Viva Omens
Some things just are, in life and in the viva, Typos don’t indicate that you’ll face stern questions or tough corrections. Silence in the viva doesn’t mean that anything is wrong. If you pause to think then your examiners don’t expect...
viva worries
Red, Yellow, Green
A viva prep exercise to sort out worries and concerns. Take two sheets of paper. On one of them, write down all the things you can think of that make you worried or concerned for your viva. Think about gaps...
Figuring Out Fears
It’s not irrational to be nervous about your viva or concerned for what might happen. The outcome matters, it’s important, and naturally anyone who faced a viva in their near future could feel a little nervous. If you’re anxious, worried...
Yikes!
Outside of ghost stories and horror movies, there’s not a lot to be scared of on Halloween. The frights are all make believe, costume and shadows serving to send shivers down our spines. For a moment, perhaps, we feel a...
Clearing Out Viva Doubts
Viva doubts thrive in wondering whether or not you really have made a contribution. Viva doubts prosper in worrying that you’re not quite good enough. Viva doubts linger around stories and what-ifs, concern that things aren’t going to go well...
Breaking Up Your Viva
Breaks are an important part of the viva process. For length, for comfort, for medical reasons – there are lots of situations where a break is needed. It’s right to expect your examiners to offer them; it’s right to ask...