Nathan

Almost

Daily Post

It’s almost time for this blog to take a few days of rest. I’ll send a short seasonal greeting tomorrow but after that there will be no posts until Sunday 28th December, when I’ll start my annual tradition of several days of list posts sharing some of my best of picks for this year.

Expect the following:

  • Sunday 28th December 2025: I’ll share five of my favourite posts on viva prep from 2025.
  • Monday 29th December 2025: I’ll offer a selection of the best short thoughts from this year.
  • Tuesday 30th December 2025: I’ll turn to posts about confidence, one of my big topics!
  • Wednesday 31st December 2025: I’ll round out the year with a few reflections on what it means to survive the viva.

Normal service will more or less resume on Thursday 1st January 2026!

Until then if you’re looking for help then search for topics or use the tags that you’ll see on the main page and beneath posts. If you’re just looking for something to read then hit this link to get a random post of viva help.

 

And one more little thought: with Christmas, with your viva prep, with anything, when it’s almost time to stop or almost time to rest you still have the chance to do something positive to help yourself. So if you’re preparing to take a break from things please do yourself a favour for the future and write a sticky note saying what your first action is when you get back to work!

Nathan

Your Research, Your Questions

Daily Post

Your examiners don’t ask random questions.

They might have some common questions. If examiners typically ask about the methods you used then there will be common formulations of questions that could explore that topic.

When it comes to the deep discussion in your viva the questions will become targeted. They’ll ask about the particular sentence on page 47. They’ll ask you to say more about the summary on page 78. They’ll ask you about the choices you made in Chapter 4.

 

All of which is to say that you and your work lead to the questions you’ll get in your viva. Common, generic questions exist – but they will still be asked about your work. And these questions are small by comparison to the specific and relevant questions that will be directly inspired by your work.

If you want to be ready for the discussion at your viva you could take a glance at questions you’ll find on the internet or be prompted by an AI – but then get to work with reviewing your thesis, take time to create summaries and invest a few hours in rehearsal with others.

Your research leads to your questions at the viva.

Nathan

Beyond The Viva

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We need to do this by… We have to make time to… Oh don’t forget we have to…

I’m willing to bet that these kinds of sentences aren’t just being said in my house! As the last days of the year line up it can sometimes feel like time is running out.

 

There’s a similar feeling with the viva I think.

Time has to be made to get X, Y and Z done. There’s the time of the viva itself, a small number of hours on one day but which can feel much bigger and important.

Then the viva is done. Over. Finished. Passed. Success.

And then there’s what comes next.

 

The days and weeks immediately after your viva are the almost end of your PhD journey. They might be bittersweet. They might not be what you were expecting or what you imagined.

Whatever happens there’s more afterwards. A new challenge like a new year, the same as the last one but unique and special.

Take a little time to brace yourself as you get ready for your viva. You’ll be done before you know it and then you’ll have new challenges to embrace.

Nathan

Compounding Confidence

Daily Post

The sooner you start recognising your progress, growth, achievement and talent as you work through your PhD, the sooner you can start to feel confident for your viva.

Confidence compounds over time like interest. Regularly reflecting and reviewing on your PhD journey will help your confidence grow even more.

Nathan

Thinking Spaces

Daily Post

In the same way that editing your thesis has to be approached differently to writing your first draft, preparing for your viva needs a different process to how you might typically do work. A different space could support that very well.

If you had the choice, where would be a good space for you to get ready? Where could you think?

Will you work from home or go to the library? Would a few hours in a cafe be more helpful than your desk? And will you use different spaces for different tasks? You might prefer to curl up on a sofa to read your thesis but need a flat surface somewhere to annotate your thesis.

Viva prep requires some doing to support your thinking. Where will help you most as you do the work?

Nathan

Basic Expectations

Daily Post

Here’s an incomplete list of what to expect for your viva:

  • Examiners have training and support.
  • Examiners prepare for the viva in an appropriate way.
  • Examiners ask relevant questions and make appropriate comments to examine a candidate.
  • Logistics for the viva are communicated in a fair and appropriate way.
  • The viva will be a fair and reasonable challenge given the nature of the research, the thesis and the candidate.

And as the candidate you’re expected to have done the work, prepared and have a sense of what the viva is supposed to be like.

Or, more concisely, at a basic level you are expected to be ready.

There are patterns for lengths of viva, common first questions and so on, but the expectations that really matter are knowing that your examiners are professionals and that you are capable – ready to do what you need to do to succeed.

Nathan

The Technical Stuff

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If there are any technical or specialist terms in your research that you struggle with – or which you need to feel more certain about – then take steps during your preparation to help remind you.

  • Make a list of ten terms and write short definitions or reminders.
  • Underline or highlight terms as they appear in your thesis.
  • Add notes in margins to help you unpick meaning or make connections.
  • Ask your supervisor or a friend to have a conversation with you about any difficult topic to help you practise.

What else could you do to be ready for the technical stuff at your viva?

Nathan

Questions For Friends

Daily Post

Before submission check in with your academic friends and colleagues. Ask those who’ve had a viva what it was like. Look for detail and common threads in the stories that you hear. Ask anyone who might be willing if they can practically help you with viva preparation when the time comes.

After submission ask your friends to listen. Will they be a sounding board for rehearsal? Will they be happy and able to help you rehearse over tea or coffee? (this resource might help!) Do they have any other insights into viva prep that might help you? And do they have any insight into your examiners’ work that might help you prepare well?

After the viva ask your friends to celebrate!

And in the future ask any friends or colleagues who are approaching submission if they need any help or advice. Help make a better community for getting ready for the viva.

Nathan

Why People Pass

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Why do people pass the viva?

They do the work.

They make something that matters. They grow and develop as people and researchers. They get ready. They figure things out and figure out ways to meet challenges.

And hopefully, in time, they share what they learn with others still working their way through to help them avoid or be aware of problems on the way.

Nathan

Cutting Corners

Daily Post

Don’t do the minimum. Don’t try to squeeze viva prep in. Don’t cut corners on your confidence.

Ask for help. Make a plan. Do the work. Have certainty in your efforts.

There are no good shortcuts on a PhD journey and no good shortcuts to being ready for your viva.

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