Nathan

Edison’s Mistakes

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Edison failed in his pursuit of a lightbulb 500 times, 1000 times or even 10,000 times depending on which (probably exaggerated!) account you read. What is certain is that he made mistakes, but he didn’t really fail because he kept pursuing. He tried things, probably believing for good reasons that he would be successful, but he was wrong a lot.

All of that wrong helped him to be ultimately right.

Now, hopefully you haven’t succeeded in spite of 10,000 mistakes during your PhD – but if you arrive at submission you must have made mistakes along the way. Things forgotten, things that didn’t work out, things you can’t explain, things that are wrong… Through all of that you’ve made it to success and submission. Mistakes are part of the PhD process, both of doing the research that becomes your thesis and of developing the skills that make you a capable researcher.

It’s fine to remember you made mistakes, but not helpful to dwell on them. Understand them, but not focus on them.

Determination is another part of the PhD process, wrapped around mistakes and setbacks and failures. Determination to see things through. If you make it through a difficult path to submission, then you’ve got the determination to prepare for and pass your viva.

Nathan

Thinking Caps

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I’ve always liked the idea of putting a thinking cap on: doing something to particularly stimulate ideas or cleverness. There are times when I’ve worn a baseball cap as I sit down to write or work on something tough. I know it doesn’t make the ideas come any easier: it’s a reminder though, something to help signify what I want to be true, “I’m here to get this done, and I can do it.”

Let me be clear: in all the hundreds of viva stories I’ve heard of, I’ve never heard any where someone wore a hat to their viva!

But I have heard stories of musical playlists that help the candidate feel reassured.

I’ve heard of outfit choices that help people feel better.

I wore a pair of my good day socks for mine!

Thinking caps are probably out. But what else could you do reaffirm for yourself that you’re at your viva to pass? What else can help you feel confident?

Nathan

A Thimbleful of Courage

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A little bravery goes a long way. Yes, the unexpected question could scare you, or an honest mistake that seems huge, but you have talent, you have knowledge, you have your thesis.

This should lead to a confidence that you must be good. Good enough to meet with your examiners and defend your work. The tiniest amount of courage will see you through. The smallest reserve in the face of worry or fear. You can find it.

It’s normal to be nervous in anticipation of an important event like the viva. Find your courage. Be brave.

If you could get to submission, you can get through the viva.

Nathan

Summary Focus

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How small could you make your thesis?

It takes years to create, through research and writing, to make it what it is. But could your thesis be summarised in a few thousand words before your viva, to help you remember key points, important references and essential ideas?

Perhaps you could present the best ideas in, say, three minutes? A valuable and entertaining presentation for a general audience, not dumbing down, but not sharing all of the details.

Or could you capture everything essential for you in a single page? What would be essential? How would you decide on what to leave out and what to include?

You can’t walk into the viva having memorised tens of thousands of words and hundreds of references – and you don’t need to. A useful part of preparation is breaking down your work to find the most important details, to help your memory and make present the most valuable or necessary things that you might have to discuss in the viva.

You might want to explore several different scales of summaries, or ask yourself several different questions to help your preparation. To begin with, ask yourself what information you need to look over. What do you think would be useful to have almost at your fingertips? And what might others need to know or be interested in?

Nathan

Thank Your Supporters

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You can’t get to the end of a PhD without supporters.

They could have lots of different connections to you – your supervisor, your colleagues, family and friends – and they may help in lots of different ways.

You need help along the way, from people who can give you critical but constructive feedback, and people who help you to believe in yourself.

Say thank you when you go the distance. Reflect on what your supporters have done to help and write a word or two in your acknowledgements. Let them know how they’ve helped when you’re getting ready for your viva, and ask again if there’s one more thing they can do to help you get it right. Let them know how you’ve done afterwards and thank them one more time!

 

Today is my tenth wedding anniversary and I have been fortunate to have my wife support me for the last decade. I know what work I’ve done to come this far, and know I couldn’t have done it without her love, her encouragement, her patience, her listening, her feedback, her humour and so much more. This site wouldn’t exist without her support.

