Nathan

2025 In Brief

Daily Post

In 2025…

  • …I published 362 new daily posts on Viva Survivors (I always take a few days off over Christmas)
  • …I delivered 44 viva-related sessions like Viva Survivor and 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva for 952 postgraduate researchers.
  • …I created eight issues of Viva Survivors Select, a series of curated and themed collections of viva support and developed five new games to help viva preparation.

Numbers can point towards confidence.

The right number can be a good representation of the effort and time you invest into something.

3136 posts on a blog is a lot. It’s been extraordinarily helpful for me to invest this time into writing. It helps me to think and find new ways of helping people with their viva problems.

952 people helped last year through my viva sessions. Over 10,000 total in my life as an independent researcher-developer. I get nervous and stressed before I deliver a webinar but the numbers help point me towards confidence. “I did all of that… I can probably do this too…”

 

2025 was a strange year. It was a hard year at times. There were lots of ups and downs in my work, my family life and in the world generally. But when things get tough and I can’t focus I can still look at the numbers.

What numbers do you have to help point you to confidence? What are your headlines for 2025? What did you do and what does it mean?

Find some helpful numbers to build your confidence up as you start 2026.

Nathan

Comforting Objects

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I recently re-read Pat Thomson’s excellent post from September about emotional support objects – things in her space that help her feel better in different ways. They support her writing by distracting, inspiring or helping her to feel grounded.

Pat lists examples like a favourite mug, a smooth river rock and a particular leather journal. The context for the blog post is all about writing but I know from my own experience that these kinds of comfort objects can offer a much wider support.

I have favourite mugs and a leather journal cover that help my writing but I also have a paperweight that I keep to hand when I’m presenting and artwork on my walls that makes me smile.

I don’t take chances when it comes to my work. I work hard, I prepare and then I also have whatever I need to comfort and support me.

 

All of this makes me think of the viva too – and you, dear reader! What do you need?

You might already have emotional support objects but if not consider what you could try using or having around to support you. What could help you to prepare well? And importantly, what could help you to feel well in your viva?

And if you’re still working towards submission then please have a good search around Pat Thomson’s really very excellent blog which has a treasure trove of posts about writing, planning and academia. It’s really worth diving into.

Nathan

Slow Progress

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Progress in a PhD takes time and comes slowly.

Every sudden breakthrough moment has a long sequence of moments (and hours and days) before it that lead to the breakthrough.

It can be hard in a PhD to find confidence in your work or in your self because of the slow progress. You either don’t notice it creep up or, more likely, notice things like long hours, hard work, false starts and being busy.

Take time to notice what matters. Regularly reflect and review to notice the difference in your work, your progress and yourself. At the end of a day just take a moment to reflect, “What have I accomplished?” Each week ask, “What have I achieved?” Each month consider, “How am I getting better?”

Find confidence by looking for it.

Find confidence by noticing the progress as it happens.

Nathan

Do It Yourself

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My wife and I painted our daughter’s bedroom in the autumn.

We had to move furniture, in some cases taking it apart to move it; we had to box up and make space for books and toys; my wife sourced the paint and painting supplies; I carried the ladders and between us we gave four wall sections what felt like countless coats of paint.

We did it ourselves. We could have asked someone else to do it. They might have been quicker or more professional or both! As hard as the work was at times we took some satisfaction that we had done it.

(although my right arm still feels the strain from some of the stretching and carrying!)

 

Some jobs you can do yourself or get someone else to do it in your stead.

Viva prep is not one of those jobs.

You have to do it yourself: you have to do the work to feel the benefit of viva prep, although thankfully there is still a lot of support you can get from other people.

  • Only you can read your thesis to refresh your memory – but you can ask others for their opinions on where to focus.
  • Only you can annotate your thesis well – but you can look for plenty of ideas of what might help.
  • Only can you feel the benefit of a mock viva – but you have to turn to your supervisor to make it happen.

You have to do viva prep yourself. You can’t outsource it but you can get help to make it happen.

Nathan

A New Start

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Every day can be a new start, not just January 1st.

There might be barriers in our way. We could face a physical obstacle or mental block that halts the change we want.

In time, with help or support, barriers can be overcome.

We get to say I want to do this differently even if something resists that change.

 

It’s 2026 now and if you’re reading this post it’s likely that your viva is some date in the future. So what new start do you need? What change of approach? What difference do you need to make for yourself?

And what’s in the way? Who can help you? What could you try?

Don’t make a resolution. Make a change.

I wish you the very best for this coming year. Make it a good one, yeah?

Nathan

Best of Viva Survivors 2025: Surviving

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It’s the last day of 2025 and my last day to share some of my favourite posts of 2025.

The blog is called Viva Survivors, so we have to have posts about surviving!

I also have to shout out These Interesting Times, a post from March that looked back at the last five years. How have you made it this far? What helped you manage to keep going in difficult circumstances throughout your PhD journey and particularly over the last five years?

 

Finally for 2025, if you’re looking for some more thoughts on surviving then take a look at The Survival Issue, the most recent curated collection of Viva Survivors Select!

Nathan

Best of Viva Survivors 2025: Confidence

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For day three of my look back at 2025 I return to confidence. I really love exploring how to encourage confidence for the viva. Digging into this topic has had a huge impact on my life and I love sharing ideas with PhD candidates.

How confident are you feeling for your viva? What steps are you taking to help yourself?

One helpful step might be to take a look at The Confidence Issue, the seventh issue of curated help from my Viva Survivors Select series of zines!

Nathan

Best of Viva Survivors 2025: Short Posts

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For day two of my best posts of 2025 I wanted to share a selection of the shorter posts I’ve published in the last year. These cover a lot of different topics as I like to explore many aspects of the viva. Sometimes it feels just right to write a little!

There are lots more short posts in the archive – and twenty-five more curated posts in The Sparks Issue of Viva Survivors Select too!

Nathan

Best of Viva Survivors 2025: Viva Prep

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I’ve shared a lot of posts about viva prep in the last twelve months. Here are five of my favourites, dipping into several different tasks and approaches to getting ready for the viva:

There are many more posts about viva prep on Viva Survivors if you’re looking for ideas of what you can do to get ready for your viva. And you could also check out the third and fourth issues of Viva Survivors Select too if you’re looking for even more help from the archive!

Nathan

Merry Christmas

Daily Post

From me and my family to you and yours,

Whether you celebrate Christmas, another festival or none, I wish you nothing but peace, rest and a little calm in the next few days.

If you’ve been working hard on your thesis or preparing for your viva then you can take a little time to relax. Rest is as essential as getting the work done.

Take some time for you and those you love in the coming days.

Merry Christmas, everyone,

All good wishes,

Nathan

 

PS: this post from a few years ago still makes me smile whenever I think of it 🙂

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