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Tag: pause

Nathan

Comfortable Silence

Daily Post, Sabbatical

There are many reasons for silence in the viva:

  • A moment while a broadband router buffers in the background.
  • Time while a page is consulted or a note made.
  • Processing time while someone thinks through the implications of a comment.
  • Thinking time in a candidate’s mind while they prepare a response.

The latter might feel unnerving, but none of these could feel particularly comfortable. Silence invites speculation. Knowing possible reasons doesn’t dissolve fears, it simple gives you something else to wonder about.

Rehearsals help. A mock viva won’t be a way to learn your lines like a play, but can give you the confidence to be in that space. Silence is just silence. The reasons don’t matter in a way. The silence is the space between the discussion. You have to wait for it to pass, or use it to help you think.

Practise and get comfortable with the little moments of quiet that you’re sure to find in your viva.

 

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 October 23rd 2020.

Nathan

Quiet Time

Daily Post

It’s probably better for many candidates to have quiet while they do practical viva preparation tasks like reading their thesis, checking notes, adding annotations and so on.

To get that quiet you might need to talk to friends and family beforehand to ensure they understand your needs. You might have to schedule specific times depending on your circumstances.

A moment of quiet can help in rehearsal as well: mock vivas and conversations could have pauses, lulls and breaks to allow you to think or check your thesis. A little quiet can go a long way.

There’ll be quiet before the viva, quiet after the viva while you’re waiting for the result – and a lot of talking in-between!

 

PS: Quiet time before the viva could be usefully spent looking through the contents of the Viva Help Bundle – available for £6 until Thursday 30th November 2023! (a saving of over 50%)

Nathan

It Takes Time

Daily Post

The PhD, the viva, your prep, the discussion, the decision, coming to terms with what it means to have achieved after you pass…

”It takes time” is a phrase that can be applied to every aspect of everything to do with the viva.

It could be years, minutes or seconds, but there is time involved and a necessary passage of it. There might be pressure at different stages of your PhD journey, but no rush unless you make it that way.

Take your time to do whatever stage you’re at as well as you can.

Nathan

Time Out

Daily Post

There are lots of necessary breaks before, during and after your viva.

When you submit it’s good to pause from looking at your thesis and thinking about your PhD research. You might have other research work to do but at least break from looking at your thesis. Then you can have a fresh perspective when you come to prepare for your viva.

During the viva there are lots of good reasons to have breaks, big and small. A micro-break could be to simply pause while you consider a question or look for something in your thesis. A regular break in the viva could be to use the bathroom, compose yourself or attend to any medical need. You can always ask your examiners for a break.

And after your viva it’s likely your examiners will ask for a short break so they can discuss what has happened and what they need to do now to complete the examination process. While they talk about your corrections it’s a good idea for you to plan ahead to do something – get some water, use the bathroom, get some fresh air – so that you’re not simply waiting.

After your viva is done, try to take a break if you can. A little time out can help you appreciate the milestone you’ve reached and refresh you for the next stage of your journey.

Nathan

Silence In The Viva

Daily Post

Like nervousness, silence might not feel comfortable sometimes but it doesn’t necessarily mean something negative.

In your viva a moment of quiet could be while you or an examiner checks a detail or finds the right place in your thesis. You might need a quiet pause to think or read, or to make a note. Silence could be a side-effect of a video viva delay or a simple pause to settle after a noise from outside.

Silence in the viva is a brief quiet between questions, responses and discussion about really important things. Silence in the viva is not for long before the words flow again. Silence in the viva is just one of those things that will happen.

Prepare for talking at your viva by rehearsing and talking before your viva. Use that opportunity to prepare for the silence too.

Nathan

Three to Five Seconds

Daily Post

Or a standard viva pause.

Just long enough to check you’ve understood a question, begin to consider what it means and get some thoughts in order for what you might say.

Three to five seconds is a pause – but if you need longer, take longer. There’s no rush in the viva. If you need to think more or consult in your thesis then tell your examiners.

Pause when you need to in the viva. Take your time to engage as well as you can.

Nathan

Pause To…

Daily Post

…think in the viva.

…reflect on what you’re about to say to your examiners.

…decide how you will get ready when you’ve submitted your thesis.

…compose a response to a difficult question in practice or in your viva.

…realise that there is nothing wrong with pausing, and that a pause is necessary at many points for many reasons in the journey from submission to the viva – and from the start to the end of your discussion with your examiners.

…prepare well for the viva and engage well in the viva.

Nathan

The Pauses

Daily Post

There are no bad reasons for taking a pause during your viva.

A pause to check you’ve heard your examiners correctly. A pause to get your thoughts in order is helpful. Checking a detail from your thesis is a useful beat of silence.

The pauses in the viva aren’t limited to your side of the table or the Zoom call. Your examiners may have to read their summaries or make a note for later. They may need to check between them to see who will speak next.

The pauses in your viva are the punctuation for the discussion. Like punctuation in a book they are just as necessary.

Pause, think and respond. Pause, check and ask. Pause, note and consider.

Silence isn’t always comfortable but pausing in the viva is never bad.

Take your time.

Pause.

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