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Tag: getting ready

Nathan

Your System

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Annotating your thesis before the viva can help you as you read and prepare. You then have an enhanced version of your thesis with you for the viva. Adding bookmarks or tabs to chapters and important sections can help you to find things. Highlighting references or underlining typos, as well as making notes in margins, can add layers of useful information as you refer to your thesis.

Before you sit down to add anything to your thesis though, take a few moments to create a system for yourself. Just reflect on a few simple questions then make a few simple decisions.

  • What do you need to add?
  • What options do you have so you can usefully and simply add what you need?
  • What will you do for each option?

Keep things simple, clear and consistent.

Nathan

Take A Day

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It’s a Bank Holiday in the UK, which is always a good reminder to take time off. It might not be today for you: it may be that your situation means you have to work, research or do something that doesn’t allow for a significant element of rest or relaxation.

But you need it.

If your viva is somewhere on the horizon, taking a day off to do something else entirely can be helpful. Take a day for you, before you do anything for your viva. Pause, relax your thinking, rest your mind, leave – for now – all the prep and hustle that still needs to happen.

You have time to do all of that later and a need to look after yourself now. Take time for yourself as part of getting ready for your viva.

Nathan

Whatever

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Whatever challenges you faced during your PhD, they helped you get to submission and to the viva.

Whatever prep you do it will build on a solid foundation of knowledge and ability that you have developed.

Whatever disruption you encountered because of the pandemic you have worked around and persevered.

Whatever questions you are asked you will be able to find a way to respond.

Whatever you feel before your viva, you are a talented and capable researcher.

Whatever happens you are good enough.

Nathan

Summary Values

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Summaries are not scripts. You don’t write an overview of your results to be able to read them out. You don’t make a list of helpful references to simply parrot them back on the day.

The value of a summary is that it helps to highlight what matters. It’s a practical task that gives you an opportunity to draw your thinking together. It helps you to find the words you need to express yourself.

If you invest a little time in writing one or two summaries before your viva then you prime yourself to respond well in the viva.

Nathan

What Do You Do?

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Here and there in my posts you’ll see subtle hints and outright confirmation that I love games of all kinds. Computer and video games, board games, card games, role-playing and story games. Thematic games, abstract games, little games, big games – basically games of all kinds, purposes, styles and descriptions.

I have a particular fondness for role-playing and story games. I love the countless possibilities when one reads a game and appreciates the intent and flavour that someone else has presented – that is now open to interpretation, modification and enjoyment by the people who are going to play. It’s a great thrill!

In many role-playing games, whatever their mechanical rules or genre, there is a fundamental question asked by the people playing whenever a situation is encountered: What do you do?

  • A dragon appears in the dungeon! What do you do?
  • You try to open the door but it’s stuck. What do you do?
  • The person you’re talking to has answered your question but you’re not sure if they’re telling the truth. What do you do?

There could be a facilitator for the game or not. You might be playing with a group or responding to prompts in a text. You might be rolling dice or drawing cards to influence the outcome but still at some point the question is always, “What do you do?”

 

It strikes me that this simple question is one that helps a lot in so many other situations, even with the viva.

  • You find a passage in your thesis after submission that doesn’t read well. What do you do?
  • Your first-pick for external examiner has cancelled. What do you do?
  • You have a week before your viva and want to boost your confidence. What do you do?
  • It’s two hours into your viva and your internal has called for a break. What do you do?
  • It’s two hours into your viva and your internal has asked a question you’ve never considered before. What do you do?

You might have an idea in mind. You might need to ask someone for information or help. You might not be in a hurry. Eventually, you have to do something. You’re the only one who can do something to move things forward or start the process.

It might not help to consider endless “what if…” possibilities, but considering how you might approach particular challenges could help. More importantly, recognising that it really is you who will have to do something to resolve a challenge, big or small, can help you realise that you’ll need to take action.

So, what do you do?

Succeeding in the viva is not a game, but it can help your confidence to have a winning strategy. You don’t need to play a role to pass. If a challenge presents itself pause and ask yourself what you will do. Then do it and move closer to your ultimate goal.

