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Nathan

Preparing For A Video Viva

Daily Post

Since 2020 video vivas have become much more common, first as a necessity and then later as an accepted part of practice. If you have one soon or are wondering whether it might be a good option for you, consider the following as a list of things you might do in preparation:

  • Read the regulations. Check which software you are expected to use and whether there are special requests to make in order to have a video viva.
  • Talk to friends. Find people from your department who have recently had a video viva and ask them what the experience was like. Find out if they have any particular advice.
  • Practise! Take time to get a feel for the software if your Zoom or Teams knowledge is a little rusty. Use the software to remind yourself of the rhythms of video chats.
  • Make a good space for yourself. If you will be at home then consider how you could make your environment a helpful one. Make sure you have enough space to work well. Consider your needs and how you can meet them.

Finally, remind yourself that a video viva is not a secondary or lesser option for the viva. It’s a proven process and just a little different from talking in person.

There can be difficulties with signal delays or adjusting to the constraints of a video chat, but also many opportunities that might make it the best option for you.

Nathan

Connecting In A Video Viva

Daily Post

It makes a difference that you’re not in the same room as your examiners if you’re over Zoom. Delays due to a poor signal, tech failure or less body language to read could all make it harder to engage with your examiners. These factors might even create a sense that there’s something wrong with the viva.

You can make a positive difference too though. You can practise with friends or in a mock viva to get a feel for delays in communication and grow comfortable with the video format. You can explore options to help your tech situation. You can read your examiners’ work to help you connect with them. You can prepare for your viva to be as confident and ready as you can be for the situation. You can do a lot to build yourself up.

Don’t forget that whatever might interfere – tech, signal, the size of the screen on which you see your examiners – everyone involved wants the viva to go well. The online element shouldn’t interfere with any good will when it comes to connecting with your examiners, or interfere with the outcome of your viva.

Nathan

Zoom

Daily Post

Obsessed with the fine detail of your thesis? Take a step back and think about where your research fits in the field.

Pondering over how your work relates to other researchers? Zero in on all of the steps that made your work what it is.

Don’t just focus on the big picture or the small stuff. Change your perspective. Zoom in and out. Build up and reinforce the connections ahead of your viva.