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Author: Nathan

Nathan

The Starting Point

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The most important thing you can remember about the start of your PhD journey is that you are a long, long way from it.

This is more important than remembering your first meeting, the first paper you read or even why you wanted to pursue a PhD!

 

You have done more. You know more. You can do more.

You are more knowledgable, more capable and far better at what you do.

Remember that whatever else has happened in your PhD you have come a long way. You have not got this far through luck. You got here because you are good at what you do. You can build on that foundation to be ready for your viva.

Nathan

Yours & Theirs

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Everyone involved with your viva will have opinions.

There’s a lot of truth and certainty by the time you have finished your thesis but you could have plenty of unanswered questions too. Plenty of space for doubt. Plenty of space for wondering. Plenty of space for believing but not knowing for sure.

You will have opinions about some things. Your examiners will too. It’s possible that your opinions will collide or oppose. That’s not as big a problem as you might believe.

Whether you have to defend your view or unpick your examiner’s, start with why. If you need to convince with your opinion ask yourself why you think it is true to motivate your response. If you aren’t sure of your examiner’s point then ask yourself why or ask them why.

Once you know why someone holds their opinion you can understand more. You can figure out what you actually agree with and what you don’t. You can see the root of the problem or understand how to find common ground.

When defending or exploring opinions, start with why.

 

(this works very well outside of vivas too!)

Nathan

Conversations

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You have to talk at your viva.

Your examiners prepare with your thesis, assemble a plan for what they think needs to be talked about and arrive ready to facilitate a series of conversations.

The viva isn’t an interview or a question and answer session. Your examiners’ plan is to help guide them and prompt you. They steer the conversations to explore everything that needs to be talked about.

 

So: if you can expect your viva to be a series of conversations then you can prepare for it by having a series of conversations before then. You need to read your thesis and you need to make notes but that won’t be enough to be ready to talk.

You could organise a mock viva with your supervisor. You could give a seminar and take questions. You could go for coffee with friends and get them to prompt you with interesting and relevant questions. None of these will be exactly like your viva but they could be exactly what you need to help you be ready to talk.

The viva is a series of conversations. It’s clear what you need to do to get ready for it.

Nathan

Extras/Essentials

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For your viva you need:

  1. Your thesis;
  2. A notebook and pen;
  3. Something to drink.

These are the absolute essentials that every PhD candidate needs to have with them.

After the essentials there are lots of other things that might be a good idea:

  • Something to eat, in a break or at the end;
  • A list of corrections you’ve spotted;
  • A prototype of something you made;
  • A screen to show a video or software;
  • The means to show, display or demonstrate a creative work;
  • A digital copy of your thesis;
  • Notes in some form;
  • Other materials or resources, as agreed.

These are extras: useful for some people and not appropriate or needed for others. You’ll need to check the regulations, check with your supervisors and decide for yourself perhaps if you really need them.

An item on the list above might not be what you expect – or one item could be exactly what you need.

For some people these really might be considered extras after a thesis, notebook and a water bottle, just something else helpful to have with you.

For some candidates one of the “extras” could be essential to a good viva.

What do you need? What’s an extra and what is absolutely essential for you?

 

PS: you might need a little more support to help you get ready and feel ready. If that thought resonates then please check out my upcoming 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva live webinars. They’re running on Wednesday 24th September and Thursday 30th October and you can find more details of what you’ll find via the link. If you use code DAILYBLOGFAN before midnight tonight then you get a special discount too.

Nathan

The Process of Surviving

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Survive can be defined as manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

So we can understand surviving the viva as managing to keep going in the difficult circumstances of the viva.

And even more particularly we can understand surviving your viva as managing to keep going in the difficult circumstances of your viva.

 

There are challenges in every viva that make them difficult. There are parts of the process that could be uniquely difficult for a candidate. You prepare for the viva in part so that you manage to keep going, continuing on the journey that you’ve been on for a long time, but you also have to think about what makes the viva difficult for you.

Every candidate probably faces some difficult circumstances at the viva because of the nature of their work and particular situation. Some candidates face difficult circumstances because of how they feel, what they might need for the viva to be fair for them and personal situations that make the viva a greater challenge than it might be for others.

Surviving the viva doesn’t mean overcoming terrible situations. Surviving the viva means continuing to show up as your best self doing your best work. It means facing the situation and making sure in advance that it is as fair as it can be for you.

 

Manage, not struggle. Difficult circumstances rather than almost-impossible situations.

And keep going – because this isn’t the first time you’ve been challenged.

