Decide On Your Focus
You could focus on being perfect for your viva, but you’ll end up disappointed by the unattainable nature of your goal. Or you could focus on being prepared for your viva, plan what needs doing and take practical steps to...
perspective
Nerves In Perspective
PhD candidates are generally nervous about the viva. In my experience, most will feel a portion of nervousness at some point before they meet their examiners. Some will continue to feel it during their viva too. I don’t know that...
Important
The viva is important. Passing is important. Lots of things in life are important. Getting your dream job. Passing your driving test. Publishing a book. Being on TV. Finding true love. Living a long and happy life. Going around the...
First Time PhD
In ten years of working with researchers I’ve met one person doing their second PhD. PhDs are fairly rare in the population; a person with two is like finding Bigfoot riding a unicorn! For most candidates though, PhDs feel quite...
Counting For The Viva
One experienced candidate waiting to be done, Two prepared examiners hoping this is fun. Three years (or more) leading to this day, Four key threads of prep can help along the way. Five seconds pause can help get a...
A Stone In Your Shoe
A little piece of grit just nudged your toe. It’s a tiny pain, an annoyance, nothing serious but now you’ve felt it you can’t stop thinking about it. You have a choice: Ignore it, just keep going. It’s a little...
14,400 Seconds
That was my viva. It sounds a lot, but it’s only four hours. Tick-tick-tick times 4800 and I was done! I’ve met a handful of people with similar or longer vivas. Sometimes the viva is long, or can feel long,...
Zoom
Obsessed with the fine detail of your thesis? Take a step back and think about where your research fits in the field. Pondering over how your work relates to other researchers? Zero in on all of the steps that made...
Countdown
You could spend your final year of your PhD counting down the days: Another day gone until I have to submit, another day gone until my viva… I knew PhD candidates who stressed and obsessed that time was running out....