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Year: 2021

Nathan

No Time

Daily Post

If it feels like getting ready for your viva is a lot of pressure, or if you feel like you already have a lot of priorities, then start small.

Do one thing. Find thirty minutes to read and commit to it, rather than rush and hurry to get it done. Make a small window in your busy life to make some notes. Ask a friend to spare half an hour to listen and ask questions.

If it feels like there is no time you still have to prep. Ask for help. Get support from friends and family to free you up to do the necessary work for getting ready.

If you only have a little time you still won’t need a lot to get ready for the viva.

Nathan

Just Start

Daily Post

It’s definitely possible to over-invest your time in viva prep.

I started six weeks before my viva. I probably spent close to 200 hours getting ready.

That’s a LOT more than is needed.

It’s also possible to do too little or start so late that you need to rush to squeeze everything in. There’s a worry I’ve seen expressed by many candidates over the last decade about finding the right time to start.

Two weeks before? Three? A month? When?!

If you submit your thesis and find yourself wondering whether or not to do something, then do it. Just do something and release the tension and the wondering. Viva prep is cumulative: it all adds up no matter when you start or do it.

Most candidates don’t need to start preparing until a month before the viva.

Most candidates would probably benefit from having at least two weeks to spread the work out sensibly.

But if you’re wondering if now is the right time then just start.

Just read something. Just write something. Just talk. Just start and do something and know that you’re on your way to being ready for your viva.

Nathan

The What

Daily Post

What did you do?

It’s unlikely your examiners will ask you as simple a question as this to explore your PhD research but the thought will be there.

What did you do?

When your examiners ask about your research, remember that they will have already carefully read your thesis. They know what you did: they’re looking for you to be clear, concise and to dig into what you think is important to summarise.

What did you do?

It’s necessary to ask how and why in order to explain what you did. Methods and motivations are as interesting to explore as outcomes.

What did you do?

It’s probably necessary to practise different ways of describing your research to see what works best for you. You don’t need a polished monologue for your viva, but the practise will help you to find the words when you need them.

What did you do?

Nathan

Outcomes, Strategies & Tactics

Daily Post

There are desirable outcomes for viva prep but lots of paths that could lead to those outcomes. Strategy is an overall type of activity that helps a candidate; tactics are the many approaches that could help someone. Effectiveness depends on time available, the preferences of the candidate and many other factors.

For example, a desirable outcome for the viva is that a candidate has a clear enough picture of their research in their mind: not photographic recall, just a good feel for the flow of the work they’ve presented.

A simple strategy for this would be for a candidate to take time to read their thesis and refresh their memory. Possible tactics – again, influenced by different factors – could be to find an afternoon to read the thesis in one sitting. Or to read one chapter per evening. Or for a certain time each day. Or to focus on particular aspects in order.

When someone tells you a precise way to prepare it might not be right for you. They’re usually describing tactics that may help with good intentions. Behind the tactics will be a strategy that almost certainly will help, leading to an outcome that you need. If some tactics don’t sound quite right for you, then listen for the strategy.

If you know the strategy you need, consider what tactics will help you best. How will you organise yourself? What particular help do you need?

Nathan

Your Viva

Daily Post

Viva expectations are useful.

It helps to know that vivas vary in length and that some are more common than others.

It helps to know that examiners are prepared and they use certain questions more often than others to begin.

It helps to know that there are specific topics or areas that are regularly discussed in the viva.

It helps to know the ways that examiners direct the viva.

Expectations are useful and at the same time we have to understand that they are not predictive. You can know the range of times, questions and common approaches for discussion but you cannot know which combination you will find on your viva day.

You can’t prepare by trying to anticipate every possible permutation directly.

Instead, listen to viva stories and understand viva expectations as a framework. This is the shape of things. This is what vivas look like. This is what you need to be ready for your viva.

Nathan

Defining Viva Success

Daily Post

You have to define what it means for you.

Having a good conversation?

Passing?

Passing with a certain outcome?

Feeling happy on the day?

Not feeling nervous?

Remember that your definition of viva success can be a motivation to you, so it’s helpful to have something in mind.

Remember also that not every aspect of the viva is within your control. If your definition of success is not something you can directly influence it might be worth rethinking how you frame it.

What does viva success mean to you? And how does that help you work towards a good outcome?

Nathan

The “Get To” Shift

Daily Post

Our daughter, being eight, says something like, “But do I have to…?!” most days.

Shortly after that, on being told that yes she does have to, she’ll give a big sigh and say, “Okaaaay…” then go off to do whatever thing is needed.

I’ve seen a similar energy around the viva and viva prep on many occasions:

  • Do I have to read all my thesis before the viva?
  • Do I have to do a certain task as part of my prep?
  • Do I even have to have a viva?!

It’s hard sometimes to find words to explain helpful things in “have to” terms.

A few years ago Seth Godin published a short post that always helps me to shift my thinking when I “have to” do something. As a result I try to find a way to think of my “have to” as a “get to” instead.

You don’t have to have a viva: thankfully you get to have a viva. You get to have a viva after years of work and development. You worked hard and got this far, now you get to have a discussion with your two examiners.

The difference between “have to” and “get to” works well to shift my perspective and it also works well when thinking about the viva.

(or when explaining things to eight year olds!)

Nathan

Spotlight

Daily Post

A part of my discomfort before my viva was due to general nervousness and lack of confidence in presenting and discussing my work. I knew my stuff but I wasn’t comfortable talking about it. I didn’t want to be in the spotlight!

A mock viva would have helped.

Talking about my research with friends would have helped.

Learning more about vivas would have helped.

If the viva spotlight seems at all scary to you then the best thing you can do is find a way to rehearse. The second best thing is to learn more of what to expect from that spotlight experience to prepare yourself.

Rehearsal is the key though: find and use opportunities to simulate the viva ahead of time.

Nathan

For The Hundredth Time

Daily Post

It might take a lot of re-reading to remember something that you need to know. On the morning of my viva I knocked on my supervisor’s door to check the definition of something I had been using in my work for over two years. I tried and tried but it just wouldn’t stick.

It’s not trivial to build up a mental model of the knowledge you need for your research. What’s harder is building up the certainty and confidence that you are good enough, that you’ve done enough. You might need to repeat that over and over to yourself. You might have to reflect and review and consider many times to see that you’ve done enough.

Survive means manage to keep going in difficult circumstances. If you get to submission, if you’ve got this far, then you’ve got through enough to show you can succeed in the viva.

For the hundredth time: if you’ve got this far then keep going.

Nathan

Confident or Arrogant

Daily Post

Some viva candidates find themselves concerned that they might overstep the line from being confident about their research to being arrogant in their thesis defence. I understand the worry, but typically think there’s not a great deal to be concerned about.

Feeling confident is what you need for the viva. Feeling arrogant is something you really don’t want when you meet your examiners.

Confident says to examiners, “I’m ready for you.” Arrogant says, “I’m better than you.”

Confident comes from building knowledge and talent through hard work. Arrogant assumes that they’re the only one who could do that work.

The distance between confidence and arrogance isn’t stepping over a line: they are opposite ends of a spectrum. You have to take a lot of steps to walk from well-earned confidence to the bluster of arrogance. Find confidence in honestly reflecting on how you’ve got to where you are, rather than rudely proclaiming that you’ve made it.

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