Umbrellas
Viva prep is a bit like carrying an umbrella on an uncertain day. You look out the window. There are clouds. They’re grey but not dark grey. It might rain but it might not. You could leave the umbrella and...
Daily viva help for PhDs
Viva prep is a bit like carrying an umbrella on an uncertain day. You look out the window. There are clouds. They’re grey but not dark grey. It might rain but it might not. You could leave the umbrella and...
Corrections. Amendments. Changes. They’re called lots of things, but the requests for alterations to your thesis after the viva really are just the very last, final tweaks to make your thesis the best it can reasonably be. The vast majority...
Some of your viva questions will have great answers. You’ll know something for certain, either because of your reading or your research. In that situation, when asked you will be able to give an answer. You won’t know in advance...
Vivas often conclude with a short break. Your examiners will need to have a final discussion between themselves to confirm the outcome, maybe to confer on corrections or even check what regulations says about how they pass the decision to...
Many aspects of the viva, viva prep, viva expectations and what to do in the many related situations depend on the circumstances. Do you start to prepare two weeks or four weeks before? Do you need to admit when you’ve...
Your examiners are invited to be at your viva. Like most invitations they can decline if they need to or want to. A viva is a much bigger commitment than the hours on the day for an examiner. If they...
Before you submit your thesis check and double-check that it says everything you want it to say. Before your viva day take time to get ready: practical preparations and confidence building! Before your viva begins spend a couple of moments...
There are lots of key viva expectations, based around the typical length, the structure, tone and overall (high!) pass rate. There are also anti-expectations that are much more particular to individuals: beliefs and expectations that, despite the general picture, something...
Updates need to be installed. How do you feel when your computer gives you that notification? Updates need to be installed. It’s not a suggestion. It’s not something you can do if it sounds good. It needs to happen. Maybe...
Preferences are the things that we’d like, but which we could work around if needed. Preferences for your viva and viva prep might include: Starting in a morning; Reading your thesis with a fresh pot of coffee; Knowing your external...