3 Simple Questions
In viva prep there’s a lot to unpack when you reflect on your PhD, your research and your thesis. If it seems overwhelming, start small with three questions: Why did you do it? How did you do it? What can...
why how what
Evaluating Success
Why do candidates succeed at the viva? How do they do it? What does that success look like? The why is pretty simple: they have done enough in and through their research to produce a suitably good thesis and...
Two Reflections
Today: two series of questions that could help as one gets ready for the viva. First a reflection on your research: Why is your research contribution valuable? How did you do your research? What was the result? Second, a reflection...
The Big Pictures
There isn’t a single big picture to consider before your viva. Why did you want to do a PhD? That initial motivation is helpful to reflect on and share. It could help you to explain to your examiners what you...
When-Where-Who
I use Why-How-What a lot to help candidates think about the significant, original contribution that they’ve made through their research. Perhaps When-Where-Who, the other three basic questions are useful for unpicking viva prep: When will you start your prep? Where...
Who Did It?
I often encourage PhD candidates to reflect on Why, How and What: Why did you do this research? How did you do it? What was the result? These three questions are useful for breaking down the thesis contribution. They could...
Preparing A 3-Minute Summary
Three minutes is not long to share something of your work, whether on stage for a competition or as part of your viva. Depending on how quickly you talk and the emphasis you give to things, you have between 300...
You Kept Going
A short reflection for today using my favourite thinking provocation, Why? How? What? The last year or so has been hard – but if you’re reading this today (March 26th 2021) and your viva is soon, then you kept going...
A Little Mental Warm-up
Exploring what makes your research a significant, original contribution is an essential part of viva preparation. Taking different perspectives, finding alternative words, telling other people about your work – all helps strengthen your confidence about saying, “I did this and...
Exploring Prep Ideas
The final flourishes that complete a piece of art. Shining your shoes before an interview. Proofreading and checking one last time. All of these sorts of things can only make little differences, because the big difference has already been made...