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Tag: viva experiences

Nathan

Unrecorded

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The vast majority of viva experiences are unrecorded.

Candidates don’t typically write an account of it or give an interview afterwards. Until fairly recently vivas were occasionally audio-recorded for quality assurance but it wasn’t common at all to record vivas beyond examiners’ paperwork and notes.

During and after the surge to video vivas during 2020 and 2021, the opportunity for recording vivas has grown massively. It’s now possible to record many vivas quite easily with a few software options. My suspicion, based on hunch and anecdotes, is that vivas still are not typically recorded in this way though.

I can see that it might be helpful for some candidates if they were. I am confident that no major objections would be made if a candidate wanted to make a recording to review the viva discussion afterwards.

(I can’t imagine it would be something the candidate would watch a lot though!)

 

It would be helpful if PhD candidates reflected and recorded their experiences after the viva though. It could help someone else to hear or read a short account of what happened at your viva, what you thought and what that might mean.

It might also be a good memento of the day: a reminder when you encounter future challenges that you are very capable of rising to big things.

 

PS: one thing that will be recorded in the near future is my Viva Survivor live webinar on Thursday 5th December 2024! I’d love everyone to be there for the full three hours, but if you have to arrive a little after the start or dash away before the end there will be a four-week catch-up recording you can stream. More details here, do check it out.

Nathan

Defining The Unknown Viva

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Every viva is an unknown until someone experiences it – but that doesn’t mean that the viva itself is completely unknowable.

  • Your university has regulations that govern how vivas proceed. This leaves a lot of blanks for individual vivas but lays out formally what’s expected of examiners, candidates and others involved.
  • Stories of vivas past create a body of general experiences that show patterns and trends of vivas. Viva lengths, key questions, structure, flow, tone and more – there are no guarantees but a definite sense of what’s appropriate.
  • The stories of PhD graduates from your department can help shape your expectations of the common practices for vivas in your discipline. For example, in my department it was very common for candidates to be asked to give presentations to start the viva.

Taken together these can all give you something to expect about your unknown viva: you can’t know for certain exactly what will happen, but given the possibilities you can know that you will be ready for it.

Nathan

Important Future Dates

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Your submission date: it helps to be mindful of when this will be. Check what paperwork needs to be completed for your institution – including notice of submission forms – and also double-check whether you have a specific deadline when you must have submitted your thesis.

Your first day of viva prep: it doesn’t matter so much when it is or what you do. Plan for it in advance. Decide what you will do. Start with a good intention.

The day before your viva: deep breath, final checks, decide on what you will wear and pack your bag (if needed).

Viva Day: do I need to say anything more?

Final submission deadline: most candidates are asked to complete minor corrections. Universities have regulations that state the amount of time for completing minor corrections. Therefore as soon as you know your viva date you can estimate when you will have to have your corrected thesis completed and submitted.

Graduation Day: attendance is your choice, but this marks the date when you’ll officially be Dr Somebody – and that will be something worth celebrating!

 

PS: and one important future date is Thursday 5th December 2024 – when I’ll be sharing my live Viva Survivor webinar! Full details at the link – do check it out.

Nathan

The Right Fit

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Thesis examination regulations are like clothing sizes in different stores: largely the same but with lots of small differences that can add up to a different experience.

If a friend has told you about viva rules, check. If you think you’ve heard it all and it all sounds fine, check. If you checked in your first year and now you’ve submitted your thesis, check!

Viva regulations change from time to time: submission protocols, paperwork requirements, video vivas and more. Particularly over the last few years many, many universities will have either revised or restated their regulations.

Check thesis examination regulations in the same way that you would try on clothes to be sure they were the right fit. You don’t want any unexpected surprises or an experience you’re not prepared for.

Nathan

Absence of Expectations

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I don’t know what to expect.

An absence of viva expectations still gives someone something to expect: they expect the unknown, the scary, the negative. If you don’t know what to expect for your viva you’ll probably feel that it’s going to be bad.

