Harsh
What could you do if an examiner was harsh? Nevermind that they’re supposed to be fair, professional and so on. What if they weren’t? It’s easy to say don’t worry, they’re not supposed to be, but what could you do...
what ifs
On Weakness
No research programme can’t be improved. Sometimes sacrifices have to be made or limits imposed. Sometimes experiments or investigations don’t work out the way you hope they will. That doesn’t mean your thesis is fundamentally flawed, or your research is...
Blank Feels Bad…
…but it doesn’t mean something is wrong with you or wrong with the viva. You go blank and it’s uncomfortable: doubt, anxiety or fear. It’s not that common an occurrence though. In the unlikely event it happens, breathe. Pause. Take...
Maybe
Maybe you could have done more. Maybe there was a different approach. Maybe your examiners will find a problem. Maybe, maybe, maybe… Maybe none of these matter. Maybe there’s something about what you know and what you can do that...
Hypotheticals
What if your examiners ask you a question and you go blank? What if you forget something? What if your examiners don’t agree on the outcome of the viva? What if you arrive late? What if you don’t know the...