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Tag: plan your prep

Nathan

Capturing Thoughts

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There are lots of posts on this site that encourage creating summaries or making lists. This isn’t because your examiners need to see them or expect you to quote from them in the viva.

Creating a summary is an opportunity to capture your thoughts on a topic, whether that’s the broad details of a research method or the key points of your examiners’ recent papers.

A summary or a list helps put your thoughts into words. If you have any topics, ideas, results or research that you need to make clearer as you prepare then take an hour to write a summary. You’re not crafting perfect paragraphs to quote: you’re finding words to help you think clearly.

Take a little time during your viva prep to make notes, write summaries and break down key information.

Nathan

Before You Prepare

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Viva prep is a set of tasks and activities you complete between submission and the viva which help you to feel ready for the viva. Before submission, to create a good space for your prep, do the following:

  • Read the viva regulations for your university.
  • Gather some nice stationery to help with note-making.
  • Sketch out a rough plan for how you will do your prep.
  • Ask your supervisor about their availability.
  • Ask friends and family to support your prep time.
  • Finish your research and your thesis.

Of course, the last one is pretty important!

The other points are also importatant but they’ll take up far less time to help you make a good space for getting ready for your viva.

Nathan

Build Your Habits

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Viva prep is work: a series of actions that steer you towards being ready for your examiners.

You can approach it as a finite project, setting out tasks and activities to a plan for yourself, but it might also help to think of it as a cluster of habits – regular tasks or processes to help you prepare.

  • You could, for example, get in to the habit of writing down questions about your research whenever they occur to you.
  • You could find a convenient ten minutes every day to write about your thesis contribution.
  • You could start a practice of looking at difficult parts of your thesis with an open mind, “What can I learn from this?”

We are the sum of our habits. The things we do often, good and bad, give us a foundation for how we approach whatever situations we find ourselves in.

What habits could you choose for viva prep? How can you steer yourself in a good way for your viva?

Nathan

A Few More Words

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Annotation helps you to prepare in two ways.

First, you have to think carefully about your thesis while you add the notes or emphasis you need.

Second, you have a more helpful resource for your viva.

 

Annotation is effective when you do it in two stages.

First, think carefully about what you really need or want your thesis to have. What do you want to see or find more easily? Make a list.

Second, consider how you will do each of the items on the list in a clear and consistent way. How can you make your annotations simple so they don’t confuse you?

 

In the big picture view of viva prep, annotation is a few more words to add to your thesis to help you get ready. With a little thought it can be a relatively simple exercise to make your thesis better.

What do you need? How will you do it?

Nathan

A Month To Prepare

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I don’t advise every PhD candidate take a month to get ready for their viva but a month is a good place to start from when considering your plans.

Viva prep – the deliberate tasks someone does to get ready for their viva – takes between 20 and 30 hours for most candidates. Viva prep includes activities like reading your thesis, rehearsing for the viva, annotating and making notes, checking papers and any other practical task you can think of that might help.

Taking a month for viva prep means that 20 to 30 hours breaks down to half an hour or an hour most days. You might take days off, you might do more each day in the final week, but there is a lot of time to spread things out. There is space to change plans. There is wiggle room in case anything goes wrong.

Some people thrive with the pressure of a tighter deadline. Two weeks can be enough time to get ready for your viva, but with two weeks you are committing to one or two hours every day and there is less margin for error.

For your viva and your viva prep you have to decide what is best for you. I would recommend starting with a month, sketching out a plan taking into account your other responsibilities, then see how that feels.

Nathan

It’s Important To Stretch

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Don’t rush into viva prep. Make sure you have everything you need and a plan to help you get through the work you need.

Do small tasks first. Check the regulations. Ask for help. Place bookmarks at the start of chapters.

Stretch! Do small things so you know you’re starting well and won’t crash as soon as you find something difficult or you have a bad day. Start small and build up to being ready for your viva.

Nathan

Reward Your Progress

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Viva prep is a necessary part of getting ready. No tasks are particularly difficult, but if you are already tired, busy or stressed with regular work and life, then they can seem like more chores to get done.

There are lots of things you could do to help you stay motivated:

  • Keep a to do list to cross off and show your progress;
  • Ask friends to keep you accountable by checking in with you;
  • Reward yourself for getting things done.

The last suggestion might be really helpful. Can you incentivise your own progress? What could you set up as a small treat for reading your thesis? Or for completing a mock viva? Would an extra break be enough or do you need something more tangible?

It’s not for everyone, but if you need the motivation to help with your viva prep, consider what you can do to reward your progress.

Nathan

Just One

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There’s a lot to consider when you’re preparing for your viva, but getting started is easy. You need just one thing on a list and you can start to work.

Just one paper to read and reflect on.

Just one question to ponder and write about.

Just one chapter – or one page! – to annotate.

Just one hour with your supervisor or a trusted friend to have a chat.

Just one task can start the process of getting ready. There will be more to do, but you can always find a way to get started – or always find something to do that will make a difference to how prepared you are for your viva.

Nathan

Build Up To The Viva

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On your first day of viva prep you don’t have to push yourself to work at maximum intensity.

Maybe make a list.

Read a chapter.

Check a regulation or two.

You don’t have to start and maintain an exhausting pace of work and progress towards being ready.

 

You don’t have to do that from day two either. Or day three.

You can build up your prep and yourself. Take your time, plan your prep, build yourself up for the viva. A little work every day for however many weeks you need to not be stressed by your schedule. That’s all you need.

Build up to the viva rather than risk wiping yourself out with too much pressure.

Nathan

Troubleshooting During Prep

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Whatever the worry, issue or problem, if you find yourself concerned by something during your viva prep just pause and reflect on three questions:

  • Why is this a problem?
  • How could you fix it?
  • What will you do next?

Ask “why” to diagnose what it is and how serious it is (because maybe it’s not that big a deal but you feel stressed).

Ask “how” to imagine a space where the thing is not a problem any more.

Ask “what” to start the process of solving the issue – or maybe just stepping away from it if you really don’t need to do anything.

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