Daily viva help for PhDs
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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....
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...
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....
After years of work it could feel odd to be talking about your research in your viva. Perhaps if you’ve had a break between submission and the viva, things might feel a bit rusty when you think or talk about...
Your viva is a unique exam, tailored just for you and your thesis. No-one else will have this one-of-a-kind experience. But like made to measure clothes, there are patterns. There are ways that things are done. Jacket sleeves stop at...