Hats & Rabbits
A magician lays their top hat on the table after showing that there’s nothing inside. They cover the hat with a silk handkerchief and wave a wand – and just like that a rabbit appears! It’s magic! We are amazed!...
talent work time
No Luck Required
PhD success is built on work. The happy accident can happen. You can be in the right place at the right time. When all things are considered though, you put yourself in that happy place with the decisions, determination and...
Simple Doesn’t Mean Easy
The viva isn’t hard to understand. You do the research over years, write your thesis probably over months and then talk with your examiners for a few hours. In the viva itself you’re discussing what you’ve done, what it means,...
Discovery
What did you discover during your PhD journey? I don’t know if that’s a typical viva question, but reflecting in advance on your discoveries can help you realise just how fruitful your journey has been. Discovery isn’t limited only to...
Retell Your Story
Once upon a time, the story I told people about myself was that I loved maths, really enjoyed learning more about all kinds of maths, and wanted to do a Masters and a PhD. And I was happy and lucky...
Black Cats, Ladders and Spilled Salt
The date and other omens of “bad luck” don’t need to weigh too heavily on you ahead of your viva. Success is not due to luck. You don’t need to ward off bad luck by crossing the road to avoid...
How Else?
It’s not wrong to be nervous about your viva. Expectations and preparations help, but you won’t know exactly what it’s like until you’re there. You want to succeed and that makes it a challenge, even if you’ve had conversations like...
Just A Moment
Just a moment. That’s all you need, compared to the years of work in your PhD already, in order to get ready for your viva. Just a moment. The shortest of pauses, used regularly throughout the viva, is all you’ll...
An Absence Of Publications
An infrequent-but-troubling question at viva help seminars is “What will my examiners think if I don’t have any publications by the time I have my viva?” Or worse, “Can my examiners fail me if I don’t have any publications?” Examiners...
Now You Know
A lot can happen during a PhD: success and failure, progress and setbacks and halfway stages in-between all of these. You learn more. You know more. You won’t know everything (probably!) but you’ll gain a perspective that helps you to...