Daily viva help for PhDs
The viva is a big deal because it’s what candidates need in order to pass their PhDs, which are pretty much the pinnacle of educational achievement! But the viva isn’t a big deal because virtually every candidate passes… The viva...
Your viva expectations are influenced by the stories you focus on. If you focus only on one story, the latest story of viva success that you hear, for example, then your expectations could be quite narrow (even if they are...
There are different outcomes to vivas, but in the grand scheme of things there’s no real hierarchy with them. We know this because when everything is complete you’re not awarded anything extra for how you pass. Corrections, minor or major,...
Would you rather have a long viva or a short one? Would you rather know at the start exactly what your examiners thought of your thesis, or wait to discover it during the conversation of the viva? Would you rather...
It’s easy to tie oneself up in knots about what to expect in the viva. There are simple expectations to hold on to though. Listen to advice and stories from your peers. Appreciate the range of experiences and the common...
Or, Star Wars and the Viva… I’ve loved Star Wars my whole life. I ran around playgrounds as a child being a Jedi. I grew up into a teenager who knew The Empire Strikes Back backwards. I was a 20-something who...
The town I live in is the last stop on our local train service. It’s been five months since I’ve travelled by train for work – or at all, come to think of it – but whenever I was returning...
Take your time, if you can, to finish a good thesis. Make it the best presentation of your research, to convince your examiners of the significance of your work and your talent as a researcher. Take your time, unless your...
You’ll be fine True because vivas go well in the overwhelming majority of cases. Unhelpful because it says nothing of why this happens. Friends, family, colleagues and supervisors may try to reassure you with the unhelpful truth. And it’s well...
The viva is unavoidable for a PhD candidate in the UK, but despite rumours and misgivings, a truly negative outcome is far from unavoidable. You can find out what to expect, both the regulations and experiences of friends; you can...