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Nathan

The Right Words

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The right words of feedback from your supervisor or a trusted colleague can make a huge difference to your work or your wellbeing. Think about what you ask for, when you ask for it and who you ask it from.

The right words of annotation on the pages of your thesis – by you – can make a huge difference to how ready you are for viva day. Think about what you need to add during prep, how you will do it and what the result will be.

The right words in the right way can make a huge difference to your PhD and your viva.

 

PS: looking for more about viva prep and getting help from others? These are two topics I’ll be talking about at Viva Survivor, my upcoming live webinar on Wednesday 25th June. Registration is open now for my 3-hour live webinar – all about the viva, viva prep and getting ready – and attendees also get access to a catch-up recording and follow-up materials. Take a look at the details to see if this session might help you.

Nathan

Replacements

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If you could replace one chapter in your thesis what would it be? Why does it need changes?

If you could replace one approach you took in your research what would it be? Why would you want to make that change?

Of if you could replace one of your examiners with someone else, who would it be? Why?

You probably can’t make any of these changes! But being aware of them tells you something.

There’s an issue that’s bothering you. Replacing a chapter or a person isn’t possible but there will be something you can do to help you feel better about the situation. You can learn more about your examiners or unpick what’s not quite right about your work.

You can do something more than fret about changes that you can’t make.

Nathan

The Confidence Formula

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As a former pure mathematician I suppose it was only a matter of time before I started thinking about confidence as a formula. I’m not saying that this is the final work on the topic, but here’s what I have so far:

Confidence = Hard Work x Good Fortune x Self-Reflection

Of-course, this is a simplification, but hopefully a useful one! It’s more accurate to say that confidence is a function of three variables (hard work, good fortune, self-reflection) but this simplification is enough to get the point across.

Real confidence in something is earned, so needs hard work. Good fortune amplifies hard work. Self-reflection builds things further when you realise the impact of your work.

We could try to unpick this more, maybe add terms involving deliberate practice or other confidence-building activities but the above expression is probably enough to get started.

The more important thing to consider is: if you have your viva in the near future, how does this formula help?

By now you’ve done the hard work, save for a little viva prep. You’ve had all the good fortune and success you can. So the thing that can make a difference now is self-reflection: looking back over your work, what happened, what that means and exploring the real difference in yourself since you began your PhD.

Hard work, good fortune and self-reflection can take you a long way towards the amount of confidence you need for your viva – and for life in general.

 

PS: I’ll be exploring this topic and many more at Viva Survivor, my upcoming live webinar on Wednesday 25th June. I’m regularly invited to deliver this session to PhD candidates all around the UK, but this is only the third time I’ve opened up registration. A 3-hour live webinar, catch-up recording and follow-up materials all about the viva, viva prep and getting ready. Do take a look and see if it might be for you! 

Nathan

Ticks

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Every few months I make myself a simple desk calendar. One page of A4 in my notebook, week-by-week, each day lined out in pencil, dates in the top right corners and a small space to capture any work or life commitments. At a glance I can see what’s coming up and that helps.

What helps me more is that I tick off each day when it is done: whether I’m working a lot that day or a little, or even if it’s a non-work day and I’m with family, I tick the day off. I did it.

It’s been a very helpful practice in recent years to help as a reminder: you’re doing it.

I have to-do lists of course, both big and small, long term and short term, but the ticks on my calendar help a lot. When I’ve finished with a daily or weekly to-do list I review it and recycle it. I keep my calendar because they’re evidence for me. They remind me that I showed up and did something.

All of which is a long pre-amble to encourage you to do the same, at least as you work through your viva prep. A regular to-do list might be helpful, but reminding yourself of that bigger picture – “I showed up and did the work” – is a simple and direct boost for viva confidence.

Nathan

The Ideal Viva

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Defining an ideal viva is really tricky.

Do we start from the outline descriptions that emerge from considering the regulations? Or base our idea on the general expectations that rise from the many stories of viva experiences?

Would it be better to take notes from a candidate and see what they want? Or follow the experience of examiners and allow them to set out what a good viva would be like?

There could be more perspectives to take onboard too. These four alone make for an interesting collage of ideas. If you’re reading this post I’d assume you’re most likely a PhD candidate. What does this mean for you? Is it even possible to figure out anything related to the ideal viva?

