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Month: October 2025

Nathan

Crossing A Line

Daily Post

Some PhD candidates worry about getting something wrong at the viva because they don’t know what they need to do to get it right.

Does that resonate? If it does you don’t have to do a lot to get rid of the worry.

  • Read the regulations for your institution;
  • Talk with friends and colleagues about their viva experiences;
  • Ask your supervisors if your department has any particular viva practices.

These three sources are enough to figure out a useful sense of what to expect. You’ll see that there are no hidden red lines, no secrets and no terrible traps waiting ahead.

You’re unlikely to cross a line. Get things right at your viva by learning that there’s nothing really you can get wrong.

Nathan

Waiting For A Good Time

Daily Post

It might feel like you have to wait a long time to get to your viva. Hopefully you’ll be busy enough along the way that it won’t feel too bad.

And hopefully it won’t feel too much like waiting for your viva while you’re preparing.

There will probably be some waiting to get started on the day.

And you might wait a little during the viva while your examiners pause and think – which you can do too – or during breaks.

And wait again when they confer about the outcome towards the end.

And then again when you wait to hear if your corrections have been accepted.

And then again(!) when you wait for an opportunity to graduate.

There’s a lot of waiting on the journey to being a PhD graduate. What can you do to get used to it or to make a good use of the time for yourself?

Nathan

Is A Video Viva A Good Idea?

Daily Post

Things have come a long way since the emergency measures of 2020 when, against an uncertain background, many PhD candidates had to change plans and have a viva over video.

Without the stress of those times there are definite pros and cons of a video viva.

On the plus side:

  • Not needing to travel could be a positive for many candidates;
  • Not needing to meet in person could reduce anxiety for some;
  • Being able to control the setup and space could be really helpful.

And of course, there are some situations where a video viva isn’t just a positive idea: it could be a necessity that will allow someone to have a viva at all or participate fully.

There are potential negatives though:

  • Anecdotes suggest that video vivas are more formalised, probably due to the format;
  • There is the potential for conversations to be awkward because of platform limitations;
  • They might not allow for networking-style conversations in the same way as an in-person conversation.

Where does all of this leave a candidate wondering what to do?

 

Unless a video viva is a necessity because of travel or availability it just depends on the candidate and what they feel they need. There are plenty of positives that can make a video viva a good experience. The negatives are not overwhelmingly negative in any way.

And remember: we are not in 2020 any more. Technology, training and experience has moved on. A video viva is a known thing and can be learned about and prepared for. If you need one or are thinking about one it’s not a bad idea at all.

Whatever the format the purpose and process of the viva is the same. You can do well in it wherever you are.

 

PS: I’ll be sharing a lot more about the general viva process at my Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 3rd December 2025. This is my comprehensive session on getting ready for the viva. Check the link for full details of what to expect but please get in touch if you have any questions!

Nathan

Defending & Supporting

Daily Post

Defending your thesis means supporting your research.

Defending doesn’t mean protecting. Your examiners’ comments and questions aren’t trying to exploit weak points or diminish your work.

Defending means saying and doing more in the viva in addition to the thousands of hours of work that lead to your thesis.

Defending can mean exploring a topic, providing clarity, expanding on details and more.

More than anything, defending might mean saying why. Even if you’ve said it in depth in your thesis and you feel you’ve said it clearly, your examiners could want a little more from you.

Why does your work make a contribution?

 

PS: If you want more ideas of how you can defend your thesis and respond well to questions in the viva then take a look at  The Confidence Issue, the latest instalment of Viva Survivors Select. The issue contains twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive plus two new pages of viva help and I think it’s worth your time to take a look 🙂

Nathan

What Did You Enjoy?

Daily Post

When you’re getting ready for your viva there’s both time and a need to explore what was a challenge. Anything that challenged you has some value. You can explore what made it difficult and what you achieved by rising to the challenge.

If you faced problems then it makes sense to consider them again before your viva. You might need to talk about them with your examiners. It then makes sense to write summaries, rehearse and figure out how you explain why something was a problem and what you did about it.

Then there’s your research contribution. What makes it significant? How does it make a difference to your field or disciplines?

 

All of the above are worth exploring as you prepare for your viva but perhaps begin with something simpler. What did you enjoy during your PhD? What did you look forward to doing or come to appreciate?

When you’re getting ready for your viva a good starting point might be to think about what you enjoyed doing your research. There’s plenty of time for harder topics. What did you enjoy?

Nathan

What You Want & What You Need

Daily Post

Wants are nice. Needs are non-negotiable.

Wants can follow preferences while needs follow your situation and circumstances.

If you want to have a particular external examiner maybe you can make a case to your supervisor. If they say no there will be someone else.

If you need your viva to be in an accessible room for you then that’s where it needs to be. No ifs or buts.