Thank you Kay 🙂

Nathan

A Series of Choices

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Are you going to spread out your viva prep over weeks or months, or do it all in a few days leading up to the viva?

Are you going to explore possibilities for your examiners in conversation with your supervisors, or leave the choice purely to them?

Are you going to be ready for your viva, or simply optimistic?

Are you going to respond to any and every question in the viva, or have questions in mind that you’d rather not discuss?

Are you open to being wrong about something, or certain that your research is right?

Some choices for the viva are easy, others aren’t. Some you have to make once, some you have to repeat. Some are conscious, some you won’t notice. Some have deadlines, some are fixed, and some you can change.

But they are there. They are your choices that lead you to the viva you’ll have and how you’ll engage with it.

Choose wisely.

Nathan

Do One Little Thing

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It’s 2020. You’re tired, you’re pressured, you’ve got no focus, you have a million and one other things to do and you still have to get ready for your viva.

My viva was a long time ago, but I empathise with anyone who feels like they can’t get things done right now. And yet still, you have to.

If any or all of those things are true, then do one little thing and then rest.

  • Put one bookmark in your thesis.
  • Write down one interesting question that comes to mind.
  • Find one nice piece of stationery to use in your prep.
  • Make a note of one person you can ask for help.
  • Take one Post-it Note and write “I can do it!” on it.
  • Stick that Post-it somewhere prominent in your workspace.

You can do it. You will do it. Despite tiredness, pressure, everything else you need to do and everything else going on around you, you can do it. There are lots of big things you might have to do to get ready, but lots of little things add up.

Do one little thing if you’re tired. Then rest. There’s still time.

Nathan

You Have To Get Better

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Think of three things that you’ve got better at by doing a PhD.

  • First list them: how would you specify these skills, processes or knowledge areas?
  • Write a few sentences for each about how you started your PhD: how would you qualify your ability or awareness then?
  • Write a few sentences for each about where you are now: how good are you today?
  • Write a few sentences for each about what made the difference: how did you get from where you were to where you are?

You have to get better at lots of things during a PhD, but progress and change can be so small day-by-day that it’s hard to see. Look back now, reflect and convince yourself.

Your development can be one of the roots of your confidence for your viva.

Nathan

Falling Into Place

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I think there’s a hope that everything just falls into place at the end of the PhD process.

A hope that everything just lines up perfectly like a big row of dominoes.

The idea you were missing hits the notion you needed to write, which completes the paragraph that was holding you up, so that the chapter which didn’t have a conclusion is finished, now your supervisor can give you feedback and your thesis gets submitted on time, and your examiners can judge everything to be right enough, and you enter the viva with a completely calm mind ready to respond – even to that one tricky question – and then you’ve passed and it’s done and you’ve finished.

The final domino falls over, you are a PhD.

 

But it won’t work like that.

Because you’ll miss a typo in the proofreading stage, meaning that that page is now a little muddled, and your supervisor will be rushed – because they will be at the moment – and while you’ll submit on time (probably), you’ll still feel a bit pressured because everyone’s feeling it, your examiners too, and they’ll be convinced by your thesis but still have questions you need to respond to, questions on the whys and hows and “What’s this?” – which you can reply to, because if you can’t, who can? – even that tricky question and you will pass, and it will be done and you will have finished.

The dominoes won’t be a neat straight line, but you’ll be a PhD.

It’ll be an explosion of fallen dominoes that somehow still make it to the end.

Things don’t just happen, everything won’t just fall into place. There’ll be friction and problems and despite all of that you’ll succeed. The imperfections won’t stop the clear outcome you’re on track for at this stage.

Nathan

The Changing Whys

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Why did you start your PhD?

Why did you keep going?

Why did you make progress?

Why were you ready to submit when you did?

Why are you going to be ready for your viva?

You had your reasons that got you started in your research. While those might change as you keep going, you still have your whys as you head to the finish.

Circumstances for your viva might change, pressures might rise up that you were not expecting. Keep a hold of your whys – why you’re doing your PhD, the fundamentals – and you’ll get through.

(remember the definition of survive)

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