What’s Bothering You?

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.