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Year: 2025

Nathan

Talent, Work and Time

Daily Post

Success at the viva takes talent, work and time.

Talent means that you’re capable. As you get closer to submission and the viva take time to reflect on what you know, what you can do and how you think. Be sure of how you developed.

Work means you applied yourself. Reflect on what you did. Explore the practical elements of your research, the choices you made and the outcomes of your research.

Time means that it didn’t happen overnight. Remember the time to understand the real effort you’ve committed.

A PhD journey is busy. It’s long. It’s easy to forget or be distracted.

As you get closer to your viva date reflect on the talent you’ve built, the work you did and the time it took. Remind yourself that you’re the reason you have come so far.

Nathan

A Spare Day

Daily Post

I’m fortunate enough to feel that today is a bit of a freebie.

It’s the end of the summer break. I have work to do but nothing pressing. Today feels like it could be all mine.

…well, if I wasn’t a parent and a small business owner. Alas, I do have things I have to do!

 

When you’re working towards your viva there is a lot you HAVE to do.

If you don’t, you’re leaving yourself open to the possibility of not being ready for your viva, stress and a lack of confidence.

Even so, find a spare day or two when you can rest and relax.

Maybe today! Maybe some time soon.

Viva prep requires reading, review and rehearsal. Don’t forget to rest.

Nathan

One Sentence Per Page

Daily Post

One purpose of annotation is to make a more useful version of your thesis for the viva. Another purpose is to engage again with your thesis and think more about what’s in there and what it means.

One helpful annotation you could make is to add one sentence to the top of each page: read, think and then add one sentence to the top of each page that summarises what’s below. One sentence, maybe ten words or less to briefly describe what else is on the page.

This fulfils the point of engaging with your thesis and thinking carefully about it – and creates a more useful version of your thesis for the viva, complete with a commentary track about everything you’ve presented.

Nathan

Finding Questions

Daily Post

Where did your research questions come from?

How did they develop over time?

How did your reading change the questions you asked during your PhD?

Where will your examiners’ questions come from?

What do you expect you will be asked? Why?

What do you hope not to talk about? Why?

 

Reflecting and creating summaries helps you think ahead for your viva. Rehearsing helps you to find words in the moment and be ready for the conversations that you’ll have at the viva.

Explore how you found your research questions in the past and also consider the questions that could be coming your way in the future.

Nathan

It Didn’t Work

Daily Post

A failure or setback in your research doesn’t have to be a terrible source of stress for your viva. For any problems you faced, take a little time in your preparation to reflect and make notes:

  • Why was there an issue?
  • How did you attempt to resolve it?
  • What was the result of your efforts?

If something didn’t work then understand why and decide on how you might explain this to your examiners. If something didn’t work you need to prepare for talking about it.

Then, more importantly, remember what did work and explore how you would talk about that with your examiners.

You have to be ready to talk about problems- but it’s more important to talk about your success.

Nathan

Understanding Limitations

Daily Post

Every PhD journey has limits.

In research you might call them constraints. They could have been necessary choices. You might have found them frustrating at the time and their consequences could be disappointing depending on their impact.

 

Limitations can also be a gift: a constraining factor helps narrow possibilities for action. They could help when faced with overwhelming options.

When it’s time to get ready for your viva, understanding the limitations you face – in time, circumstances and even your preferences – can help you to plan out your prep and get the work done.

 

Reflect on your research and PhD limitations to help you explain and explore your research.

Unpick your limitations when it’s time to get ready to help you plan and do the essential work of viva prep.

Nathan

Unclear Expectations

Daily Post

Academic culture likes to make the viva seem big, mysterious and important.

The viva is definitely big and important but it’s not mysterious. Every institution has regulations. There are thousands of people every year in the UK who have a viva. There is a wealth of information about it if you look.

If anything about the viva seems unclear then ask questions, read the regulations and generally look to find out more. Send me an email if you like!

Finding out realistic expectations for the viva means you can prepare for it well, feel good about it and know that you are on track to succeed.

So what’s unclear for you? As a result, what will you do to find out more?

Nathan

Ready At The Viva

Daily Post

Everyone at the viva is ready.

Your examiners have prepared. They were selected for good reasons and have taken the time to study your thesis and do the work required. Your examiners are ready.

Your independent chairperson, if you have one, is there to support the viva. They are experienced, know the regulations and know how best to support the exam. Your independent chair is ready.

Your supervisor, if they’re observing, is ready to watch. They can’t respond to questions and won’t ask any, but can be a friendly face or make notes for later. Your supervisor is ready, if they’re there.

Above all you are ready. Years of work and weeks of prep, all for a few hours when you can show what you’ve done. You are ready.

Nathan

Now & Then

Daily Post

A lot can happen during the work of a PhD journey.

You might face challenges that seemed too big to overcome. You could have realised after weeks of work that you were at a dead end and would need to start again. You could make mistakes, fail or need a break to get your thoughts together.

 

That was then.

Now you know more. Now you know better.

Now you’re not perfect! But you are good.

You have learned a lot and done a lot. You might still feel some of the things that you felt during your PhD like a lack of confidence or a lack of capability.

It might not be simple, but try to remember that there is a big difference between now and then.

In a very real sense you are where you are now because of what you did then.

Nathan

Brains, Heart, Courage

Daily Post

It’s not the first time I’ve written a post inspired by The Wizard of Oz…

Remember that Dorothy and her friends already had what they needed.

The Wizard tells them he can help if they do something for him. The Scarecrow will have his brains, the Tin Man a heart, the Lion will have courage and Dorothy will find a way home – but only if they face the Wicked Witch.

They already had everything they were looking for though, they just felt that they didn’t. They felt lacking or had the wrong impression of what something meant. Perhaps the Wizard could have told them but would they have believed unless they had been given the opportunity?

 

Brains, heart and courage are all needed for the viva. By the time you get to submission you have all three but like Dorothy’s companions you might not feel that way.

The thing that you might be missing is confidence. Impostor syndrome or doubts could make you think you don’t know enough, you’re not strong enough or even that you’re too worried. Confidence can help and confidence is something that you can find.

You don’t need to face a Wicked Witch to find it! And you don’t need to face a Wicked Witch at your viva to succeed.

Continue to exercise your brains. Do the work and listen to what your heart (or your feelings!) are telling you. Have courage to face the things that seem like problems. When you do, then you’ll find confidence for your viva.

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