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Year: 2024

Nathan

I Heart Expectations

Daily Post

Roses can be red,

But can also be blue;

Viva expectations are patterns,

But might not hold for you.

 

Viva expectations tell a story of likely future experiences. Everyone you know from your department is asked to prepare a presentation, so it’s likely you will be too.

Viva expectations are not perfect. Everyone you know may have had a viva of around two hours, but yours is closer to three in the event.

Statistics and stories help. The details can really matter, but the real help comes from looking deeper. Nevermind the first question or how long, what’s the purpose and process at work? What do you really need to do and know?

Nathan

Legend

Daily Post

There are several ways we use the word.

Someone is a legend if they’re amazing. They have talent and are someone who has demonstrated that for a long time. For example, a postgraduate researcher when they reach thesis submission…

A legend can also be about someone or something, perhaps a story or collection of stories. Quite often this describes how the person or thing came to be great. For example, consider a PhD journey with all of its ups, downs and ultimate successes…

Less well known is using the word legend to describe the marks on a map. The legend explains the symbols of important features, which isn’t all that dissimilar to when someone looks for the highlights in their story. For example, a postgraduate researcher reflecting on their PhD journey as they prepare for their viva…

Taken together: consider the highpoints of your story so that you can appreciate your capability and how you got here.

Or perhaps: the legend of your legend makes you a legend!

Nathan

Build Up To The Viva

Daily Post

On your first day of viva prep you don’t have to push yourself to work at maximum intensity.

Maybe make a list.

Read a chapter.

Check a regulation or two.

You don’t have to start and maintain an exhausting pace of work and progress towards being ready.

 

You don’t have to do that from day two either. Or day three.

You can build up your prep and yourself. Take your time, plan your prep, build yourself up for the viva. A little work every day for however many weeks you need to not be stressed by your schedule. That’s all you need.

Build up to the viva rather than risk wiping yourself out with too much pressure.

Nathan

The Final Step

Daily Post

Testing transcription service. OK. Seems to be working today.

Here we go!

 

I have a procedure for the hour leading up to a webinar. Step by step, task by task, a process that helps guide me to starting well.

My water bottle is full. I have an emergency break snack. I’ve got my notes and my desktop is arranged just so. I’ve done all the work I can. Email off. I’ve checked that my family know not to disturb me. I check I’ve got everything I need.

Then the final step is to check that Zoom’s transcription service is working well, “Testing transcription service…”

 

What could your viva day procedure look like? What will you need to do? What might the first task be and what will the final step be that will help you to feel ready?

Then, here we go!

Nathan

Troubleshooting During Prep

Daily Post

Whatever the worry, issue or problem, if you find yourself concerned by something during your viva prep just pause and reflect on three questions:

  • Why is this a problem?
  • How could you fix it?
  • What will you do next?

Ask “why” to diagnose what it is and how serious it is (because maybe it’s not that big a deal but you feel stressed).

Ask “how” to imagine a space where the thing is not a problem any more.

Ask “what” to start the process of solving the issue – or maybe just stepping away from it if you really don’t need to do anything.

Nathan

On The One Hand…

Daily Post

…your examiners are experienced, they have to ask questions, they have to challenge you and they will be prepared for your viva when they arrive.

But on the other hand, you are experienced, you have experience at responding to questions, you can rise to challenges and you can be prepared for your viva when they arrive.

Everyone at your viva is capable, ready and engaged. The viva can be a difficult challenge and you can be ready for that challenge.

Nathan

Questions For Your Examiners

Daily Post

The viva is a discussion about you, your thesis and your PhD journey, along with other relevant related topics. Most questions in the viva will naturally flow from your examiners towards you because they’re examining you and your work.

The viva is a conversation though: you might have some questions of your own.

  • You might want to ask your examiners for their opinion on your work.
  • You might need clarification of a point they’re making.
  • You might need a question rephrased.
  • You might just want to know what they think about something.

You have space in the viva to ask your examiners questions. In most cases these opportunities will arise naturally, for example, asking for clarification. It could still help to think through what you would want to know more about if the moment came where you could ask them something.

The viva can be a great opportunity to ask some experts what they think.

Nathan

Five Minutes

Daily Post

Have five minutes spare and feel like you need to do something productive for your viva prep but don’t know what? Try one of these:

  • Make a list. Key points, key papers, important people, helpful thoughts, things to do – you can’t go wrong with a list.
  • Redefine your contribution. Capture thoughts on the significant, original contribution you’ve made through your thesis.
  • Reflect on who your examiners are. What do you know about them? What does that mean? And what can you do to be a little more clear on them?
  • Read a random post of viva help. There’s a link to a random post in the sidebar of every page of Viva Survivors or use this link to get a random post!
  • Write about how you’re feeling. Feeling happy? Why and what can you do to hold on to that? Feeling worried? Why and what can you do to help with that? And so on.

Or maybe just rest. That’s OK too!

Nathan

Frozen Thesis

Daily Post

Icebergs are often used as metaphors for describing people: we only see what’s presented to the world, but there can be so much more going on beneath the surface.

We see a person, but don’t see their history, their feelings, their thoughts, their worries, their problems and so much more. Sometimes not knowing these things can lead to problems if we make incorrect assumptions about what we see.

The iceberg metaphor – things unseen beneath the surface – stretches neatly to reflect on a PhD thesis too.

When a thesis is submitted it’s a finished work. Examiners or anyone who reads it can read it, hopefully understand and consider what it means. Depending on their knowledge they might be able to ask questions or make assumptions about how something happened or why something was arranged in the way it was.

But they can’t know it all. They can’t see beneath the surface and know the last three (or four or seven) years of research.

They need you for that.

Having done the work you do see beneath the surface of your thesis iceberg. You see the mass of work and knowledge that is under the bright surface of new understanding. You can share that with your examiners in your viva and show them what they need to know for their own understanding.

Nathan

The End Point

Daily Post

When you come to plan your viva prep consider what you want to have and how you want to feel when you’ve finished the work.

  • What resources do you want to have made?
  • What tasks do you have to complete?
  • Who can support you?
  • Ideally, how do you want to feel while doing the work?
  • And, again ideally, how do you want to feel when you’re done?

Whatever your responses are, they can guide you into thinking about what you will do, how you will do it and what you are ultimately aiming for.

What do you want to have done? How do you want to feel?

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