What You Expect
Every PhD candidate has expectations for their viva. Some expect it to be long. Some believe it will be difficult. Some expect that examiners will be harsh. Other will expect that it’s all a formality. And some don’t know what...
unique not unknown
All Your Way?
It’s not in the nature and setup of the viva that things will simply go exactly how you want. There is so much about the viva that is beyond your control: You don’t choose your examiners. You can make suggestions,...
Expect The Unexpected
There are regulations for vivas created by each university. There are expectations for the viva, general patterns of experience, that can be observed in the stories that graduates tell. There are norms we can derive from more considered inspection of...
Exceptional
There are lots of expectations for what vivas are supposed to be like. Vivas tend to last a certain length, it’s typical for candidates to have two examiners, it’s common for them to take place within three months of submission,...
A Collage Of Expectations
Viva expectations are a collage of different kinds of information: possibly dry regulations glued next to stories heard on the grapevine that then line up with the boundaries of firsthand, close-to-home experience. Often, you simply need to realise that your...
Your Viva Is Not An Unknown
You can’t know in advance what your examiners will ask for every question. You can’t know how long it will be exactly. You won’t know what parts of your thesis they think need changing, amending or updating. You can’t know...
Fireworks
For a change I want to write about fireworks today. To begin with, a lot of hubbub and excitement beforehand, anticipation at what’s about to happen. Will it be like last time? Someone shares their thoughts based on what...
Uncommon Expectations
Some viva candidates are told at the start that they’ve passed. Most aren’t. Some viva candidates are asked to prepare a presentation to begin their viva. Most aren’t. I’ve heard of some departments sharing a finishing time for the viva beforehand. Most don’t....
Expecting the Unexpected
It’s right to learn about viva expectations. Get a sense of what vivas are generally like, read the regulations, listen to the stories of your friends to build a picture for what your viva could be like. Get a sense of...
Unanticipated, Not Unmanageable
Every viva is “unique, not unknown” – always different, but following patterns from regulations, expectations and even traditions within departments or universities. We can also say with confidence that a viva could be “unanticipated, not unmanageable” in how it occurs....