You Can’t Do Everything

The list of things you can potentially do to prepare for your viva is very, very long. If you combed through the posts on this site for unique ideas then you’d find far too many for someone to do.

Viva prep ideas give options for how someone can do the work. For example, there are lots of useful summaries you could write to gather your thoughts but you don’t have to write all of them to be ready.

When it’s time to think about viva prep, take a moment to really consider how much time you have. Reflect on what you need to do and how you can do it best for yourself.

I don’t have a list of criteria for you but here are some helpful questions to consider:

  • When will you do the work?
  • What do you feel confident about?
  • What do you feel less sure of?
  • What tasks are necessary?

Remember to ask others about what they did and what they found helpful. That doesn’t mean you should just copy their approach, but you might find ideas you can adapt rather than start from a blank page for your own prep.

You Can’t Do Everything

You couldn’t do everything during your PhD and you can’t now when it’s time to get ready for your viva.

Before you start your viva prep take half an hour to make a list:

  • Take ten minutes to write down everything you could possibly do to get ready. It will be too much.
  • Take five minutes to quickly rank ideas: how important are they? Which feels more necessary?
  • Take fifteen minutes to tidy up the list: writing bookmarks is not useful; writing add bookmarks to starts of chapters is better. Adding a detail about how this will help you is even better: add bookmarks to starts of chapters to help navigate thesis.

Use this list to help you as you make a plan for your prep; focus on what helps you the most.

You can’t do everything, but everything you do will help you.

Everything you do to get ready for your viva will be enough.