 

PS: you can learn more about the challenge and why you’ll survive at my upcoming 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva live webinars. I’m running the session on Wednesday 24th September and Thursday 30th October: come to find out why people succeed at the viva and why you will too! There are more details via the link and use code DAILYBLOGFAN before midnight tomorrow to get a special discount.

Nathan

Balance

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Viva preparation balances between perfectionism and ignorance.

Confidence for the viva balances nervousness and arrogance for meeting your examiners.

In part, getting ready for your viva means taking time to find your balance.

 

PS: want to hear more about viva prep and viva confidence? Check out 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva, my live webinar running on Wednesday 24th September and Thursday 30th October. You can find full details via the link and use code DAILYBLOGFAN before midnight on Sunday 7th September to get a special discount.

Nathan

The Questions I Can’t Answer

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I love to respond to questions from PhD candidates. When it comes to general advice there’s a lot I can help with and I’m willing to listen to situations to offer a few thoughts about particular things that might help.

There’s also a lot that I don’t know or can’t help with.

 

There are so many questions where the most responsible answer is “it depends” – and it will depend largely on the person asking the question.

There are many, many questions where the best person to offer a really valuable response might be the candidate’s supervisor. There are often questions where the best place to look for help is the university regulations.

I’ll always help if I can. If I can’t, remember that you have a lot of help around you.

When you’ve finished your PhD you can be a lot of help too.

Nathan

Shifting Feelings

Daily Post

“Don’t be nervous.”

“Cheer up.”

“You don’t have to worry.”

These are nice sentiments ahead of the viva, usually very well-intentioned. If only feeling better were as simple as stopping nerves or putting a smile on your face.

 

Maybe it’s not a lot harder. You can’t shift feelings directly but you can take action to change your mood. Reading over a chapter could help lower nerves you’ll forget something. A mock viva could make you happier for talking to your examiners. Reading the regulations could help you realise you don’t have to worry.

If you need to shift your feelings in some way for your viva you have to do something.

How do you feel? How do you want to feel? What will you do?

 

PS: One thing that might change how you feel is my 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva live webinar, running on two dates in September and October. Check out full details at the link and use code DAILYBLOGFAN before Sunday 7th September to get a special discount!

Nathan

Viva Help Webinars

Event, Update

In brief: A second post for this morning because I have two upcoming dates for my 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva session. As a reader of this blog I thought you might want to know. Use the code DAILYBLOGFAN before Sunday to get a discount on your ticket.

 

If you’re looking for viva help then look no further than the 3000+ posts on this blog.

Look to see what resources and help your university or PhD programme offer.

And then look at what past attendees say about 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva:

  • “Thanks, really helpful session that’s helped me feel confident about the viva!” – University of Edinburgh PhD candidate
  • “Thank you so much this was very helpful – I have my viva on Monday and feeling a bit more confident now :)” – Liverpool John Moores University PhD candidate
  • “Thank you for such an engaging and helpful session!” – University of Liverpool PhD candidate

 

I describe 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva as a 1-hour confidence boost. I explore why candidates can know what to expect, how that helps them and what they can do to help themselves. When you register you also get access to a four-week catch-up recording of the session and after the session you’ll receive a pdf copy of 101 Steps To A Great Viva guide.

I’m running the session live on Wednesday 24th September 2025 and Thursday 30th October 2025 and registration is open now. Registration is £20 and between now and Sunday 7th September 2025 you can get a discount if you use code DAILYBLOGFAN when prompted.

 

If 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva seems helpful to you or someone you know then check it out. Feel free to share details and the code DAILYBLOGFAN. Please get in touch if you have questions or if you need any help with your viva prep.

And if you’re looking for my Viva Survivor session then keep the morning of Wednesday 3rd December 2025 free in your diary and look out for more details and registration in October.

Thank you for reading!

Nathan

Nathan

The Buddy System

Daily Post

I’ve wondered about whether a viva prep club is feasible. Whether it’s centred around a university or in some kind of distributed community, would a group of PhD candidates be able to work alongside each other in some way – practically and being supportive – in order to get ready?

I don’t know. Given the different paths and timescales of PGRs, perhaps a club is too grand a scale to work on. It did get me thinking though. Here is a little idea:

  • Could you find a partner or a buddy to prepare alongside?
  • Someone to check in with you?
  • Someone to ask you questions?
  • Someone to help you reflect back on your journey and someone you could help in the same way?

A viva prep buddy could help you, nudge you, share ideas and help by understanding what you’re going through.

When one of you has their viva the other can report back. You can congratulate them and then look for a new buddy, who will start the process with you again. Over time, stories, experiences, expectations and help would pass from one person to another.

Can you find a buddy so you can help each other get ready for the viva?

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