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Nathan

Viva Survivors Select 06

Update

I worked hard for my PhD and spent a long time writing my thesis. I dove head first into the waters of viva preparation when I submitted and probably spent more time than I needed to get ready. I asked my supervisor for advice on how to explain my work and the interests of my external examiner-

-and never once asked what vivas were like. I had lots of friends who had had vivas by that point. I didn’t ask them either. It felt like an unwritten rule: the viva is an event that you have to just face it as it comes. Don’t ask, don’t tell.

 

Of course, after my viva – and particularly when I started working in this area – I found out that every PhD graduate seemed to have a similar story. They hadn’t known quite what to expect beyond “it’ll be OK” and then had been OK. Everyone’s viva story was different but the more people I asked the more I saw that there really were patterns of experience – information that future candidates could helpfully use as they got ready.

All of which is to say I’ve spent a long time learning about and sharing viva expectations and that’s what this month’s Viva Survivors Select is all about.

Cover of Viva Survivors Select 06, The Expectations Issue, September 2025 by Nathan Ryder Details in foreground text boxes; background shows a weather vane atop an old tower.

The Expectations Issue contains twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive digging into what vivas are really like. What can you expect? What are these patterns of experience? How do you find out more and what do you do with the information when you have it? As with previous issues of Viva Survivors Select there are two new pages of help as well: a breakdown of what to expect from a video viva and a helpful little game to encourage calm reflection ahead of the viva.

Viva Survivors Select 06 is out now for £3 and joins five other issues in this ongoing project of monthly viva help. If you like the blog, want more help and want to support what I do then please take a look at and consider buying The Expectations Issue.

The seventh and eighth issues will be released in the next two months, rounding out this first volume of the zine. Please do pass on details of this issue and Viva Survivors Select to anyone you know who is looking for viva help.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

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

Viva Survivors Select 05

Update

In 2012 a little spark came to me: “I wonder if people would be interested in hearing viva stories from PhD graduates?”

Eight years ago I realised I couldn’t continue the podcast but wanted to use this space to still do something helpful. A spark: “I wonder if people would be interested in daily viva help?”

Sometimes before you have a concrete idea you have a spark, a what-if, an “I wonder…” that prompts action and leads to something good.

This kind of little notion is what lead to Viva Survivors Select 05, The Sparks Issue, which is out today. In over eight years I’ve written some very long posts and also quite a few short ones as well. For this issue I just wanted to look at those short posts with big helpful ideas.

Cover for Viva Survivors Select 05, The Sparks Issue. Shows two textboxes in the foreground with the title and author (Nathan Ryder) and the publication month, August 2025. Background is black with yellow-orange sparks stirred by a breeze.

The Sparks Issue contains twenty-five posts from the Viva Survivors archive covering a range of topics: viva prep, the PhD journey, building confidence and a lot more. As with previous issues of Viva Survivors Select I’ve also written two new pages: a helpful reflection on how the little things in your PhD journey can have an impact and an original reflective writing game to explore how you’re feeling as you get ready for your viva.

Viva Survivors Select 05 is out now for £3 and joins the first four issues in this ongoing project of monthly viva help. If you like the blog, want more help and want to support what I do then please take a look at and consider buying The Sparks Issue.

Please do pass on details of this issue and Viva Survivors Select to anyone you know who is looking for viva help.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Nathan

Viva Survivors Select 04

Update

Viva Survivors Select 04, The Focus Issue is ready and I’m very excited to release it into the world!

As with the first three issues, The Focus Issue is made up of twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive and two new original pieces of viva help.

In this issue I wanted to explore the power of creating summaries as part of viva prep. I’ve loved sharing this topic in webinars and workshops for years. There’s a real value to thinking ahead for the viva, drawing useful information together and building confidence from really appreciating what you’ve done, how you did it and why it matters.

The Focus Issue is twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive and two new original pieces: the first digs into the power of key questions for creating summaries and the second is an original prompt-based reflection game for reflecting on the PhD journey.

Viva Survivors Select 04 is out now for £3 and joins the first three issues in this ongoing project of monthly viva help. If you like the blog, want more help and want to support what I do then please take a look at and consider buying The Focus Issue.

Please do pass on details of this issue and Viva Survivors Select to anyone you know who is looking for viva help.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Nathan

Viva Survivor this Wednesday

Event, Update

In brief: Registration closes tomorrow at 5pm for my Viva Survivor session this Wednesday morning, 25th June 2025. Take a look now if you’re looking for help getting ready for your viva!

 

Slightly more details: If you want to know what to expect, what to do, how to get ready and how to build confidence for your viva then take a look at my upcoming Viva Survivor session this Wednesday 25th June 2025.

