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Nathan

Your Viva, Your Prep

Daily Post

There are regulations, trends for the viva process and departmental good practice which can give you an idea of what your viva might be like – but then your viva will be one of a kind, unique and never repeated.

There are a lot of well-founded good ideas for the general process of viva preparation, both in terms of what someone could do to get ready and when – but your situation is unique, your preferences are your own and you have to make it work well for you.

 

Vivas are unique to the individual, their research, their thesis and their circumstances – even while there are lots of things that can be certain or expected about the process.

Viva prep is the same: unique to the individual but grounded on good practice and useful ideas that are applicable by any candidate.

What do your PhD circumstances mean for your viva? What do they mean for your viva prep?

Nathan

Tinsel, Wreathes & Viva Prep

Daily Post

I’m not a Scrooge. I love Christmastime and all things festive. But some decorations just make me roll my eyes.

I’m not a tinsel fan. I hate the feel. I don’t like wrapping it round the tree. I frown whenever I see a detached strand on the carpet.

I’m not fussed on wreathes either. I like having one on our door. But I don’t really see the point in having five or six strategically placed around a house as well. It doesn’t do anything for me.

Of course, these decorations aren’t for me. They’re for my wife, my daughter, my relatives at their houses, and they’re just one way that someone might make their house festive and ready for Christmas. It’s nice to celebrate, and for some people certain decorations or traditions help make the celebration.

Which is how it works with viva prep as well!

For example, thesis annotation is an essential part of prep: it helps someone to think about their work, highlight what matters and make a more useful version of their thesis for the viva.

Some candidates might prefer to use red pen to underline typos, while others might prefer to note them with coloured tabs. One person might mark out a key section with a bookmark; another might decide that the best way for them is to use sticky notes.

And when it comes to practice a mock viva might be the best rehearsal for you. Your friend might prefer to give a seminar. You’re both right.

Personal preference plays a huge part in effective viva prep and Christmas celebrations!

Nathan

Manageable Tasks

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Viva prep is manageable. Compared to the massive scale of a PhD it’s a speck of effort.

A candidate might take weeks to get ready, but only in bits and pieces of time.

Half an hour of reading. Ten minutes of looking something up. An hour to bring some notes together.

You can run these sorts of tasks together into longer prep sessions but that’s not an essential part of the process.

Even a mock viva, if you have one, is manageable.

Viva prep is a series of manageable tasks that make the viva itself manageable.

Nathan

Time To Stop

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Possible answers to a candidate’s question of “When should I stop getting ready for my viva?”

  • When you’ve ticked off everything on your viva prep to-do list.
  • When you’ve found answers to every question that’s been bothering you about the viva.
  • Ten or fifteen minutes before the start of the viva.
  • When you feel ready.
  • When your supervisor says you’re ready.
  • Will you ever be ready for your viva?

One of the above might satisfy a candidate. It might be that one of the above satisfies you!

But we need to go a little deeper. First of all, there’s no should when trying to figure out viva prep and getting ready. Knowing when to stop is probably helped by knowing what you need to know and what you need to do. Knowing when to stop is helped by not overloading your schedule with too much to do in too little time.

And maybe you’re simply ready when it’s time to stop.

 

PS: I’ll be sharing a lot more about viva prep and getting ready at Viva Survivor, my live webinar on Thursday 5th December 2024 – one week today! For full details on the session and to register to attend take a look at the link. Thanks for reading.

Nathan

Personalise Your Prep

Daily Post

Make a plan that suits you.

Make a plan in a format that meets your needs.

Ask for specific help from the people best placed to help you.

Read your thesis in a time, place and way that helps you.

Annotate your thesis to make it useful for you.

Have a mock viva – or don’t!

Reflect on your journey.

Take steps to build your confidence.

 

Given that your research, your thesis and your circumstances are unique to you, it shouldn’t be any surprise that your viva prep has to be personal too.

There are a lot of generally good ideas about how to get ready. You have to decide what you will do with them.

 

PS: looking for more good ideas to adapt to your own viva prep needs? Check out Viva Survivor, my live webinar on Thursday 5th December 2024. If you need more ideas or just some general advice on what to expect then this might be for you 🙂