The Vines

Imagine all of the preparations and planning for a big presentation to be like a jungle canopy full of vines. As you present your talk you are Tarzan or a video game character racing through: swinging from tree to tree and whenever you leap or reach out there is another vine to grab and swing you forwards.

With sufficient prep and planning you can’t get lost or go wrong. You can find key messages and ideas that stand out to you. There is always something to reach for. There are alternate routes and shortcuts you can take if you need to.

I’ve shared over 500 viva sessions now, both in seminar rooms and over Zoom; I’m not perfect but I’m pretty certain when I come to present. If someone asks a question then I have a vine to reach for. If there’s a technical issue then I can find a way to get back on track by reaching out for something else.

I have a plan. I have notes. I have slides. I have practice and rehearsal and more. These are my vines. I can reach out when I need to and be back in motion.

The jungle vines are a nice metaphor for a presentation or workshop, but they work well for being ready for the viva too. The years of work creates vines for you to reach for when you meet your examiners, but so does all of your viva prep:

• Writing summaries creates vines.
• Reading your thesis creates vines.
• Annotating your thesis creates vines.
• Talking about your work creates vines.
• Having a mock viva creates vines!

Prepare and rehearse well for your viva. Remember the years of work you’ve invested. Then whatever direction the discussion takes you in your viva you will always have vines to reach for to help you respond to your examiners.