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Tag: viva process

Nathan

Differences Matter

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I couldn’t decide what to title this post. I was thinking about Differences Don’t Matter, then Differences Do Matter and then Do/Don’t! Maybe you can decide at the end which word seems best. Hopefully you’ll appreciate why this needed a little thought – and I’m still thinking 🙂

 

Some differences don’t matter when it comes to the viva and viva prep. Your thesis might be bigger than your friend’s, but you still just need to get ready. That difference doesn’t make a difference to the work involved.

You might have an examiner who is an expert whereas your friend had someone more general. They had their supervisor present but you feel that that’s not the right approach for you. These are differences, but do they alter the viva’s purpose or process? I don’t think so.

Of course, two big and important caveats:

  • differences like those above might matter to you because they do change things for you. A larger thesis or a different format might change how you need to approach your prep. Examiner A or Examiner B might change the situation for you.
  • some differences might necessarily have an impact to time, resources and the approach you take; if you have particular requirements that need to be met for your viva or viva prep – for any reason – then that could change the situation for you compared to someone else.

Maybe it’s as simple as this: differences don’t change the what or the why of the viva and viva prep. You still need to get ready. The purpose and general process of the viva remain unchanged. Some aspects just are.

Differences could likely change the how of the viva or viva prep: a specific approach might be particular to you or any other individual. Your needs might alter a very practical element of your prep or the viva day. Sometimes a difference could be as simple as how you feel – and what you might then need to do as a result.

Nathan

Engaging With Questions

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The viva isn’t an interview, a quiz or trial by (verbal) combat!

The viva is a discussion. Examiners prepare, ask questions and make comments to facilitate a discussion. They need you to talk so that they can gather evidence to justify the decisions they’ll make about you, your thesis and your viva’s outcome.

So what does it mean to engage with their questions?

  • You need to listen and be certain you understand. So take your time.
  • If you’re not sure of what’s being said or asked then ask for clarification.
  • To engage well you might need to check your thesis, make a note or stare off into space for a moment or two.
  • Your viva is not a race and you don’t need to be in a rush.

Engaging with questions at the viva means treating each one like an opportunity. Every question is asked for a reason.

Every question, essentially, is asked to give you a chance to say something about your work, your thesis or yourself.

Nathan

Some Examiners

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Some examiners say harsh things…

Some examiners don’t prepare well…

Some examiners treat the viva as box-ticking…

Some examiners use the viva as an opportunity to be cruel…

I can’t dispute the possibility of these kinds of statements. I’ve heard them before and I’ve heard fragments of enough stories to know that these statements are true.

…for some examiners.

Not all. Not most. In fact, only for a tiny percentage.

The vast majority of academics who take on an examiner responsibility try to do it well. The vast majority prepare and plan and get ready. They’re careful and thorough. Being asked questions might not always be comfortable – but the atmosphere in the viva is not totally dictated by examiners.

Some examiners could be described as not doing the job well.

Most examiners will do what’s appropriate.

Don’t let the rare exception skew your expectations.

Nathan

And Then What?

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It’s not unusual to feel that the viva is a bit of an anticlimax.

It takes a lot to submit a thesis. It takes work to prepare for a viva. There’s a lot of anticipation and a lot of feelings-

-and then it’s over.

Two, three or four hours. They could be tough. They could be a nice chat. The viva could feel long or short. The questions could be a natural part of a conversation or feel like a challenging exercise.

But your viva will be over before you know it. You’ll most likely succeed.

Then what?

 

It’s one day. A few hours of one day. One challenge after years of challenges.

Get the viva in the right perspective. Find out what other people experience so you know what you can reasonably expect. Plan to do something to celebrate so that even if the viva makes you say, “…was that it?!” you still have something to look forward to.

Nathan

A Good Time

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What would make your viva a good experience?

  • Do you need your examiners to praise you?
  • Do you want the viva to be short?
  • Do you need to be able to talk about certain parts of your research?
  • Do you want to be asked about only certain topics?

None of the above are irrational. Many of them might be beyond your control though.

Your viva can be a good experience. Focus on being prepared, not on the aspects that you can’t know or can’t control.

Nathan

Needs & Preferences

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There’s a difference between needs and preferences.

