Daily viva help for PhDs
Viva prep means a lot of Rs: reading, reviewing, refreshing, rehearsing.
It’s easy to forget one of the most important ones: resting.
It’s a public holiday in the UK today and I hope you have space to rest. If not, then decide when you will next rest and relax.
Even if your viva is tomorrow I’d still encourage you to make time to take some rest today.
If you’re worried about doing something wrong at your viva or in your prep then you’re probably fine.
But, to be sure:
If you’re self-aware enough to think that you’re going in the wrong direction then you’re probably on track and nervous. Nervous simply means that you’re recognising the viva – correctly – as something that matters.
I remember that for my Masters there were different grades that people could achieve: distinction, merit or pass.
They were sort of similar to undergraduate grade boundaries in terms of achievement. There were extra conditions like needing to get certain percentages for exams and projects but they were simple groupings more or less.
PhDs don’t typically have that. I’ve seen universities organise special prizes for achievement or recognition but that’s separate to the candidate’s research and viva.
With a PhD, typically you pass or fail.
Actually, typically, you pass: the success rate is almost 100%.
Corrections aren’t a kind of pass but rather a condition of success: you might be asked to make some small changes, amend typos and so on. Do the work and you’re done.
Your grade for your PhD, after years of work, is a simple pass. Success. Finished. Done.
So, if you were going to an exam that you knew you were almost certainly going to pass, what would you do to help your success? Perhaps more importantly, what will you do to help how you want to feel about your viva?
When you’re asked a question at the viva:
Any question. Any kind of question. Give a response, take your time.
There are no prizes for speed and only your own stress for rushing.
There might not be an answer but you can always respond with an opinion, a hunch, an idea or a question.
Give a response, take your time.
The viva is simple. A group of examiners leading a discussion with purpose asking a candidate about what they did, how they did it, why it matters and who they are.
Simple.
Viva prep is simple. Invest a little time to be ready for the particular challenge of your viva. Read the regulations, get help if you need it and take tens of hours to build on thousands of hours of work. Read, think, rehearse and prepare.
Simple.
Feeling confident for your viva is simple. Reflect on what you did and what it means. Remember how much work you invested and see the difference between when you started and where you are now. See what change you’ve made.
Simple.
Everything about the viva is simple but simple does NOT mean easy.
At the viva you’re expected to know your stuff but you’re not expected to know everything.
What kinds of details do you need to know? How exact or precise do you need to be? That depends on your research and how you did it but here are some general things to consider:
And most general of all: consider what the viva is really for. When you have a good sense of what your examiners are there to ask about, even if you don’t know the precise questions, then you can help yourself to get ready for the experience.
How do I deal with the company of anxiety?
I have been asked many, many questions about the viva and I’m still surprised by questions I’ve never been asked before.
Sometimes the surprise is a personal story that is raw or a shocking situation. Sometimes, as was the case last month, the surprise is a phrasing that simply connects and shares a truth.
How do I deal with the company of anxiety?
For the person who was asking, anxiety wasn’t a feeling. It wasn’t triggered by a single problem or doubt. It was constant. It was a companion.
Anxiety about the viva can’t be waved away. To push back I think we have to push on with it a little further first. Anxiety is uncomfortable and you might have to get a little more uncomfortable before you can get away from it.
Anxiety is the surface feeling of a problem. When you know what the problem is you can do something about it. To deal with the company of anxiety you have to figure out what’s causing it and then take steps to deal with the situation.
How do I deal with the company of anxiety?
Decide you don’t want to be around anxiety anymore. Get closer, figure out what’s really going on so you can work past the worries you’re feeling.
You don’t have to stay in the company of anxiety but you have to be willing and able to take action.
Here’s a helpful framing: the viva is simply the next challenge on your path to a PhD.
The viva isn’t the only challenge or the final challenge. To get this far you have risen to many other situations and succeeded. Take what you’ve learned, prepare for the challenge that’s coming your way and keep going.
You can do it.
For some candidates it might seem unusual to colour code a thesis as part of prep.
It could seem unusual to have multiple mock vivas.
Or unusual to record yourself responding to questions.
And it might seem unusual to have examiners whose work you haven’t cited!
There are lots (and lots) of posts on this site around typical viva prep.
Read your thesis. Annotate your thesis. Make summaries. Rehearse.
There are typical ways you might go about any of these things. I have offered lots of examples and there are many other people who can give you good ideas too.
If you need something different then do it.
Figure out your needs, consider your preferences and then do the prep. If it’s unusual or it’s not the typical thing to do then so what? The more important question is does it help you?
Typical or unusual, do viva prep that helps you.
Viva expectations can give a sense of the flow, taking breaks and how people should behave.
Expectations can give real certainty for some aspects like the general process, what examiners do and securing reasonable adjustments.
And expectations can show a measure of uncertainty for things like the questions you’ll receive, what you’ll feel and how long your viva will be.
Expectations aren’t the viva: let’s say that together they create a valuable tension.
You can feel sure of some things, have a sense of others and give yourself an opportunity to get comfortable with what you won’t know until your viva is happening.