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Author: Nathan

Nathan

The Viva Radar

Daily Post

In movies, people look at radar, sonar and other detection screens and as a noise pings and a blur moves across the screen they say, “Something’s coming!”

Everyone stops and stares, holds their breath and wonders, “What is it? It’s getting closer! It’s big! It’s almost here!”

They wait to see what will happen. What exactly is this thing? What do they need to do in that situation? And then whatever it is – a submarine, an alien, a spaceship – arrives and urgent action is needed.

 

This isn’t so different from the situation some PhD candidates find themselves in with their viva.

“My viva is coming soon! Something will happen! I’ll be asked some questions! I need to get ready!”

But they hold it all in. They focus inwards. They wait until the day nears and they have to take urgent action.

Thousands of vivas happen every year. There are plenty of people around every candidate, not to mention books, blogs, podcasts, resources, supervisors, graduate schools and more. There is no reason for the viva to be just another vague blob on your screen.

Find out what it is and you’ll know what you need to do.

Nathan

The Bridge of Preparation

Daily Post

You submit your thesis, you have your viva and in between these two events is the bridge of preparation.

Viva prep bridges the gap between one challenge and another, but the gap is not that great and the bridge is not so difficult to build. A little effort spread out over a few weeks can be enough to ensure that you get from submission to the viva with no problems.

Maybe you can leap the gap, but why leave it to chance?

Nathan

The Right Words

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There are wrong words you could use in the viva. You could exaggerate or bluff. You could lie! You could mis-speak. You could be too modest or you could be careless in your thought or speech.

There are no perfect words for the viva discussion. Your examiners don’t expect you to respond like a machine without hesitation, errors or deliberation. Questions can have answers but they could also have opinions offered or hunches shared. You can say I don’t know.

You need the right words in your viva. The right words aren’t perfect, but they are considered. The right words aren’t scripted but can benefit from practice beforehand. The right words don’t require knowing the questions ahead of time or special understanding of the process.

The right words just require you to do the work. Do the work and you’ll find the right words on your viva day.

Nathan

Ifs And Thens

Daily Post

If you figured out how to get to submission then you can figure out how to succeed in the viva.

If you did all the work and wrote it up in your thesis then you can discuss it with your examiners for a few hours.

If you spent three (or more) years doing the research then you can talk for three hours (or less) about what it all means and how you did it.

Beyond nerves, beyond expectations, beyond the details of your research and your story, this is what it all comes down to. We can find lots of ways to look at the situation but it’s quite simple.

If you did the work, then you’re good. If you’re good then you can pass the viva.

Nathan

A Cracking Viva

Daily Post

A viva is a little like a Christmas cracker.

There’s a moment of tension between two sides. There’s an expectation that something will happen. But what?

Christmas crackers and vivas have a lot of variety. Some are small, some are big.

The contents can vary wildly. Some people like them and some don’t, but all put up with them when it’s time.

The tension is real-

-and then it’s done.

Nathan

Time Off

Daily Post

It’s a time of year where people typically take some time off. I’m already doing that – I wrote this post weeks ago so that I could enjoy more family time! Viva Survivors will continue to update every day until the 23rd of December, take a few days off, then return for five days of “best of” posts from this year.

Another time where people typically take some time off is just after submitting their PhD thesis. While a candidate could have all sorts of busy things in their life besides research, it can be really helpful to take time away from their thesis to just rest. Breathe. Stop pushing for a week or two. Take time to stop, before viva prep starts.

You might want to plan your time off between submission and viva prep. It could help to sketch out what you want to achieve and how you might do it, but time off is an essential part of the process. Give yourself space to change from one kind of work, to an altogether more considered mode of activity.

 

If you are taking time off in the coming weeks, I hope it is restful, happy and everything you want from it 🙂

Nathan

Evaluating Success

Daily Post

Why do candidates succeed at the viva?

How do they do it?

What does that success look like?

 

The why is pretty simple: they have done enough in and through their research to produce a suitably good thesis and suitably capable researcher.

The how isn’t hard either: candidates demonstrate in the thesis and through the viva that they have done enough. They engage with their examiners’ questions and comments and participate in the discussion of the viva.

What success looks like varies: in the majority of vivas, success means being asked to complete some corrections to the satisfaction of examiners. Amendments for the thesis are requested, done and checked in the weeks following the viva.

 

Why will you succeed? Because you’ve done the work and you’re good.

How will you do it? You’ll demonstrate what’s needed at the viva.

What does success look like for you? A little more work to round out the thesis – and smiles!

Nathan

Just Ask

Daily Post

Need help before your viva? Just ask.

There are lots of people who can help you practically. Your supervisors, your friends and your colleagues could all do things to help with your preparations.

Need to know more about the viva? Just ask.

You know people who have succeeded who can share their story. You know people who know what’s involved. And there are some people out there – hello! – who write blogs or articles or can otherwise share thoughts if you need them.

Just ask. A lot of viva prep depends on what you do by yourself but you are not alone. Ask for help if you need it. Look for support if there’s something missing.

Nathan

Good Reasons

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There are good reasons to have your supervisor present at your viva.

They can make notes on your behalf. After the viva these notes could be helpful for completing corrections or continuing research. Your supervisor could also be a friendly face in your viva. It’s not supposed to be terrible, but knowing they are there could help how you feel.

There are also good reasons not to have your supervisor at your viva.

They can only be present: they can’t ask questions or respond to them. And it could be that while they are a friendly face that might not be what you need. For how you feel about your viva, an audience of any kind might be the last thing you want.

Rather than weigh pros and cons, reflect on what you want and what you need for your viva. That might include your supervisor or it might not. Whatever you decide your reasons are good enough.

Nathan

Fifteen

Daily Post

What should I include in a 15-minute summary of my thesis?

The candidate asking me this had been prompted by their examiners to prepare a presentation to start their viva. This isn’t a common situation, but it’s one way to begin the viva. I can’t remember what I said in the moment that I was asked – it was towards the end of a three-hour webinar – but remembering it today I’m struck by several thoughts.

Fifteen minutes isn’t very long to summarise a thesis, so it pays to be concise. It helps to rehearse. It helps to think things through. And the question, as asked, is worth interrogating: should isn’t helpful. There are lots of things one could do.

Here are fifteen points and questions to reflect on if you were asked to prepare a fifteen-minute presentation for the viva:

  1. Why did you want to do this research?
  2. Why did the research need doing?
  3. What were the main methods you used?
  4. What literature supported the approach that you took?
  5. What makes your work an original contribution?
  6. What are you proudest of in what you have done?
  7. What was the hardest problem you overcame?
  8. What can you explain simply in the space of fifteen minutes?
  9. What can you not explain in the space of fifteen minutes?
  10. Given that your examiners have read your thesis, what do you need to re-emphasise in a presentation at the start of your viva?
  11. How does your work make a difference?
  12. How has your work made a difference in you?
  13. What do you need to start your presentation by saying?
  14. What do you need to conclude your presentation with?
  15. What can you safely leave out of your presentation?

Even if you – like most candidates – are not asked to prepare an opening presentation, reflecting on many of these questions could be useful before your viva!

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