Both can have a great impact on how you feel about and approach your viva.

 

If you need something for your viva – from regular breaks, examiners to wear microphones or anything else – then you need it. That shouldn’t be up for debate with anyone else; the best thing to do is make sure the appropriate people in your department, doctoral college or graduate school know and know what to do for your viva.

A need is something you absolutely have to have. A preference is something that would be helpful. You might prefer if your examiner was someone you’d cited. You might prefer to have your viva in-person or over Zoom. You might prefer to have your viva sooner rather than later. But if that preference isn’t met an alternative way can be found.

 

Whenever something feels like a need or a preference for your viva, unless it’s unambiguous, reflect again and just be clear for yourself.

Is it a need? Is it a preference?

And whichever it is you have two questions to respond to: Do you need help from someone? What do you need to do next?

Nathan

Short Breaks

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A short break when you submit your thesis can help to clear your head and change gears.

A short break during viva prep helps you to take necessary steps to relax.

A short break during the viva can allow you to gather your energy and restore your focus.

A short break at the end of the viva is for your examiners to have a final chat – and for you to wonder what they’re going to say when they call you back in!

 

Short breaks help with lots of stages of the viva process. Perhaps decide in advance what you might do for that final short break so that you’re not simply worrying while you wait.

Nathan

The Bad Vivas

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The opening line to Anna Karenina is often translated in English as:

Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way.

I think about this a lot when I think about bad vivas.

 

The vast majority of vivas are “fine” – which means some complex combination of fair, challenging, rewarding, enjoyable, tiring, rigorous and a host of other descriptions. Most candidates will be fine at their viva, however challenging the questions or tiring the process.

We can’t pretend bad vivas don’t happen though.

Good vivas are good for similar reasons. They’re attended by candidates who have done the work. They’re facilitated by examiners who have training and have taken the time to get ready. The vivas are conducted according to regulations and expectations.

Bad vivas are bad for wildly different and unique circumstances. A hard PhD journey. A thesis that doesn’t meet expectations. A candidate who hasn’t been appropriately supported. An examiner who doesn’t care. A candidate unwilling or unable to engage with the viva.

Good vivas are good because they follow the overall patterns of the PhD journey done well. Bad vivas (and possible viva failure) result from unique negative circumstances.

Bad vivas happen and we can’t pretend that they don’t. But you also can’t believe – at least not with compelling reason – that you might have a bad viva.

Nathan

A VIVA For Examiners

Daily Post

I use VIVA as a little acronym-tool for reflecting on one’s research ahead of the viva:

  • Valuable (to others): what might someone else find useful in your work?
  • Interesting (to you): what do you find fascinating about your work?
  • Vague (or unclear): what do you find difficult to talk about or explain?
  • Ask (your examiners): given the chance, what would you ask your examiners at the viva?

It’s a helpful tool and can be particularly helpful when thinking about the thesis chapter-by-chapter.

I’ve found it useful sometimes to take the VIVA prompts and apply them to other aspects of the viva as well. For example, what if we took the prompts and considered your examiners?

  • Valuable: what might your examiners find useful in your work?
  • Interesting: how can you make connections between your research and their interests?
  • Vague: do you foresee any difficulties in communicating your work to them?
  • Ask: given the chance, what would you ask your examiners at the viva?

OK, OK, the last question didn’t change! But there are still four good reflection on your examiners ahead of your viva!

Nathan

Part Of The Journey

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Thesis corrections are part of the PhD journey for most candidates.

The way they’re talked about often makes corrections sound like one of the worst possible aspects of the viva process – as if they were so undesirable as to make all other parts of the experience better by comparison. Maybe it’s as simple as the fact that they’re a continuation of the viva: corrections are something you have to do even though it’s all supposed to be over.

Most candidates get corrections – so all candidates need to be prepared to do them.

Most candidates get minor corrections – so all candidates need to keep that in mind when thinking about the viva and the weeks that will come immediately after it.

In most cases corrections are a very small part of the journey.

 

PS: another common part of the journey is success at the viva. To find out why that happens and what you can do to get ready, take a look at Viva Survivor, my live webinar running this Thursday 5th December 2024. The registration deadline is Wednesday 4th at 5pm so register soon if you want to attend!

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