yourself. You might have to reflect and review and consider many times to see that you’ve done enough.

Survive means manage to keep going in difficult circumstances. If you get to submission, if you’ve got this far, then you’ve got through enough to show you can succeed in the viva.

For the hundredth time: if you’ve got this far then keep going.

 

Viva Survivors Summer Sabbatical: I’m taking July, August and September off from new writing to concentrate on other creative projects, so will be sharing a post from the archives every day throughout those months. Today’s post was originally published on November 10th 2021.

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