Reach Out
If your viva is coming up, ask your friends, your colleagues and your supervisor for help. Think about what you need, think about when might be the right time to ask, be specific – but ask. They would want to...
Daily viva help for PhDs
If your viva is coming up, ask your friends, your colleagues and your supervisor for help. Think about what you need, think about when might be the right time to ask, be specific – but ask. They would want to...
Examiners aren’t looking to find fault. They might have tough questions, they might think they see problems. Because of their experience they could have critical comments but these are never aimed at tearing work apart – or trying to tear...
Some viva candidates are told at the start that they’ve passed. Most aren’t. Some viva candidates are asked to prepare a presentation to begin their viva. Most aren’t. I’ve heard of some departments sharing a finishing time for the viva beforehand. Most don’t....
Sometimes stars can’t be seen. Over the vastness of space, things get in the way or distort the light. Instead the stellar body has to be inferred, the location and details figured out. It’s there, but unseen, sensed only indirectly....
Generally speaking, a candidate doesn’t need to take time off in order to get ready. If you have any typical responsibilities – a job, family, friends, caring responsibilities or your own needs – then viva prep can fit around everything...
There’s no luck with the viva. No trick or superstition to rely on for success. Instead, it’s all on you. What you did, what you know, what you can do. None of that is due to luck either. There could be...
It’s possible that your examiners would ask about changes to your research. Not what you could, would or might do to make things “better”, simply given your experience, what would you change? It’s not a trick or a trap. The...
Most of the time viva prep goes well. Most of the time nothing goes wrong in the viva. Despite concerns, most video vivas have no real problems. But there’s always a chance that something could happen. Not unexpected, just unlikely,...
Before submission focus on getting your research completed and your thesis finished. After submission focus on getting your confidence raised for the viva through a little preparation. Before submission you don’t need to prepare for your viva. After submission...
Tim Ferriss, one of my favourite writers and podcasters, has introduced me to a number of vision and goal-setting tools over the last decade or so. A really helpful one springs from the observation that you very rarely need to...