The Exp Words

What kind of speaking are you expecting to do in your viva?

Do you imagine you’ll have to explain what you did?

Do you think you’ll simply expand on what you’ve done?

Or perhaps you think you will explore what your research really means?

In truth: you’ll do all of these and more. The viva is a discussion centred on your research, your thesis and you. The conversation can go in many different directions. Expect that you’ll explain, expand on and explore a lot of what you’ve done.

Don’t expect that your examiners will expose big problems though – or explode your central ideas!

Nurture, Cultivate

A plant won’t grow well if you simply throw water on it and hope the sun shines.

You have to take care of the soil. You have to keep a proactive eye out for pests. You have to know the right time of day to water it. If you want to really help, you might even consider the circumstances of the soil and time of year when you’re planting it.

If survive is a good verb for the viva, maybe nurture is a good verb for viva prep – or cultivate.

You can’t just cram your thesis into your brain the day before your viva. It makes a difference when you read, when you make notes, what questions you reflect on, what the situation is like around you.

So what can you do to make the most of your preparations? How can you cultivate a good set of circumstances?