Nathan

Tell Your Story

Daily Post

After your viva tell your story to anyone who you think it will help. Why you did a PhD, how you got through it, what happened at the viva – share practical help but also how it felt as you were working your way through. Help others see that they can make it through too, that it’s not luck or chance.

Before your viva tell your story to yourself. Remind yourself of what you did to get as far as you have. Find words to describe how you overcame obstacles and resolved problems. Help yourself see and believe that you are capable, talented and not lucky.

Nathan

Do This

Daily Post

Read your thesis. Write an overview. Have a mock. Congratulations you did it!

There is a lot of good, general advice for the viva but it can’t be reduced to an easy step-by-step instruction book. The unique nature of every viva, thesis and candidate mean that prep has to be individual.

And still: every submission period of prep work comes down to making time and doing the work. Reflecting, checking, thinking again, getting ready and reminding yourself that you are a good researcher.

Do the research, get your thesis done, do the prep – do all of this and you’ll succeed.

Step-by-step you go towards success.

Nathan

Pressures & Priorities

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When and how do you get ready for the viva? How do you manage what needs to be done, especially considering that you’ve already got lots that you need to do?

Consider the pressures on your time and availability to get the work done. You don’t need thirty hours per week for a month before the viva; a little time each day can help. Focussed work helps you get ready.

If you have a job or responsibilities, if you’re looking for work or face other pressures then you can find time to get your prep done. Step back and look at the big picture. Find gaps to allow you to get the work done.

Consider that viva prep – even while getting ready for your viva – is probably not the number one priority in your life. Acknowledge that it needs doing, accept that there are other things that have to be your main focus, then plan out where and when you will do your work to get ready for the viva.

Sketch a plan over the period you think best, making sure there is enough time to do all of the things that will help you: reading your thesis, making notes, checking papers and rehearsing for the viva.

The pressures and priorities that are your personal situation can only be navigated by you. Step back: look at how things are and what you need to make space for. Then find a solution that works for you.

Nathan

A Mini-Viva Reflection

Daily Post

A mini-viva is what I call one possible set of questions from the Mini-Vivas resource that I developed a few years ago. There are 7,776 possible combinations of five questions possible from that resource; of course, in practise this would lead to an even greater number of conversations between a thesis candidate and the person asking the questions.

While I think the best use for this kind of resource is to structure a conversation, as rehearsal for the kinds of questions and the situation one might find in the viva, it can be useful to use the questions as prompts for reflection.

For example, use the resource and take a sheet of paper; divide it into five equal-ish sections and roll the dice. You might find yourself reflecting on the following:

  • Where did your research ideas come from?
  • What did you learn about doing research?
  • What are the core papers that have guided you?
  • What are your main conclusions?
  • What are you taking away from your PhD?

Reflecting and thinking about questions can help, but can also lead to more abstract prep. Writing things down helps more: you’re forced to be concise and clear. Talking, responding to questions helps even more: you get feedback about whether or not you are really communicating – plus you open up the possibility of digging a little deeper.

There are 7,775 more combinations of mini-viva questions at the resource. Take a look and see if it will help your preparation in some way.

Nathan

Needing Your Supervisors

Daily Post

What do you need from your supervisors?

I only had the one. Throughout my PhD I needed him to explain things to me, particularly in the beginning. I needed him to listen to how I was getting on, and check my logic and reasoning. I needed a mentor and supporter and was very fortunate to have the person I did as my supervisor.

After submission I needed to talk, to explain what I had done and to see if those words seemed sensible. I needed someone who I could still turn to and check when my doubts overwhelmed my memory. I needed someone with experience who could help give me some sense of what my examiners might think of my research.

What do you need from your supervisors?

You might need them to tell you about the viva. You might need them to host a mock viva for you. You might need them to give you a different perspective or to tell you all about your external. You might need them to tell you why your examiners were good choices for your viva. And you might need them to be at your viva!

To get the help you need from your supervisors, you have to tell them what you need. You have to check how busy they are so that you can make any arrangements in a way that meet both your needs.

When you know what you need, ask.

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