Daily viva help for PhDs
If you were accepted on to a PhD programme…
…and if you did the work over a long period of time, overcoming difficulties along the way…
…and if you made a significant, original contribution…
…and if you kept going even through 2020, despite change and pressures…
…and if you’ve written your thesis as best you can…
…and if you’ve taken a little time to get ready for your viva, continuing to show your commitment…
…then…
Well, then why wouldn’t your viva go well for you?
It’s helpful to be kind to yourself and generous with timing for your viva prep. Getting ready doesn’t have to take long, but it won’t be the only thing you have going on.
When it’s time to plan your prep, spread the work out as much as you can. Something else may come along and disrupt your plans. Leaving yourself wiggle room gives you room to breathe, room to reshape your plans, space to not stress.
That wiggle room can always be used to rest if things do go according to plan!
There are general reasons why people pass their viva. There is a structure to vivas, most candidates pass, the viva can be prepared for – all reasons that can help someone feel confident. As useful as these are, they’re not as valuable as the personal reasons you could find.
Of course, some reasons are perhaps better than others!
Still, look for your reasons. Taken together, these threads can make an unbreakable strand of confidence. Something that needs no further reasoning for yourself, simply: I will do it.
Not arrogance, but just a glow from knowing you’ve done something well. Something to talk about, something to celebrate. Where do you find that in your PhD?
Explore how you could share that with others. Ask friends to listen to you talk about the best of your research. Your examiners won’t be expecting you to have monologues ready to reel off in your viva, but the more comfortable you can become talking about your work, the more confident you’ll be when you need to engage with them in the viva.
What are you a little proud of?
You couldn’t do everything during your PhD and you can’t now when it’s time to get ready for your viva.
Before you start your viva prep take half an hour to make a list:
Use this list to help you as you make a plan for your prep; focus on what helps you the most.
You can’t do everything, but everything you do will help you.
Everything you do to get ready for your viva will be enough.
Read your thesis, at least once, before your viva. Once might be enough to help you recall the general flow of what you’ve set out and remember the most important details.
Write out a paragraph for each key project you’ve done, to refresh your memory of how you got started.
Read the most recent paper by each of your examiners and look at their staff pages to ensure you know a little about them.
Make a bullet-point list of your results and conclusions. Make another list of all your achievements from the course of your PhD.
You don’t need to have a photographic memory to succeed in the viva. Being able to recall key information easily can help though – and reminding yourself of your achievements can help ground you in the hard work you’ve done and the talent that has helped you to do it.
Nothing. Nothing is going to stop you now your viva is in sight.
You were good when you started your PhD, and have invested work and time into getting better. You’re good enough now.
You started with ideas and questions, and even if you don’t have full answers now, you know more and know enough now for your thesis and the PhD.
You’re reading this post, so whatever happened to you throughout 2020 and up to today – whenever you’re reading this – you endured. You worked around hardship, overcame challenges and more, whether it was fair or not.
You can make it through your viva now too.
You have got this far.
You did this.
I’m running my 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva session next Tuesday, 2nd March 2021. 7 Reasons is my 1-hour webinar all about why you can feel confident for your viva, exploring some of the things you can do to be ready, as well as giving space for you to ask any questions you have about the process.
I’ve run the session many times since I developed it last year but this will be the first time I’ve delivered it in the evening, rather than the middle of the day. I’ve heard previously from several people who were interested in the session, but couldn’t attend at 11am.
So I started looked for a date in my diary for 7 Reasons @ 7pm! 🙂
I’ve heard from past participants of the session just how valuable it’s been for them as they come to the conclusion of their PhD journey. I’m happy I have the space to continue to offer this support. 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva is one of the things I’m glad I’ve been able to make out of the last year.
Today I’ve used Teams, Skype and Zoom for #webinars or #virtual meetings. But the best was definitely from @VivaSurvivors who offered some great #WednesdayWisdom I would recommend signing up for one of Nathan’s webinars if you’re lacking confidence or motivation with your #PhD
— Annie Williams (@nutrition_annie) April 22, 2020
Registration is open now, and there’s an earlybird discount for anyone who books soon. If your viva is sometime this year then I think this session will really help you. Take a look at the session details here and if you have any questions, simply get in touch via email or Twitter.
I hope to see you at 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva next week! 🙂
PS: I have more sessions coming up in the next few months! Check out what’s coming soon at this my Eventbrite page.
Not which papers you didn’t read, or which things you got stuck on. Not the title of your supervisor or the uni you did your undergrad at.
Your significant, original contribution matters. What did you do? How did you do it? Why did you do it?
Be prepared to have a conversation in your viva that explores this new, valuable something that you have. Consider what you could do in your preparation to help you explain, explore and share this contribution that you have made.
Thirty minutes is a meaningful block of time to move you closer to being ready for your viva. There’s lots you could do. Set a timer and then:
Half an hour might not be long, but it’s enough to make a difference to how ready you are for your viva.