When You’re Ready
Viva prep involves practical tasks like reading your thesis, making notes and having a mock viva, as well as building up your self-confidence for meeting your examiners.
There’s no particular checklist that every candidate must do. You figure out what steps you need to take and you do the work.
At some point before your viva – maybe the day before or the week before – you reach a point where you feel you’re ready for meeting your examiners. Whenever it is, make a note for yourself. Write down that you’re ready. Take two minutes to write why you feel that way.
Do it because a day later you might doubt yourself. On the morning of your viva you could wonder if you’re really going to be OK.
If you’ve done the work, if you’ve felt ready once and made a note then you can remind that future-you: “Yes, you’re going to be OK. You did it. You can do this.”
When you feel ready, take time to remind yourself to keep going.