The Prototype Viva
A mock viva or mini-viva is like a prototype for the real thing you’ll experience. Does it have all of the questions you’ll be asked at your viva? No, but it has enough to get a sense of what to...
Daily viva help for PhDs
A mock viva or mini-viva is like a prototype for the real thing you’ll experience. Does it have all of the questions you’ll be asked at your viva? No, but it has enough to get a sense of what to...
Are you prepared to say “I don’t know” in your viva? There’s only so much information, knowledge and talent you can build up before your viva. You’ll have enough, but you might not have everything. Perfection isn’t required: but do...
It’s one thing to know all of your research really well, and to know generally what happens in the viva (expectations, structure and so on). You can have a good picture of it all in theory – but then stumble...
I’ve been sorting through ten years of notes and ideas I’ve collected from countless workshops, seminars and articles. I smiled a few days ago when a quote from an old friend jumped off the page at me: No amount of...
Every step of the PhD has new questions, from the first time you read a paper through to the end of your viva. Answers don’t always come immediately. They might take a little time and thought, or during the PhD...
There are countless questions you could be asked in the viva, but you’ll only be asked one at a time. Preparation doesn’t mean somehow considering every question, but feeling comfortable considering and responding to any question that comes up. Find...
The mock viva is generally valuable because of the kind of practice it provides. Your supervisors might have some clear ideas about what a mock should be like. But if you think about it, the mock is a sort of...
Here’s a thirty minute viva prep exercise. It aims to help you think differently about your thesis by considering how you could communicate your work with other people. All you need is something to write on and write with. Take...
I came across this tip while listening back to episodes of the podcast: if you have a mock viva, record it so that you can review it later. Listen to check whether or not you paused to think about answers....
I’ve written a fair bit about viva questions before. I’m exploring different angles on the topic at the moment for future posts and workshops. Here are eight short thoughts that might be useful: There are lots and lots of lists...