Daily viva help for PhDs
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....
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...
…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 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...
A short pause between hearing your examiner’s question and responding. A little break to check you understand and think things through. A simple beat to get things right in the viva. Your examiners don’t expect you to rapid-fire responses to...
Pause in the viva to think about what you’ve heard. Pause to gather yourself if you lose your train of thoughts. Pause to check something in your thesis. Pause to make a note. Pause to take a sip of water....
It’s a Bank Holiday in the UK, which is always a good reminder to take time off. It might not be today for you: it may be that your situation means you have to work, research or do something that...
The three words to keep in mind when you are in your viva. Pause: take a moment to check you understand the question. Think: invest a little time into organising your thoughts. Respond: start talking, being clear to yourself and...
A few seconds to make sure you’ve heard and understood something. A few seconds to make a note. A few seconds to check a detail. A few seconds to be sure your examiner has stopped talking. A few seconds that...
You had lots of time to think during your PhD. You had plenty during your prep. You have enough in the viva. Your examiners want you to consider, ponder, debate, reflect, examine, muse, propose – to think! – and then...