Creation or Discovery
When I was a mathematician, some of my colleagues said maths research was like sculpture. A big block of stone was chipped away at until you had the art you were trying to make. You have to start with everything...
Daily viva help for PhDs
When I was a mathematician, some of my colleagues said maths research was like sculpture. A big block of stone was chipped away at until you had the art you were trying to make. You have to start with everything...
Right? Right?! Your thesis doesn’t appear by magic. Your results don’t just happen. You are good. Your thesis is there because you are good at what you do. You must be good to have come so far. Right? Keep going.
After the viva there’s a few more things to do – corrections, completion, graduation – like an epilogue or a mid-credits scene at the end of a movie. You have more time to show your talent. Your viva is an...
There are lots of reasons. Any one of the following might be enough: You did the work. You’re talented. Your examiners are there to examine, not interrogate. Vivas have expectations. Examiners have responsibilities. You can prepare for the viva… …and...
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...
Where is it? How do you define best when it comes to your research? What’s your best result? What’s your best chapter? What’s the best idea in your thesis? What was the best talk you gave during your PhD? What’s...
Noun. Expert skill or knowledge in a particular field. You are the best in the world on the subject of your thesis. You did the research. You wrote the thesis. Thousand and thousands of hours of work. It will take...
I’ve always loved science-fiction. I really love Star Trek: The Next Generation. I was a child when I first watched it, and over thirty years later the best of it still has a special place in my heart. I was...
Let’s imagine you get good at walking on a tightrope that’s six inches off the ground. Weeks of practice, perfect balance, good footwork. You can do it in front of people with a smile on your face, step, step, step,...
Your Worst Critic? It’s probably you. Pulling yourself down for slips, failures and mistakes. Overly critical of things that could be better. Berating yourself for things that are difficult. And the Worst Critic within is self-perpetuating, it’s hard to get...