In The Mix

I often ask webinar participants how they’re feeling about their viva. I use a poll which allows people to pick one option or write in how they’re feeling.

• Some say they’re excited. They’re quite rare!
• A lot of people say they feel uncertain or unprepared.
• The majority of people say they feel nervous, anxious or worried about their viva – and most of those people say nervous.
• Also: nervous is really common whether someone is days, weeks or months away from their viva.

I’ve been thinking lately that I need to update the poll to allow people to give more than one response. Candidates can feel a mix of things all at once: they feel excited and nervous. They might feel like they’re unprepared right now but confident they’ll be OK in the end.

What’s your mix of emotions like? If you feel a little negative then maybe you have to consider how to change that state. If you feel something positive then think about how to hold on to it and maybe build on it. And if you are feeling a mix then think about how the positive can offset the negative.

What steps could help you to feel better about your mix of viva feelings?