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Month: June 2025

Nathan

Looking Forward

Daily Post

I didn’t think my viva would be terrible but I also wasn’t thinking, “I can’t wait!”

Looking back 17 years, I could best describe my feelings in the days leading up as resigned.

I guess I have to do this.

I slept only a few hours the night before. At the time I couldn’t understand that sleeplessness. I had never experienced insomnia in that way. Afterwards I came to believe it was connected with not really knowing what to expect from the viva experience and not feeling like I was a good candidate.

 

It’s only recently that I’ve realised just how connected those two thoughts might be.

How can you feel like you’re a good candidate if you don’t know what to expect?

If you’ve no idea then you can’t know if you’re good enough.

 

If any of this resonates with you I think your next steps are clear.

  • Find out what to expect. There are regulations to check and people who you can ask to learn more about viva experiences.
  • Remind yourself of what you’ve done and what that means. You’ll see that your capability is more than enough to meet the requirements of the viva.

If you know what the viva is and are sure of who you are then the experience can definitely be something to look forward to.

Nathan

Important Things

Daily Post

I have a piece of paper on the wall next to my desk that says, “What’s the most important thing I can do today that would make tomorrow better?”

I like the sentiment of this but I’m also the kind of person who gets stuck sometimes thinking about what the most important thing could be.

I’m part of a family, a writer, a researcher-developer, a business owner… How do I decide what the most important thing is? Which area do I give my attention to so I can make tomorrow better?

I have to remind myself that not knowing the most important thing can’t get in the way of me doing something to make tomorrow better, even if that’s in a small way.

 

If you like the question too but also fear getting stuck on figuring out the most important thing then for you and your viva a better framing might be, “What can I do to make my viva better?”

Then you have options. There are so many things that you can do for viva prep. There are so many ways you can reflect on your PhD to boost your confidence. There is so much you can do.

Doing something towards prep is enough. You don’t have to be overwhelmed by the important things.

Nathan

Sudden Problems

Daily Post

A week before submission you find that a section in your thesis is missing something important. What do you do?

Two weeks before your viva you learn that one of your examiners is cancelling. What do you do?

The day before your viva you find a big mistake in your thesis – you know what the correction is but you can’t change it now. What do you do?

Thirty minutes into your viva you are shaken by a question you’ve never considered before. What do you do?

 

These situations aren’t equivalent to each other. Impact and context matters. In some cases you can ask for help directly: for example, if your examiner cancelled that could be very stressful but it wouldn’t be your situation to resolve alone.

More than anything for any sudden problems the best advice I could offer is to stop: pause and breathe and get past any panic.

What can you do? Before you decide what you will do, think about what your options might be. Can you ask for help from someone? Have you faced a situation like this before? As stressful as it might immediately feel what is the real impact?

What can you do – then what will you do?

You have to do something but you don’t have to do the first thing that comes to mind when you’re experiencing the stress of a sudden problem. Pause and breathe then consider your options.

Nathan

By Now…

Daily Post

… you must be good at what you do or you wouldn’t still be doing it. You are not the person you were when you started your PhD. The things you have learned and done over the past few years put you in a good position for meeting the challenge of your viva.

It might be that you have weeks or months to go until your viva, or maybe even more, but you have time to get ready. The stage you’re at right now is a good foundation to build on. By now must recognise that you’ve made a contribution. There might be more to say or other things to do, but you can’t do everything.

Your examiners are expecting to see a good contribution made by a capable candidate. It’s helpful, to begin with, if that’s what you can see in yourself and your work.

Nathan

Critical

Daily Post

Your examiners have to be critical of your thesis and research.

That doesn’t mean that they will be negative.

Your examiners have to critically read what you have written.

That doesn’t mean that they have to go looking for problems.

Your examiners have to ask you critical questions.

That doesn’t mean that they are trying to catch you out.

Nathan

Talismans

Daily Post

I have a paperweight on my desk.

It’s a Father’s Day present I received from my daughter a few years ago: a small white stone with a leaf and branch design on one side and the words “Special Dad” on the other.

It has absolutely nothing to do with my work, the viva or any practical element of me doing what I do.

And yet I can’t deliver a webinar if it’s not on my desk in front of me. I can’t feel comfortable talking to people through the little camera in my monitor if I don’t have it there.

It’s not magic but it is a little charm, a talisman, that helps me focus. It helps me get things done. It adds some element of support for what I need to do. It’s a reminder of what I’ve done in the past and what that means.

