The Big Announcement
I’ve written a helpful little guide to the PhD viva and I need your help to make it a reality. From today until May 31st I’m running a Kickstarter campaign to fund a print run of 101 Steps To A Great...
viva help
Another Little Announcement
(The Big Announcement is coming on Tuesday 16th May!) I’ve written a short and helpful guide to getting ready for the viva and you can help me publish it – in fact, I would be very grateful if you did!...
Oxygen Mask
Make sure your oxygen mask is fitted before helping others… It’s the instruction given in aeroplanes in case of emergency, and used as a metaphor to encourage people to make sure they have what they need before assisting others. The metaphor...
A Little Announcement
(because The Big Announcement will be in a few weeks!) The Headline: I’ve written a new publication and I’ll soon be running a Kickstarter campaign to fund producing a print run! 101 Steps To A Great Viva is a short...
The Value of Advice
Viva advice is available in many forms. There are books, podcasts, blog posts, seminars and people you can ask for help. You could talk to people on the internet, in your department or from your own network. You could speak...
Out Of Ideas!
I’m so sorry, but I sat down to write and I have nothing left to say. Almost six years. That’s how long it took me to write everything that I could say about the viva. It was a good run,...
It Depends
There are many questions asked about the viva to which a response has to begin with, “It depends…” Is it best to have an expert in my research area for an examiner? – It depends on what you think about the...
Asking Your Community
Who do you know who could help you get ready for your viva? Your supervisors can help with a lot: setting expectations, hosting mock vivas, sharing ideas of what examiners do – there’s a wealth of support from them potentially....
Three Mugs Of Tea
On any week day, before work really begins, I need to have had three mugs of tea. There’s nothing super fancy about the tea I drink. It’s not a special blend, made in an ornate pot or served with a...
The 2000th Viva Survivors Post
(I couldn’t think of a snappy name!) Except for the odd Christmas Day off here and there, I’ve now written and published 2000 days of posts on: viva expectations; viva prep; examiners; the PhD journey; and viva confidence. And a...