A Little Announcement
(because The Big Announcement will be in a few weeks!) The Headline: I’ve written a new publication and I’ll soon be running a Kickstarter campaign to fund producing a print run! 101 Steps To A Great Viva is a short...
viva advice
Viva Prep Heuristics
There is no one-size-fits-all approach to preparing for the viva. As every thesis and candidate are different, and every set of circumstances for viva prep are different too, so every person has to decide for themselves how best they are...
Have Fun
Smile! Enjoy yourself. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience! Things we don’t often say to someone when they have a viva soon… But isn’t that a shame? Yes, there’s work to do and an exam to pass, questions to respond to...
The Value of Advice
Viva advice is available in many forms. There are books, podcasts, blog posts, seminars and people you can ask for help. You could talk to people on the internet, in your department or from your own network. You could speak...
It Depends
There are many questions asked about the viva to which a response has to begin with, “It depends…” Is it best to have an expert in my research area for an examiner? – It depends on what you think about the...
Lots Of Help
Did you know that there is a link on the Viva Survivors site that takes you to a random post? You can click here and the magic of the internet will, today, whisk you away to one of almost 2000...
Out Now: Keep Going – A Viva Survivors Anthology
I’m thrilled to announce that Keep Going – A Viva Survivors Anthology is out today! I celebrated with my book launch party yesterday and am now very happy that the book is available to buy. What is it? Here’s a little...
7 Reasons, 3 Times
I’m happy that over the last year I’ve been able to continue sharing viva help to universities, as well as opening up my 1-hour webinars to PGRs directly. It’s been great to take the opportunity of delivering short sessions over...
Recommendations
It’s useful to get recommendations from others on lots of things connected with the viva. Suggestions on what makes for good and bad examiners. Ideas on what a good thesis looks like. Tips for viva preparation. Tools to help you...
Considering Examiners
I’ve frequently been asked, “What should I consider when selecting an examiner?” – a question which usually produces a very long response from me, but I’ll try to be brief and keep it simple! First, candidates don’t get to select...