Viva Prep: Need, No & Nice
A helpful tool I use to wade through work on my to do list is to remember need, no, nice.
- Need describes all the things that I have to do. This could be time-critical tasks or long-term slow progress work.
- No is for all of the things on my work radar that are not going to be done, at least for now. It could be an idea I have that isn’t right yet (and might not be right ever).
- Nice is for the things that sit somewhere in-between. Not essential or needed but also with value to be done if I have time.
These three words help me categorise all the tasks and projects I have on my mind.
There are lots of ideas of what good viva prep could include and also lots of thoughts of things that would help. How do you work through what you have to do?
- Start your prep by identifying the things you need: not just what someone tells you, but what you really feel you have to get done.
- Figure out the things that are a no for you: maybe you don’t need to read up on your examiners because you know about them already.
- Decide if anything would be nice: a cool idea for viva prep is to give a seminar to friends and take questions, but it’s not essential prep.
When you set out to plan your prep and have a lot of options you can use these three words to cut your work down and into an appropriate shape for the weeks ahead.
PS: I’ll explore how to plan viva prep at my Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 3rd December 2025. I’ve shared Viva Survivor more than 420 times: it is my comprehensive live session on getting ready for the viva, attendees get access to a catch-up recording and some of my publications too! Check the link for full details of what to expect from the live webinar.