For three hours on Zoom you’ll get direct help from me in a live session I have shared with over 8000 PhD candidates. We have a packed schedule, plenty of time to take questions and I’ll be sending you great follow-up resources including some of my publications afterwards. All this and access to a catch-up recording for four weeks!

I love sharing Viva Survivor. I’ve spent more time sharing this session than anything else in my work since my PhD. I’ve now delivered it more than 400 times for universities and doctoral training groups all over the UK.

There are lots of free resources on this site that can help you get a sense of what to expect and what to do for your viva. Start there, but if you’re looking for more then please take a look at the registration page for Viva Survivor this Wednesday. If you have any questions about the session please get in touch and do pass this on to anyone who might be looking for viva help.

One last time: Viva Survivor session this Wednesday 25th June 2025! Registration closes tomorrow, Tuesday 24th June, at 5pm.

Thank you for reading 🙂

Nathan

Viva Survivors Select 03

Update

It’s come around so quickly hasn’t it? Or maybe that’s just how I feel…

In any case the third issue of Viva Survivors Select is out today!

Viva Survivors Select 03, The Preparation Issue is here and I’m very excited to release it into the world. Twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive plus two new original pieces equals a lot of concentrated support for anyone who needs to get ready for their viva.

In this issue I felt it was time to dig into viva prep in detail: when do you start? What do you do? What tasks help? And how can you make the most of the time between submission and the viva to get ready for meeting your examiners?

Twenty posts from the Viva Survivors archive and two new original pieces: a new resource for having helpful rehearsal conversations with friends and a confidence-building project you can start to help you feel better for your viva. Viva Survivors Select 03 is out now for £3 and joins the first two issues in this project of monthly viva help.

If you like the blog, want more help and want to support what I do then please take a look at and consider buying The Preparation Issue – and please do pass on details of this issue and Viva Survivors Select to anyone you know who is looking for viva help.

Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Nathan

Viva Survivor webinar, June 25th 2025

Event, Update

If you want to know about the viva then you could ask friends and colleagues. You could talk to your supervisor about examiner expectations. You could explore the support that your institution provides.

You can also look through the 2900+ posts on this daily blog about the viva, all freely accessible, or explore the different publications I’ve produced. There is a lot of support around you to get an idea of what the viva is about and what you might do to get ready.

 

And if you want to go deeper then register for my upcoming Viva Survivor session on Wednesday 25th June 2025. Three weeks from today I’ll be sharing what vivas are really like, what effective viva preparation means and how someone can engage well with their examiners. We’ll be exploring the practical steps to take before and after submission, building confidence and a lot more.

For three hours on Zoom you’ll get direct help from me through a live session that I have shared with over 8000 PhD candidates. We have plenty of time to explore questions from the group, I have great follow-up resources including some of my publications and a catch-up recording in case you can’t stay for the whole time.

I love sharing my Viva Survivor session – so much so that I’ve delivered it over 400 times for universities and doctoral training groups all over the UK.

“The session last week was so, so helpful. I really appreciated the practical guidance, which made so much sense and feels do-able and will help my confidence going into the viva. It helped that your manner in the training was calm, clear, concise, and full of empathy and understanding.” – UCLAN PhD Candidate, December 2024

Please take a look at the registration page if you are looking for viva help. There are full details there but please get in touch if you have any questions. Please pass on information of the session to anyone who might be looking for viva help.

One last time: Viva Survivor session on Wednesday 25th June 2025!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Nathan

Viva Survivors Select 02

Update

It’s really lovely to announce the second issue of Viva Survivors Select!

The Uncertainty Issue is the second curated collection taken from the Viva Survivors daily blog archives. I’m really happy to be working on this new ongoing project. I hope that it might be a great resource for candidates who need some really considered viva support.

Background: a wooden tabletop has a series of dominoes in the shape of a question mark. The dominoes are captured mid-fall. Foreground, two text-boxes, middle and bottom. Middle: "Viva Survivors Select 02, The Uncertainty Issue, May 2025" Bottom: "Nathan Ryder"

In this second issue I wanted to explore where the most frequently asked questions about the viva come from. As someone who has been supporting PhD candidates with their viva for fifteen years now, it’s my belief that a lot of questions and worries stem from the uncertainty about the viva – whether that’s real or only perceived by the candidate.

So The Uncertainty Issue collects twenty posts to help with common concerns: practical advice, encouragement and reflections to support getting ready despite uncertainty.

I like the post on the page below, which was originally published on the blog in January 2019. People often ask about what to wear out of a desire to fit in I think, but really it’s an opportunity to boost one’s confidence.

