Together
That’s how a viva happens: you need to have your examiners there. You can’t do it alone. Before your viva: Be sure you know who your examiners are and what they have done. Checking their recent papers will be enough....
viva experiences
Terrifying Tales Of Vivas Past!
How many scary movies have come to cinemas in the last few weeks? How many horror shows have just been released on various streaming services? Around viva time you’ll notice something about the stories people tell too. They remember a...
Expectations & Responsibilities
Viva expectations invite responsibilities. If vivas are generally expected to take hours then you and your examiners have a responsibility to be ready for that situation. If vivas typically begin with certain types of starter question then you have a...
Before, After, Between
Before your viva you could be nervous about what’s going to happen. After your viva you’ll maybe struggle to understand how it happened so quickly. And between those two points you might not notice what’s really happening because you’re so...
Expectations Matter
Every viva is unique, but expectations show that yours will not be a total unknown. Expectations provide an outline. “Vivas are generally like this and not like that.” Viva expectations shape preparation and build confidence. The set of expectations you...
Bracing
Every now and then we’ve had trouble with the boiler in our house. One of the more extreme problems was a time when the temperature of the shower would cycle between pleasant and absolutely-freezing while in use. Over the course...
“Not Like I Thought”
It’s one of the most common things people say about the viva. I believed my examiners would grill me but instead we just talked about what I had done… I thought I would go blank but it was just good...
Timing
If you check the viva regulations and talk with friends who have been through the process then you can start to appreciate the possible timing of your viva. Ask how long people had to wait for a viva date and...
If Things Go Wrong
There’s a chance that something could go wrong before, during or after your viva. It might a small thing, but if something does go wrong: Stop. Ask yourself why this thing is wrong. Ask yourself if you can solve this...
Expectations, Not Guarantees
Vivas aren’t a great big unknown. There are patterns of experience: for example, they tend to be two to three hours in duration, often begin with similar opening questions and typically result in minor corrections. Yours will be unique though....