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Tag: friends and family

Nathan

Say Thank You

Daily Post

Thanksgiving isn’t a UK holiday but I think it’s a nice nudge to remember what someone is thankful for and to encourage the spirit of saying thank you.

Say thank you to your supervisors and other academic supporters for what they’ve done to help steer and guide your progress. Remember that there’s a lot they can do to help you as you finish your PhD journey.

Say thank you to your friends and colleagues in your department for the community that you’ve created together. They can continue that as you get ready for your viva as well. Remember to ask them about their viva experiences to help build your understanding of what to expect.

Say thank you to your university’s researcher development team and check in with them to see what else they can offer to help you get ready for your viva.

Say thank you to family and friends! Make sure they know what their support means to you. Be clear when you ask them for support as you get ready for your viva.

Say thank you to your examiners after your viva. Be thankful for their work, their questions and the discussion that has been integral to your PhD success.

There’s a lot of support around you and a lot of thanks to give out. Passing your viva is down to you and your efforts but you have a lot of help around you before then.

 

And whether this is your first Viva Survivors post or your thousandth, thank you for reading!

Nathan

Friends & Family

Daily Post

There may be a disconnect between you and your friends and family when it comes to the viva. Colleagues, peers, your supervisors – they’ll all have an idea of the stakes involved in a PhD and what the viva means. Some of your friends and family, friendly, supportive and lovely, will have no idea.

They see you working, but don’t know how you do it.

They see you busy, but don’t know what you’re doing.

They see you stressed, but don’t know why.

You might have trouble sharing how and what you do, but you can certainly help them with why. Practically, they may be able to do very little to help you prepare – they probably can’t ask you questions, or help you explore expectations, and they won’t be able to look through your thesis to help you annotate it – but they could do a lot to support you and help you feel ready. They can help you create an environment in which you’ll thrive through your preparations and in the viva itself (assuming you have a video viva).

Let your friends and family know why you’re doing what you do, and they’ll find ways to help you.

Nathan

Ask For Understanding

Daily Post

Friends and family members may not get it. “Viva?” they’ll say, “What’s that?”

While academic friends can offer tangible preparation with your thesis, friends and family can offer emotional support. They can offer space for you to get ready after a busy day. They could take on responsibilities to give you time to prepare.

But since they may not know what a viva is, or comprehend your research and struggles, you have to ask them for their understanding. If they haven’t known what you do for years, what can you tell them now to help them get the nature of the challenges ahead?

If you can help them see what you’re going through, they can help you get through it.