Page 7 of Viva Survivors Select 02; top half of the page has the text of a blog post entitled "What To Wear". Lower half has a black and white line drawing of a figure in armour.

Plus I really like that piece of art I found on the public domain image site Pixabay! You’ll find nineteen more posts, more fun public domain art and two new pages of original writing in Viva Survivors Select 02.

If you like the blog, want more help and want to support what I do then please take a look and consider buying The Uncertainty Issue – you might also want to take a look at last month’s issue too!

Thank you for reading, do pass this on to anyone who you think will find Viva Survivors Select 02 helpful – and look out for news about Viva Survivors Select 03, coming in mid-June! I’m already hard at work and there’s a sneak peek on the back cover of this month’s issue.

Nathan

Viva Survivor, June 25th 2025

Event, Update

Every day I share helpful thoughts through the Viva Survivors blog.

There’s a lot of help in the archives but it could take a long time to put together a full picture of what to expect and what to do by reading the last 2900 posts!

If you want a good idea of what to expect, what to do, how to get ready and how to build confidence then take a look at my upcoming Viva Survivor session on Wednesday 25th June 2025. For three hours I’ll be sharing what vivas are really like, what effective viva preparation can look like and how someone can engage well with their examiners.

For three hours on Zoom you’ll get direct help from me through a live session that I have shared with over 8000 PhD candidates. I have a full plan, plenty of time to take questions from attendees, great follow-up resources and a catch-up recording in case anyone can’t stay for the whole time. I love sharing this session – so much so that I’ve delivered it over 400 times for universities and doctoral training groups all over the UK!

“The session last week was so, so helpful. I really appreciated the practical guidance, which made so much sense and feels do-able and will help my confidence going into the viva. It helped that your manner in the training was calm, clear, concise, and full of empathy and understanding.” – UCLAN PhD Candidate, December 2024

I hope that you’ll take a look at the registration page if you are looking for viva help. There are more details there of what to expect from the session. If you have any questions please get in touch – and do please pass on information of the session to anyone who might be looking for viva help.

One last time: Viva Survivor session on Wednesday 25th June 2025!

Thanks for reading 🙂

Nathan

Viva Survivors Select 01

Links, Update

I am thrilled to announce my new ongoing publication for PhD candidates: Viva Survivors Select!

This is my new curated series of zines. Every issue will contain a themed collection of posts from the blog’s archive plus a few new pieces of writing. I plan to release a new pdf issue each month and use this project to help postgraduate researchers by sharing my writing about the viva.

Front cover of Viva Survivors Select 01. In the background is a series of blueprint diagrams for electronic devices. Images are pitched at an angle. In the foreground are two text boxes, one approximately in the centre of the image, one at the bottom. Box in the middle, centred text has three lines: Viva Survivors Select 01 The Prototype Issue April 2025 Text box at the bottom: Nathan Ryder

The first issue is my prototype issue and features Viva Survivors posts from 2017. The eighth anniversary of the daily blog is on 18th April so this seemed like a great reason to go back to my early posts and look for the best writing to share.

In Viva Survivors Select 01 you’ll find the post below and nineteen more on the viva, viva prep and building confidence. I’ve also written an exploration of a very helpful viva prep tool and a short essay on writing. The zine has colour covers, public domain art and a lot of help for PhD candidates in a small pdf package.Page 8 from the first issue of "Viva Survivors Select". The top half of the page is taken up by a blog post; the bottom half has a simple line drawing of a filament lightbulb. Title: Lightbulb I don't know that it's universal, but the lightbulb is a powerful symbol for making a connection. One second you don't know something important, the next you do. I remember being sat on a train in early 2005, less than six months into my PhD. I was waiting to go and visit a friend. Just as the train doors were closing something CLICKED in my head and I could see the answer to a problem. It was just a little one but one at the root of a bigger problem in my thesis. Just like that, it came to me. And while there was a lot more work to do, this one little insight allowed me to write three chapters of my thesis. There were harder problems in my PhD, but this is the time I remember when something just came to me. Weeks of reading, of doodling and noodling, and then CLICK. When you have a real lightbulb moment, be grateful. What else are you grateful for in your PhD?


If you like the Viva Survivors daily blog and want something with a little more viva help then please take a look at Viva Survivors Select and see if it might be helpful for you.

If you like the Viva Survivors daily blog and want to support what I do in a practical way then please take a look at Viva Survivors Select and consider buying a copy.

And of course, if you know someone else who could use a little viva help then do tell them about Viva Survivors Select.

Thank you for reading, do get in touch if you have any questions – and look out for Viva Survivors Select 02, which will be released in mid-May!

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