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Tag: questions about the viva

Nathan

It Depends

Daily Post

I love being asked interesting questions:

  • “Should I invite my supervisor to my viva?”
  • “Is it a good idea to have an examiner whose work I’ve cited extensively?”
  • “Do I need to re-read these three papers that were the basis for my experiments?”
  • “Is it a good idea for me to have a mock viva the week before?”
  • “Will my university grant me this request?”
  • “Can I take a laptop or tablet with my thesis on?”

For all these questions and many more, I’m happy to help someone and share some thoughts – but any response has to begin with “It depends…”

It might depend on what the regulations say. It might be a good idea generally but it depends on personal circumstances. It might typically be something I wouldn’t recommend but someone’s preferences make it a reasonable suggestion.

There are a lot of simple solutions to common viva questions and problems. There’s a lot of nuance as well. A lot might depend on the regulations, your research and you.

Nathan

Red Carpet Treatment

Daily Post

There are no silly questions for a PhD candidate to ask about the viva.

I’m continually saddened though that PGR culture – and regulations and supervisors – haven’t stopped candidates believing that their examiners are some higher order of human and thus need very special treatment at the viva.

Here are three questions I’ve been asking the last six months:

  • “Do I need to arrange catering for my viva?”
  • “Is it appropriate to buy gifts for my examiners?”
  • “Is there a formal way that I’m supposed to talk to my examiners?”

Again, these aren’t silly questions: these are stressed questions by people who desperately want to do the right thing. There’s a mystery to the viva process. There’s a substantial amount of work leading to it. It’s all important so there are a lot of motivations for a lot of questions that any candidate might ask.

To the questions above: catering might be welcome, but it’s not your job to arrange it; no gifts; being polite and friendly is enough.

 

Your examiners are professionals. They’ve come to do a job. It’s an important job, no more than that.

They don’t need a red carpet rolling out.

Expect them to be prepared. They expect the same from you.

Leave the formalities there.