Thoughts on Viva Prep
A loose collection of thoughts on getting ready for your viva…
If you’ve not submitted your thesis then you don’t need to start getting ready for your viva.
You need time to read your thesis, annotate it, check any relevant papers, make any useful summaries and rehearse.
A useful range for time needed to do viva prep well is 20 to 30 hours, depending on size of thesis, free time, confidence and so on.
Everyone is different:
- How long do you think that will take for you?
- How busy are you generally?
- Then how long before your viva do you need to start preparing so you don’t rush and stress yourself?
Sketch a plan around submission time for how you might do the work. Probably only start the work once you know your viva date. Don’t overcomplicate things. Don’t tie yourself up in knots. If you have a problem, get help. If you need support, don’t be afraid to ask.
Viva prep is work that continues the development that has lead you this far, not something wholly new. You already know and can do the overwhelming majority of what you need to do for your viva when you submit.
Maybe viva prep is not so much getting ready as proving to yourself that you are ready.