I’m always happy to respond to questions in webinars or over email and help people build up a picture of the viva…

…but I’m always slightly sad that they’ve not asked someone sooner. I’m sad that they’ve let themselves get stressed so much. They’ve not realised that there are many others around them they could probably ask for help.

If you don’t know what to expect then that’s your cue to find out more. Don’t continue to sit with the scary feeling that something bad is probably going to happen at your viva.

Nathan

What To Expect

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Viva expectations are hard to pin down sometimes.

Every viva experience is different, but there are patterns in the stories. Viva regulations vary between institutions but there is consistency around key practices.

More than anything you can build up a general impression of the tone of vivas; you can get an idea of what areas are discussed and what topics examiners focus on. You can get a better sense of all this if you get a feel of what vivas are like in your department or your research area.

It’s important to remember that expectations aren’t guarantees. Past experiences don’t automatically drive future events.

Expectations are a feeling: you feel that your viva will likely go a certain way. Ask enough questions, read enough regulations, see enough stories and you can get a good sense of what your viva will be like. Eventually you know what to expect.

Nathan

Take Time To Speak

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The viva is not a quiz, an interview, a game show or a Q&A.

It’s a discussion: your examiners have prepared and you’ve prepared. They will facilitate a conversation about your research, your thesis, your contribution, your capability and anything that they think is relevant.

They have questions but aren’t limited to them. They have key points but might want to talk about a lot more. It depends on what you say, what strikes them in the moment and what needs to be talked about.

Take your time in the viva. There’s no rush. There’s no time limit for each question. There’s no perfect answer required for every question. No scripts to read from.

Take your time to think and take your time to speak. If your examiners have heard enough they’ll let you know. If they need more they’ll ask for more.

Take your time to do your best and make the most of your viva opportunity.

Nathan

Different To Expectations

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Regulations, general experiences of PhD candidates and the more particular stories from people in your department create your viva expectations.

Every viva is unique, but yours won’t be a total unknown because it will follow – to some extent – the patterns of other vivas. Whatever you learn and whatever you come to believe, yours will not be a photocopy of the idea you have or a twin to a story someone else told you.

Find a balance for yourself in all this by getting ready.

A little knowledge (expectations) has to result in action (viva prep).

Having a mock viva isn’t a direct rehearsal for your actual viva: it’s not the dress rehearsal where everyone knows their lines – you’re getting a feel for the room, a feel for what it sounds like to be talking about your work and to be in discussion.

Your viva will necessarily be different to expectations – and in a way that you can’t expect!

All you can do is find out what you can, prepare as best you can and then keep going and being the determined, capable researcher that you are. That’s how you succeed.

Nathan

Healthy Expectations

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Listening to horror stories, half-truths or suggestions by people with no direct understanding of vivas can skew your expectations drastically and negatively.

Only hearing about the viva from happy people who say you have nothing to worry about can mean you don’t have a full picture of the variety of viva experiences.

Healthy viva expectations give you knowledge, understanding and general awareness of the processes involved.

Healthy viva expectations are like the components of a healthy diet: they probably involve variety, they definitely require some tailoring to circumstances – and it’s always helpful to consider the source!

Nathan

The Expectations That Matter

Daily Post, Sabbatical

It’s not length of the viva or asking for breaks.

It’s not the opening questions or depth of discussion.

It’s not the number of corrections or when you know the result.

Knowing about all of these things help, but the expectations that really matter are knowing that you are good enough. Knowing that your examiners have prepared. Knowing that you have prepared. Knowing that you’re overwhelmingly likely to succeed.

There are lots of expectations for the viva. There are ranges for many of them and having a sense of what to expect from that variety can give you a sense of what to expect. While you wonder about viva lengths and questions though, pay attention to expectations for you, your examiners, your preparations and your success.

Focus on the expectations that matter.

 

Viva Survivors Summer Sabbatical: I’m taking July, August and September off from new writing to concentrate on other creative projects, so will be sharing a post from the archives every day throughout those months. Today’s post was originally published on July 16th 2022.

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