The Goal
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...
Daily viva help for PhDs
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...
There’s no best, one-size-fits-all plan for viva prep. You have to explore what works for you, and if you’re busy that could feel quite stressful. This blog contains lots of ideas for what might help someone get ready. How do...
It’s a public holiday in the UK. Unless your viva is 9am tomorrow you’re probably safe to relax for a day. Rest. Take today for you. Don’t read your thesis, scribble in margins, chat with your supervisor or look at...
The topic of what makes your thesis a significant, original contribution is going to come up in your viva. Your examiners are not going to simply ask “What makes your work significant? What makes it original?” Reflecting on different questions...
Getting ready for the viva involves big pieces of work and little tasks. It could feel like there’s lots to do, maybe even too much, especially if you have other responsibilities. Start the process by getting everything out from your...
I like asking this question at the start of a webinar. It’s fun to see whether people are in their university’s city or nearby, perhaps in another country or – in some cases – half the world away. It’s a gentle...
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...
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...
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,...