Have A Break
Have a break when you submit your thesis. Give yourself space to rest. Have a break now and then when you prepare for your viva. You don’t need to cram everything into one hectic period of activity. Have a break...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Have a break when you submit your thesis. Give yourself space to rest. Have a break now and then when you prepare for your viva. You don’t need to cram everything into one hectic period of activity. Have a break...
I worry about my viva every day… These were the first words I saw in the chat window during a viva help webinar when I asked for questions. In a few short sentences the person described how they couldn’t help...
To organise your viva prep think about what you want to do and what you won’t do. You want to read your thesis but you won’t obsessively re-read it. You want to make a note of typos but you won’t...
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....
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...
(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...
You have to have a lot for your viva. You need some research, developed over several years or more. You need a thesis, written to an appropriate standard. You need one or more supervisors to help along the way. You...
To prepare for the viva well it helps to do the right things. You don’t need to cover your thesis in notes and extra scribbles in every margin. Be targeted to make a better version of your thesis. You don’t...
I’ve written before about INTRO, a neat acronym for structuring the start of a presentation: Interest: start by sharing something that will grab the audience’s attention. Need: say why what you’re going to talk about is important. Title: share the...
Clear your mind as you consider viva prep. Get a pen and paper and unload all the bits and pieces that you’re carrying around in your brain. What do you need to do? Who do you need to ask for...