Maybe it’s as simple as this: learn all that you can. Read the regulations and learn about expectations so you have a good sense of perspective of the general viva. Explore what examiners do to get a sense of what a good viva might be for them.

And finally explore what you want or need from your viva. If that aligns closely with everything else you’ve learned then great! But if not, what do you do?

 

PS: one thing you could do, if you’re trying to find out more about what to expect, is take a look at the second issue of Viva Survivors Select. This is my monthly pdf zine sharing curated collections of writing from the Viva Survivors archive. The Uncertainty Issue was released two weeks ago and contains advice, practical suggestions and reflections to help with a lot of viva uncertainty.

And if you’re looking for even more help the first issue is still available and The Preparation Issue is due on Wednesday 11th June! 🙂

Thanks for reading.

Nathan

Critical Thoughts

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It’s never unreasonable for a PhD candidate to worry about receiving critical questions or comments about their work. The effort and emotion that someone might invest into doing something on the scale of a PhD fully justifies anxiety at the thought of someone else offering different views or difficult questions.

It’s not unreasonable but can be distracting to worry about. Perhaps consider:

  • A critical question about your thesis doesn’t mean that someone is criticising you.
  • A critical comment doesn’t mean that something is wrong.
  • A critical comment about your thesis might require a correction but that doesn’t necessarily mean a big change.
  • A critical question is still an opportunity for you to demonstrate something good about your thesis, the PhD process and your capability.

And in all likelihood you can imagine far more critical questions than your examiners.

 

PS: want to explore more about receiving or responding to questions at the viva? It’s a key topic at Viva Survivor, my upcoming live webinar on Wednesday 25th June. I’ll talk about this and a lot more – viva prep, viva expectations and confidence – at my 3-hour live webinar, plus you’ll get a catch-up recording and follow-up materials. Do take a look and see if this session might be right for you.

Nathan

How Original!

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Or, original how?

What makes your work new? What makes it different to everything that came before?

It’s not enough to say that your thesis has something in it. It has to be a new something.

How do you explain the originality of your work? What words helps you to convey that to your reader or your audience? (and do the words change depending on who you’re talking to?)

If you’ve submitted then the words in your thesis are fixed. You can still explore how you can communicate and demonstrate what makes your research an original contribution. Make notes, rehearse with questions and of course think some more!

How is your thesis contribution original? How does that relate to what makes it significant?

Nathan

Don’t Rush

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It’s not a good idea to rush into viva prep.

You don’t need to start the same day that you submit your thesis. You don’t need to start without a plan. You don’t need to over-invest time and effort. Following that path will lead to stress and missing things.

Don’t rush.

Focus on what you’re doing so you can do it quickly and well. A small amount of consideration can set you on the right path to getting the most from your viva preparation. Asking for help, fixing on what you need from the process and regular effort will help you get ready.

Get it done and do it well. As Seth Godin says, “Don’t rush… but hurry.”

Nathan

This Time Next Year

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The act of planning helps us to think: when change does come along there might be new work to do or challenges to overcome but we’ll be better placed for the planning.

If you’re working towards submission then plan for getting there. What milestones are along the way? How will you measure your success? And how will you remind yourself of your progress and what that means?

If your viva is in the near future then plan to be ready. What are the key tasks you have to do? How are you recording your progress? And how can you build up your confidence for the viva?

For both, what can you do to help when things change?

This time next year you might have submitted and had your viva – but what else will be different? What can you do today to help you be ready for the future that’s on the way?

Nathan

Navigating Prep

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I always assume that anyone who has to get ready for their viva has a busy life.

After submission I expect that any PhD candidate will have some combination of work they have to do, work they are looking for, odds and ends of research that need to be tidied up, a social life, personal responsibilities, caring necessities and family life – all essential things that reduce the available time for viva prep.

Which is OK! Viva prep is typically twenty to thirty hours for most candidates. The submission period typically ranges from one to three months. There is time but it’s probably a good idea to plan what you will do and when you will do it.

Navigating all of the other commitments you have – plus new and necessary ones that emerge as you work towards the viva – is much easier with a plan. When you sit down to start getting ready ask yourself:

  • What do you need to do?
  • What do you need to help you do what you need to do?
  • What commitments do you know about?
  • What commitments might come along as you’re doing your prep?
  • And how can you reduce stress and pressure on yourself?

Remember that generally you have more power than you might think to work in a way that works well for you.

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