Put your focus where it needs to be as your viva is arranged. Try to get the things you want but if there’s something you need make sure that the right people know.

When you meet your needs you probably remove the worst of the stress that something as important as your viva could bring.

Make sure your needs are met then work to get your wants if you can.

Nathan

Getting To Done

Daily Post

How did you get this far in your PhD journey?

There’s a great series of steps, actions, ideas, questions, papers, successes, failures, setbacks, breakthroughs, meetings and long hours.

All of which boils down to: you did it.

The talent, skill and knowledge are yours. The actions were yours.

You did it. Remember that as you get ready for your viva.

Nathan

Viva Prep Recipes

Daily Post

I do a lot of the cooking in our house. Most of what I make regularly is the result of recipes I carry in my head but I sometimes look in cookbooks to check my instincts around cooking times, temperatures and good ingredient pairings.

It also helps me to figure out alternatives too. Will this dish still work if I change the seasoning? Probably. Can I swap tomatoes for carrots? Maybe not. And what do I do if I need to make a big change from the process described?

 

Viva prep feels a lot like this too. There are a lot of good ideas for how to get ready but you have to find something that feels right for you and tweak it from there.

A mock viva is often held around two weeks before the viva date but a week before your viva or a month before could work too with a few adjustments.

It’s common to start viva prep by reading your thesis but journalling or making other notes is equally helpful and valid.

Ask around to find out what others did. Read blog posts for good ideas. Then assemble your own recipe for viva prep success.

 

PS: I released the latest edition of Viva Survivors Select this week. As with today’s post The Confidence Issue has lots of practical ideas from the Viva Survivors archive for building confidence for the viva!

Nathan

Unusual Expectations

Daily Post

Some PhD candidates have unusual expectations for their vivas.

I’m not a mind-reader, but I know this must be true because of the questions that some candidates ask. I have met candidates who have expected the following:

  • Every question will be hard and every comment will be critical;
  • The external will ask most of the questions and the internal won’t care;
  • Success at the viva is 50/50, a coin toss between passing and failing;
  • The examiners will play good cop/bad cop!
  • The viva is just random so there’s no way to prepare.

These are all quite extreme! More benign and unusual expectations include candidates believing that they can’t take a break or that they can’t consult their thesis.

 

It’s not just that these expectations are wrong and don’t match reality: they are really negative. To hold them can only harm someone’s confidence as they get ready.

It’s not wrong to feel nervous ahead of your viva, but if you find yourself worried by an expectation or belief about the viva then find a way to check if your expectation is reasonable. If it’s unusual then you can maybe stop worrying.

And if you find that it isn’t unusual then there will still be something you can do towards feeling more prepared and more ready.

 

PS: I released the latest edition of Viva Survivors Select yesterday! The Confidence Issue contains twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive exploring confidence for the viva including how to respond well to questions in the viva – something which definitely helps with having good expectations.

Nathan

Viva Survivors Select 07

Update

It was a few years after my PhD before I started to feel confident. It took me time to find a way to build it up for myself. I didn’t find it during my PhD or ahead of my viva: I thought my thesis was pretty good but didn’t think I was a good candidate. I knew something was missing on my viva day but didn’t know what it was.

After my PhD I started to listen to podcasts, read blog posts and found books that helped me assemble a jigsaw of confidence from myself, borrowing ideas from many different places and finding what worked for me.

I’ve had the good fortune to spend my post-PhD life exploring confidence for myself and how to help other people find it for themselves. I’m glad to have the chance to share some help, encouragement and ideas in this month’s issue of Viva Survivors Select.

Cover of Viva Survivors Select 07/The Confidence Issue/Nathan Ryder. Background image shows a pair of hands holding a small plant growing in soil.

The Confidence Issue contains twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive exploring confidence in the PhD, helpful practices to try during viva prep and how to respond to questions in the viva. This is a topic I’ve explored a lot over the last fifteen years and it’s great to share a curated resource like this zine.

Every issue of Viva Survivors Select also contains new help too. This month I share my thoughts on making a playlist to help promote confidence. I love using music to prompt a shift of feelings and know I’m not alone in thinking it’s a useful nudge – and nudging confidence is the theme of my other new piece, a short game to help people getting ready for their viva.

Viva Survivors Select 07 is out now for £3 and joins six other issues in this ongoing series. If you like the blog, want more help and want to support what I do then please take a look at and consider buying The Confidence Issue.

The final issue of this volume, The Survival Issue, will be released on Wednesday 12th November. I’m also considering releasing a bundle of all eight issues of Volume 1 for a special price. Let me know if you think that’s a good idea!

Please do pass on details of this issue and Viva Survivors Select to anyone you know who is looking for viva help.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

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