Understanding The Odds
If you work hard at your research then you increase the chance that you get useful outputs for your PhD. If you write the best thesis you can then it’s more likely it will be read well by someone else...
Daily viva help for PhDs
If you work hard at your research then you increase the chance that you get useful outputs for your PhD. If you write the best thesis you can then it’s more likely it will be read well by someone else...
Viva prep helps you to feel ready for the viva. Learning about expectations helps you to feel ready for the viva. Exploring who your examiners are (a little) helps you to feel ready for the viva. Rehearsing the kind of...
If you think you’re ready for your viva then there’s probably nothing to do but find space to rest and relax. If you’re not sure you’re ready then there’s lots you could try: You could find out more about what to...
You have lots of useful, empty space on the borders of every page in your thesis. In the margins you could: Mark out important sections. Highlight particular types of information. Leave notes to expand on key points. Improve a reference....
It’s essential to read the regulations for thesis examination at your institution before you submit. They’ll tell you what you need to do and what you need to know. Some of this you’ll have picked up by being around other...
Around 2013 I invented a series of prompts to help a candidate reflect on their thesis. Through not-so-subtle phrasing I got these keywords to spell out VIVA. The tool is used to explore the contents of a thesis chapter. All...
In over eighteen months of delivering sessions from home I’ve had many minor tech problems. My connection has failed. I’ve been caught out by lag and not realised people were trying to catch my attention. I’ve displayed slides and they’ve...
Your thesis is a useful resource in the viva, and can be made even more useful by clever annotation. Add Post-it Notes or tabs to make the beginnings of chapters easy to find. Add bookmarks to help you reach important...
Defending your thesis at your viva does not mean shielding it from harm or arguing aggressively. (attack is not the best form of defence) To defend your thesis well you need to know your thesis and research well. You need...
The viva is a challenge. The majority of candidates pass. Candidates are talented because of the time and work spent on their PhDs. Candidates need to take time after submission to prepare for the viva. Most candidates are nervous. Most...