Daily viva help for PhDs
You don’t need to have done perfect research.
You don’t need to have written the perfect thesis.
You can’t have done every possible task in preparation.
You don’t need to have an answer for everything.
You don’t need to be perfect to succeed in your viva.
Work hard, do your best, find out what to expect, prepare as well as you can.
You don’t need to be perfect: you just need to be you.
Gather the things you need to get ready.
Your thesis. A notebook or papers. Pens and assorted stationery. A loose page with a sketch of the coming weeks.
Decide where to do your prep. Find a place and make your space.
This is where you get ready. This is where the magic happens. Your little zone where your thesis is read and gets better. Where you think and write. Where you check and confirm. Where you ready yourself for a mock and for the real thing.
As you’re reading this post you might be imagining somewhere in particular to do your viva prep. Where are you? Would that space really work for you? And if not there, where? Where can you make a good space to concentrate, relax, think and prepare?
As you prepare for your viva, remember who did the work.
Remember who read the papers.
Remember who figured things out.
Remember who wrote your thesis.
Remember who became more capable and more knowledgeable.
Remember who made a real contribution to research.
Remember who you are, what you did and what you can do.
For all the prep I did, it never occurred to me to think about where my viva was going to be.
It was early June, but a warm week. The seminar room, which I was very familiar with, was on the side of the maths building that got the sun first thing in the morning.
When we started at 10am it was already warm. Two hours later and it was hot.
It was another two hours before we finished.
By then it was almost unbearable!
The location for your viva might be a small thing to consider next to your thesis contribution and all the preparation you might do, but it is still something to think about. You will know where it is in advance and can then think about what you need to do in order to be at your best in that room.
What could you do? What could you take? How might you dress? What do you need to do to help that space be a good one for you to work in?
Once you know the location, think about what – if anything – you need to do in response. It’s a small thing, but thinking about it can really help with your viva.
Your viva is coming up and you got this!
Whatever questions, comments or criticisms your examiners have, you got this!
Whatever pressures you faced throughout your PhD, you got this!
However the pandemic impacted your work, you got this!
Whatever challenges you face in your prep, you got this!
However you feel – nervous or excited, anxious or eager – you got this!
Because if you don’t, who does?
Viva preparation is not a production line. It doesn’t follow anything as neat as moving from one task to the next, finishing one component and moving neatly on to the next. Prep does not follow a flow diagram: it’s not reading followed by notes, checking papers and then a mock viva at the end.
Viva prep is a series of workouts. You practise various activities to feel ready. You read your thesis to help your memory; you read more later to build on that feeling. You make notes in your thesis, then review them to check they are sticking – and to find out how you think now.
Viva preparation is personal. It involves exploring. There are things you need to do, but many ways to do them. There are lots of steps, but some are steps to the side and some follow path you’ve already been down before.
It all helps. In some ways, viva prep is work to help you realise that you’re ready: you really did the work and you can go succeed in your viva.
When you read your thesis before submission you’re trying to make it better. Each draft moves your research towards a better state of presentation. Each revision helps you tell the story of your work in a more polished way. You want to find typos, unclear writing and places that need a little help.
When you read your thesis after submission you’re trying to prepare for the viva. Each time you read moves you closer to a state of being ready. Every minute of careful reading helps you build yourself up for discussing your research with your examiners. You don’t want to find typos, unclear writing or places that need a little help!
So don’t look for them. If you find them, make a note, but focus on what matters. Focus on the flow of words and ideas. Focus on what you set out as important.
To help the transition between the periods before and after submission take a break. Leave your thesis alone for a few weeks, if you can. Come back to it with a refreshed mind. Take your time and read it carefully.
There are PhD games that people play that are ultimately not fun or helpful. They’re founded in perfectionism and not knowing what’s expected. Playing them seems like a good idea sometimes, but is ultimately frustrating. Don’t play those games.
These games aren’t worth playing. They won’t reward you or your progress.
The games that will help are personal games. You set a reasonable target and try to achieve it. You recognise the commitment you have and your growth (as a person and a researcher). You take action and move along the very, very long journey.
Play the games worth playing. Save your focus for what matters the most. Your success does not have to be defined by the achievements of others or false expectations.
Viva prep principles are fairly simple to share. How you put them into practice is not hard, but it is personal.
Read your thesis to refresh your memory. Annotate your copy so that information is easier to find or clearer to see on the page. Create summaries to help you clarify your thinking. Rehearse to help your comfort and confidence for the discussion in the viva.
Read your thesis – but when do you start? How much do you do at a time? It depends on how big your thesis is, how busy you are and when works best for you.
Annotation sounds good – but how much? What kind of things? What’s best? It all depends on how your thesis is written, what information will help you and how you like things to be organised.
And so on. The principles of viva prep are simple. How you need to do the work is personal. Reflecting on your thesis and circumstances will help you navigate getting the work done.
How much preparation do I need to do?
Not too much.
How long will the viva be?
Not too long.
How tough will the questions be?
Not too tough.
How critical will my examiners be?
Not too critical.
How often do I need to read my thesis before the viva?
Not too often.
How likely is it that I’ll get no corrections?
Not too likely!
In my experience, PhD candidates over-estimate how much, how long, how tough and how good they need to be in order through the viva process.
Prepare, learn expectations and get ready. Your viva is not too much for you.