Not So Fast!
Lots of candidates tell me they want a short, quick viva, all done as soon as possible. I can understand where they might be coming from, but don’t think that particular wish helps… Generally, the PhD isn’t a quick process....
Daily viva help for PhDs
Lots of candidates tell me they want a short, quick viva, all done as soon as possible. I can understand where they might be coming from, but don’t think that particular wish helps… Generally, the PhD isn’t a quick process....
You’ll get plenty of questions in your viva, but it could be a good time to ask your examiners some questions too. But don’t ask: “So, how did I do?” right at the start. “Can we start again?” if you...
A question from a nervous candidate, “What should I wear for the viva? I want to make the right first impression on my examiners!” Except that’s not the first impression. Your examiners’ first impression is your thesis. They get their...
Your examiners have a high status in the viva for several reasons. They have titles. They have experience. They have roles in the viva (and before it) that gives them authority. You have a high status in the viva for...
Nearly all candidates say they’re nervous. Nearly all vivas result in a pass. Nearly all candidates could be prepared for their viva if they choose to be. Nearly all examiners are good. Nearly all candidates get minor corrections. Nearly all...
I love visiting friends who have a mat by their front door, big letters: WELCOME. We’re glad you’re here. You’re supposed to be. Come in, join us. I’ve never heard of a viva that had a welcome mat. I wish...
We don’t talk about it enough. One day in every UK PhD’s life that is shoved aside, joked about, under-analysed, glossed over and swept under the rug. Don’t think about it too much because you’ll worry or stress. Don’t ask...
You may have heard of them, but they’re very rarely seen. A viva that is less than an hour. A viva that starts with the candidate being told they’ve passed. A candidate who finishes just over two years after they...
Your examiners have better, more important things to do than search your thesis for errors. It’s important – for the viva, and for any corrections – that they identify mistakes, but that’s not their focus. It’s much more useful to...
I stopped telling people that I was stood for all of my four-hour viva. I used to always tell candidates, but after a time I discovered that that aspect of my viva experience was so far removed from the norm...