 

You’ve done a lot of work by the time you get to your viva. You don’t need magic when you are capable. When you’ve done the work, written your thesis and prepared for your viva you don’t need a talisman or a charm or some other kind of boost.

And yet you’ll probably feel better for having one.

What will yours be? What can you find that will just encourage you, remind you and help you to believe that you are as good as you think and as ready as you can be?

You can’t have my paperweight! So what will help you?

Nathan

What’s Bothering You?

Daily Post

It took me years after my viva to realise what had kept me awake the night before. If I’d realised it that night it was really too late to do anything about it. I was bothered by not knowing what to expect from my examiners and not being sure if I was a capable candidate.

Both of these were things I had probably been pushing aside for weeks leading up to my viva, if not longer – and both could have been addressed sooner if I’d faced up to them.

I passed my viva. In the grand scheme of things it was fine but I could have enjoyed it more if I’d explored what was bothering me sooner, before it was too late to do anything about it.

My wish for you today is simple: if you’re getting ready for your viva and there’s even a hint of something bothering you then face up to it. Figure out what’s bothering you and do something about it. Ask for help, talk to your supervisor, read your thesis, write something – do something!

Don’t hope it will go away and don’t wait until it is too late. If something is bothering you then do something about it.

 

PS: if something is bothering you about the viva process then please take a look at Viva Survivor, my  live webinar I’m sharing tomorrow, Wednesday 25th June. It’s a 3-hour live webinar with a catch-up recording and follow-up materials all about the viva, viva prep and getting ready. Registration closes at 5pm today, so this is your last opportunity to sign up. If you have questions about the viva and think a live session and support might help then take a look and find out more. Thanks for reading.

Nathan

Viva Survivor this Wednesday

Event, Update

In brief: Registration closes tomorrow at 5pm for my Viva Survivor session this Wednesday morning, 25th June 2025. Take a look now if you’re looking for help getting ready for your viva!

 

Slightly more details: If you want to know what to expect, what to do, how to get ready and how to build confidence for your viva then take a look at my upcoming Viva Survivor session this Wednesday 25th June 2025.

For three hours on Zoom you’ll get direct help from me in a live session I have shared with over 8000 PhD candidates. We have a packed schedule, plenty of time to take questions and I’ll be sending you great follow-up resources including some of my publications afterwards. All this and access to a catch-up recording for four weeks!

I love sharing Viva Survivor. I’ve spent more time sharing this session than anything else in my work since my PhD. I’ve now delivered it more than 400 times for universities and doctoral training groups all over the UK.

There are lots of free resources on this site that can help you get a sense of what to expect and what to do for your viva. Start there, but if you’re looking for more then please take a look at the registration page for Viva Survivor this Wednesday. If you have any questions about the session please get in touch and do pass this on to anyone who might be looking for viva help.

One last time: Viva Survivor session this Wednesday 25th June 2025! Registration closes tomorrow, Tuesday 24th June, at 5pm.

Thank you for reading 🙂

Nathan

The Responsibilities

Daily Post

Your institution has a responsibility for communicating the regulations and processes of the viva to you.

Your supervisor has a responsibility to guide you and provide appropriate practical support.

Your examiners have a responsibility to be fair but to ask questions. These could be difficult questions at times. Your examiners have a responsibility to help the viva work well.

Your independent chairperson, if you have one, has a responsibility to ensure that the viva is fair.

You have a lot of responsibilities. Many of them follow from the same basic principles you must have been following for a long time though. You have to show up, engage well and continue to do what you do: be a good researcher in whatever way that means for your discipline.

Whilst the viva isn’t easy, your responsibilities shouldn’t be too hard to fulfil. You’ve been on this track for years.

A few more hours. Keep going.

Nathan

You Can Have It All

Daily Post

You don’t get to choose or refuse questions. You don’t decide how long your viva will be. You can’t arrange the tables just so. You don’t technically get to choose your examiners.

You can’t dismiss a rule or regulation that sounds unfair. You can’t say no to corrections. You can’t change the scope or the process. You can’t decide when it’s over.

All of the above are true, but what do they matter?

You can succeed like most candidates do.

You can do the work before and during the viva. You can show up ready. You can focus on the expectations that make a difference and leave aside all of the above.

You can have everything that does matter by checking a few things out, asking the right questions and preparing. Do what you need to and you can have it all at the viva.

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