You Are Here

Tag: getting ready

Nathan

Imperfect Metrics

Daily Post

Viva success is not based on how many days you showed up to do your work.

Success isn’t determined by the number of chapters you have written, the number of papers you cited, how many conference talks you’ve delivered or whether you have several publications out there.

All these numbers can give a boost to your confidence though. The numbers mean you did something, repeatedly, and over a long period of time.

You need to look a little deeper for proof of your knowledge and capability as a PhD candidate, but a good starting point might be the imperfect metrics of a few numbers that show you did the work.

They count for something.

Nathan

The Biggest What If

Daily Post

What if it happened at my viva?

Whatever it is, there would be consequences. That’s a simplified way to look at the situation, but it’s the most accurate. The most dire “what if” differs for everyone; depending on the exact details the consequences could vary a lot.

It might be forgetting something. In which case you could take time to recall. You could annotate your thesis to help you remember. There’s something to do.

It might be worrying about saying “I don’t know” – which is a common viva worry. Saying “I don’t know” is not the end of the viva. Rehearsal before the viva helps a lot. Remembering you can pause in the viva to think about why you don’t know.

It might be anxiety about failing. Failure at the viva is rare. This might be the biggest what if: which means that if you worry about it then you have to do something to move on.

If you’re really worried that you might fail then you need to explore why. You need to talk to your supervisors or someone you trust. You need to figure out what’s at the root of the worry. You need to do something.

It doesn’t just happen. You don’t just think about it for no reason. If you can figure out what’s causing you to wonder “what if…?” you can then take steps to move past it.

Nathan

Contributions Matter

Daily Post

“How would you define your significant, original contribution?”

That’s a hard question for a lot of reasons.

It asks for specifics, your opinion and makes an assumption that there is one big thing you’ve done through your research. Personally, I would struggle to respond because I didn’t have a single focus during my PhD: my thesis was a collection of results, not one overall idea that I explored.

It’s a hard question, but it could be rewarding to unpick nonetheless. Reflecting might reveal some helpful ways to share your research with your examiners (and others).

It’s also helpful to reflect on all of your contributions, big and small. Look back over your PhD and think about your results, achievements and victories. What do they all amount to? Whether or not there is a single headline conclusion to point to, what do your contributions mean?

Remember that contributions can be a stepping stone to confidence: recognising what you’ve achieved can be a helpful way to boost how you feel.

 

PS: exploring confidence is a big part of my Viva Survivor webinar – alongside expectations, viva prep and the whole viva process. Registration is open now for my March 27th 2025 session and includes a catch-up recording if you can’t attend live!

Nathan

Normal vs Typical Vivas

Daily Post

The normal viva doesn’t exist. It’s a myth. There’s far too much variety in research, individuals and circumstances to allow for a normal viva.

There are typical vivas. There are patterns, trends, regulations and processes that produce reliable expectations.

For example, vivas typically last several hours, conclude with a short intermission while the (typically) two examiners confer and most often result in success – with candidates being asked most often of all to complete minor corrections.

There is a tension between the seemingly opposite ideas that vivas are unique and vivas follow patterns.

Explore the patterns to prepare for your unique experience.

Nathan

“Have A Great Time”

Daily Post

…is a sentiment that is a bit like “Good luck” or “Don’t worry” when related to the viva. It’s very well meant, but there might not be a lot that you can do directly.

While you can’t control whether or not you will have a great viva, you can influence things. You can:

  • Do the work
  • Plan and prepare.
  • Check the regulations.
  • Reflect on your PhD journey to build your confidence.
  • Check out your examiners.
  • Read, review and rehearse.

Having a great time at the viva does not rest on good luck. It won’t happen if you simply don’t worry. As with all of your PhD success, you have to do the work.

Nathan

Final Preparations

Daily Post

My last viva prep task was to knock on my supervisor’s door with fifteen minutes to go, “Hi Hugh, just to check one more time, a genus 2 mutant can be defined as….?”

What will your final prep be?

Perhaps you’ll just check you have everything in your bag. Maybe you’ll focus on re-reading something one more time. Your last prep step could be to relax with a cup of coffee.

Or like me, your last task will be to stress at the last moment.

 

There’s an element of choice involved. You can plan your viva preparation. Sketch out a plan when you reach submission. You don’t need to account for every minute of every day until your viva, but by looking ahead you can remove stress, rush and a lot of doubts.

The last step in getting ready for your viva could be tiny or could be a big task. It’s better if it’s not panicked or stressed.

Nathan

The Greatest Hits

Daily Post

What are the best and most valuable references in your bibliography?

What were the biggest achievements of your years working on your research?

What could make the biggest impact now that your thesis is complete?

 

If you reflect on where your work comes from, what you did and where it could go then you have considered the context for your contribution, the contribution and a possible future for it. That’s a good piece of reflection as part of viva prep!

Nathan

Use The Right Tools

Daily Post

We use tools to help ourselves.

Screwdrivers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Saws vary depending on their purpose and the materials they’re designed to cut. Hammers can be used to assemble or destroy.

Tools are useful to make or maintain, to remedy small problems or big situations.

 

So what tools are you taking to your viva?

Perhaps you have something physical to show your examiners, but more likely you’ll be demonstrating intellectual tools that you have constructed over the course of your PhD.

You’ll show your knowledge. You’ll share your understanding. You’ll demonstrate your capacity for thinking like a researcher in your field.

These are the tools you need to do well. They’ve helped you make the research in your thesis and can now help you to make good on that promise at your viva.

Don’t forget that tools need maintaining too – viva prep is essential for sharpening yourself!

Nathan

A List Of Lists

Daily Post

If you’ve five or ten minutes and are looking to do something to help your viva preparation, you can do a lot worse than make a list. Here are ten ideas:

  • A short list of key contributions in your research.
  • The top ten most useful papers in your bibliography.
  • Five questions or topics you anticipate being asked about at your viva.
  • Seven small tasks you can do to help your prep.
  • Seven questions to ask your supervisor at your next meeting.
  • A short list of everything you’ll take with you to your viva.
  • Five little things you could do to steady your nerves.
  • A list of anything you don’t know about the viva that you need to find out.
  • A list of your proudest moments from your PhD journey.
  • Five things that show you are a capable researcher.

Lists can be summaries, boosters, reminders and more. Don’t underestimate the power of a good list to focus your attention on your preparation and how close you are to being done.

 

PS: looking for more viva prep ideas? Take a look at my Viva Survivor session! Registration is open now for my March 27th 2025 webinar and includes a catch-up recording if you can’t attend live.

Nathan

Don’t Wait

Daily Post

Don’t wait until your viva day to think about how you explain your contribution.

Don’t wait until your viva day to wonder about what your examiners might ask.

Don’t wait until your viva day to experience what it’s like to be asked a question about your work.

Don’t wait until your viva day to find out what vivas are like.

Don’t wait until your viva day to know whether or not you’re ready.

1 … 7 8 9 10 11 … 68