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Tag: more or different

Nathan

More or Different

Daily Post

There’s always more or different when you do a PhD.

You could have done more of something in your research. You could have done something in a different way.

It’s valid to be concerned about it as you write up your thesis and prepare for your viva. It’s reasonable to expect that examiners might ask about more and different when they meet with you.

Focus first on what you did. The fact that there are other options rests on you necessarily doing something.

Explore why you did what you did rather than something else. In your preparation, take time to be clear and articulate your reasons.

Then in the viva take time to listen to your examiners’ questions. Don’t dismiss them, but do clearly demonstrate the contribution that you’ve made.

Alternatives might be possible but focus on the actual work you’ve done and the difference it makes.

Nathan

No Shame

Daily Post

I’ve sensed the worry and the shame behind many PhD candidates’ questions about the viva.

  • If only I’d done more, I could have worked harder…
  • If I knew then what I know now I wouldn’t have made that mistake…
  • Ugh…
  • The stupid pandemic made it go wrong and now I don’t have what I wanted…

Could someone do more or different than what you’ve done for your PhD? Perhaps.

Should you feel ashamed or nervous or in any way bad because you haven’t done more or different to what you’ve done? Absolutely not.

Remember that you couldn’t have got this far with your PhD journey unless you had done something right. Not just one something. A lot of somethings. You have got this far because you did the hard work and enough of that hard work brought success to you.

Maybe you could have done more or different to what you’ve done.

Maybe, but taking time to think about that is probably a distraction.

If it helps, be aware of the alternatives, but focus on what you did and who you became – because more than anything that’s what your examiners will want to talk about at your viva.