Because I Need To
I read a lot about stand-up comedy and recently read an article where someone described why they did it. I’d seen a lot of comedians describe this before, “Oh, I love the sound of a room laughing,” or “There’s nothing...
phd journey
Achievement Unlocked
I’ve been keeping busy for the last few months, work and family life has had lots going on lately while we make changes and adjust. I’ve been enjoying games a lot: teaching my daughter lots of board games during the...
You Don’t Get This Far…
…by being lucky. …without talent. …without results. …without challenges along the way. …without making difficult decisions. …without answering questions. …alone. …without hard work. …if you haven’t sacrificed something along the way. …if you don’t have a significant, original contribution. …unless...
You Have More Than Hope
You have all the days you spent working for your PhD. You have all the nights you spent as well. You have all the questions you asked. You have all the answers you found. You have all the lightbulb moments...
Everything? or Enough?
Have you done everything you could for your research and thesis? It’s almost impossible! Have you done enough for your research and thesis? Probably, since most candidates do! It helps to define “enough” before you try to decide if you’ve...
Actions Beat Hopes
You can hope your examiners don’t spot them. A vague paragraph. An unfortunate typo. An unfinished project. The method you can’t quite remember. The definition that you struggle to place. The ideas you’ve not finished developing. The things you hope...
It’s a Wonderful Viva
A few days ago I was inspired by A Christmas Carol. Today my mind turns to It’s a Wonderful Life, which is my favourite Christmas movie. I could write a lot about how this movie makes me feel, what I...
Bag Of Tricks
While your examiners will want to explore your research with you, they also want to explore your capabilities as a researcher. To prepare for your viva you need to explore your research, but also invest time in reflecting on your...
Four Threads Of The Final Year
Whatever kind of research you do, there are four threads that will run through the final year of your PhD. In those last twelve months you will have to: Finish your research: no more reading, no more experiments, no more...
Follow The Leader
I don’t know there is much scope for candidates to lead in the viva. In the stories I have been told, I don’t hear tales of examiners sitting back and waiting for the candidate to direct questions, or steer them...