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Nathan

Typo Terror

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You don’t need to be afraid of finding typos. For the most part when someone finds a typo, at worst, it will distract them. A very, very, very minor frustration. For an examiner it is something to record in some way, so that they can ask the candidate to make appropriate changes later.

If you find a typo you can do the same.

Typos don’t need to be feared, they need to be found! When you encounter them, note them down, what is needed in the future to make them right and move on.

There’s far more important work to do and far more important things to talk about in the viva.

Nathan

More Examiners

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The most common viva situation in the UK includes two examiners, one internal and one external. Some universities have independent chairs to steer and confirm the process, and in most cases a supervisor is allowed to attend with the candidate’s approval, but there are nearly always only two examiners.

Nearly always.

There are good reasons for exceptions. It could be that the research requires people with different research backgrounds and interests. A third examiner might be needed so that certain knowledge can be brought into the viva. Or perhaps the candidate is also a staff member at their PhD institution and a second external is required to ensure that the viva is seen as fair.

 

More examiners could mean more questions in the viva; more people talking could mean the viva has more hours than most.

But it doesn’t mean significantly more work in preparation. An extra person won’t take long to look into: a few more papers to consider, a little more thought to consider what they might be interested in.

A 50% increase in examiners doesn’t lead to a 50% increase in prep, questions, viva time or corrections!

Nathan

Pages & Pages

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There are so many pages in your thesis.

The pages contain the best of your research, told as well as you can; they hold facts and/or figures, opinions and conclusions, details and digressions and everything that you think is needed to tell the story of your PhD research.

The pages in your thesis have big clear borders and section headings, chapter titles and funny words, maybe footnotes and appendices and a bibliography pointing to even more reading!

And the pages in your thesis contain typos and hidden points, possibilities for changes and unclear expressions, lots that you remember and a fair amount you probably don’t.

There are pages and pages and pages of stuff in your thesis. The smallest thesis still contains a lot!

Get ready for your viva by reading, annotating, summarising and feeling proud of the wonderful book you wrote.

Nathan

When You’re Wrong

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Realising that you’ve made a mistake doesn’t feel good. Spotting a typo, a mis-quote, an error or a problem in your thesis could send you into a panic. Or being told by your examiners that they have a question and finding that it is related to something you haven’t noticed could make you feel dreadful.

As with so many situations in the viva, all of the feelings could be much bigger than the situation they are in response to. If you’re wrong ask yourself why you are wrong. Ask yourself how you can make things right. Ask yourself what you need to do in the moment, in the viva.

Work past the feelings, engage with the situation and do something.

Nathan

Three to Five Seconds

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Or a standard viva pause.

Just long enough to check you’ve understood a question, begin to consider what it means and get some thoughts in order for what you might say.

Three to five seconds is a pause – but if you need longer, take longer. There’s no rush in the viva. If you need to think more or consult in your thesis then tell your examiners.

Pause when you need to in the viva. Take your time to engage as well as you can.

Nathan

Measuring PhD Success

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What does PhD success mean? I’ve heard lots of possible ideas over the years:

  • No corrections? Is that the goal?
  • Two or more publications? Is that what you want? Or need?
  • Just getting through?! Is that enough?
  • Feeling proud at the end? (I think that would be nice)

Success has to involve the viva in some way – and passing it of course! So success also has to involve doing the work necessary to get to submission, preparing for the viva and doing well on the day.

PhD success has to include the viva – but PhD success doesn’t mean simply passing the viva. I think given that every PhD journey is unique and personal it follows that PhD success would be too.

PhD success can’t simply be measured in the number of corrections, how many papers you write or how many times your examiners smile during the viva. Every candidate has to set the measure for themselves. Every candidate has to find what their PhD means and what success means.

And, whatever stage you’re at, you have to figure it out for yourself. You may find help in blog posts like this or conversations with friends: at some point you have to decide what you’ll accept as success and then work towards and deal with that.

What does PhD success mean?

Well, what does it mean to YOU?

Nathan

Character Sheets

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In tabletop role-playing games, players have character sheets. These are a way of capturing information about the person you are pretending to be in the game. Are you a warrior or a wizard? What equipment do you have? Character sheets list statistics about the character, measures of how skilful someone is and perhaps key details about their past or their talents.

If all of the above sounds totally unfamiliar then from real life picture a CV or resume. These do something similar to a character sheet. They show what someone has achieved, a shorthand for showing ability and success, essential skills and qualifications. It’s not the whole story, but a helpful summary for reminding someone or sharing key details.

As you prepare for your viva, consider making a character sheet for yourself. List your accomplishments, summarise the skills and talents that make you amazing, and highlight the ways you have levelled up. Summarise what you can do now as a result of your PhD journey.

In a game, a character sheet might describe someone fictional and amazing. For the viva, create something which shows a real, amazing person: you.

Nathan

Snapshots

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Remember that if you ask someone about their viva you are going to get a picture of what happened, and not the event itself. Not all of the details will be clear and perhaps some of the things you really want to know will not be present in their story.

It’s like looking at someone else’s holiday photos. Holiday snapshots show things someone else noticed or were interested in. At first, talking about it might only give surface impressions, the short version of what happened.

Every viva story is a snapshot of an experience. A viva story doesn’t reveal everything and without context could even be confusing.  Ask about what you need to know. And ask the right people! It makes more sense to ask a few people from your own department about their viva than trawl the internet for lots of stories.

Figure out what you need to know to have more certainty for your viva and your preparations.

Nathan

Finding The Answer

Daily Post

Lots of questions have answers.

Answers are things that are known: factually accurate, true or perhaps established as a logical argument with sufficient supporting reasons and information.

If you were asked a question and needed to find an answer in the viva there are lots of things you could do or try:

  • You could stop and remember the answer, or at least attempt to.
  • You could use a piece of paper and calculate something that leads to the answer.
  • You could stand up at a whiteboard and draw while you talk to explain the answer.
  • You could check your thesis to look for a piece of information that holds the answer.
  • You could ask a question of your examiners to help explore the situation.

Lots of questions have answers and if you are trying to find an answer in the viva there is a lot you could do to find it.

 

But not every question has an answer.

Some questions seek opinions. Some are hypothetical and explore a scenario – or how someone thinks about it. Some questions have an answer – and you might not know it. Some questions don’t have answers, but they are worth exploring all the same.

If a question has an answer you might be able to find it. If a question doesn’t then you can still engage with it.

Not every question has an answer, but every question asked at the viva is something you can engage with and respond to. If there’s an answer there then there’s plenty you can do to find it – and if there isn’t you still have an opportunity to demonstrate your work, your ability and your knowledge.

Nathan

Now You Can

Daily Post

If it won’t cause pain or upset, think back to who you were when you started your PhD journey.

Consider what you knew and what you could do, and compare that with your capability today.

Being ready for the viva is partly all the work you’ve done, partly the specific preparations for the viva and partly how you feel about yourself and what you can do. A PhD journey can be long and difficult; sometimes, when reflecting it can be natural to remember the beginnings or the harder moments.

Instead, remember where you are today. Remember the skills, the knowledge, the talent and the success that you have. You are not the person you were. You are not who you were when you began.

Now you can do so much more.

You know so much more.

And you have achieved so much more than when you started.

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