Hope For Excited
Hope is what we have when we have little leverage on the outcome. I encourage PhD candidates to prepare for their viva rather than hope it will just all go well, because preparation leads to a better experience and a...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Hope is what we have when we have little leverage on the outcome. I encourage PhD candidates to prepare for their viva rather than hope it will just all go well, because preparation leads to a better experience and a...
If you have any worries or concerns about your viva then take steps to address them. It sounds like really obvious advice, right? But I talk to hundreds and hundreds of PhD candidates every year who are worried about their...
Pick a number between 1 and 10 to describe how happy you feel about your upcoming viva, 10 being very happy and 1 being not happy at all. Whatever the number, whatever the reason, what can you do to make...
At your viva will you face your examiners? Will they confront you with questions? And will you challenge their comments or criticisms? In that small group will you talk or debate or discuss? Do you have to answer every question? Or will you feel more comfortable as...
A quick bit of viva prep. Write a few sentences on each of the following ten words. Don’t take too long, don’t overthink things, just reflect a little and then write a little: Thesis Examiners Methods Contribution Confidence Expectations Feelings...
Feeling confident on the day of your viva isn’t a magic shield against difficult questions. It doesn’t mean that you won’t or can’t feel nervous about the prospect of meeting your examiners. Feeling confident for your viva means you’re as...
Your PhD thesis and your success at the viva don’t rest on you doing “all the things”. You need enough of the right outputs and outcomes for your research to demonstrate that you’ve achieved PhD status. If you have unfinished...
When you start to prepare for your viva, make a list of what you will need to feel prepared. Ask yourself: What practical materials do you need to help you get ready? How much time do you have to invest?...
Whatever you feel about your viva, reflect and think about what that means you have to do. Feel nervous? Why? What’s at the root of that? What could help? Feel anxious? What’s the problem? Who could you turn to for...
If you believe your examiners will be fair with their questions then you’ll be more likely to try to engage with them, rather than suspect a trap or harsh comment. If you believe you can get prepared during the submission...