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Tag: reflection

Nathan

Perspectives Matter

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If there is more than one way to explain what you’ve done or what it means then make sure you practise talking about all of them.

If there was more than one way to accomplish your research goals then it helps to be able to explain what you did AND why you didn’t take the other approaches.

If you and your examiners look at things differently then that’s not a cause for concern – but it makes sense to understand their perspective to respond to it.

 

Writing notes to unpack your thinking or rehearsing aloud how you explain things can be helpful for grappling with also sorts of different perspectives.

What you have ultimately done through your work matters a lot – it’s one of the key things you’re there to talk about at your viva – but being aware of the variety of perspectives, processes, beliefs and understandings matters a lot too.

Nathan

The Ideals

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What’s the ideal time for you to do viva prep?

Who are your ideal examiners?

What’s the ideal date and time for your viva?

What would be your ideal opening question?

These questions and others can be interesting to reflect on but take care. Thinking about ideal situations, questions and people bring together needs and preferences under one grouping and they are quite different.

  • You could prefer Dr A over Professor B for your external examiner but you won’t need one or the other.
  • You might need a specific date or location for your viva due to your circumstances.
  • You might prefer your examiners to ask about a specific topic to start the viva but you need to understand that they’ll follow their experience and plans.
  • You could need certain requirements to help you have a fair and accessible viva – it’s not what you prefer but what you must have.

When you recognise a need or preference you might have work to do. If the ideal examiner will help you feel better then you can communicate that to your supervisors and see who they ultimately select. If they’re not available then you have to work to feel better about whoever is appointed.

If the ideal viva situation means you can have a fair viva then you need to make sure that the right people know about your needs. Who do you contact? What do you do?

 

PS: I’ll be talking about all of these topics and more at my live 3-hour Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 25th March 2026. You’ll also get four-week access to a recording of the session and follow-up materials too. There’s more information at the link but please get in touch if you have any questions or want to know more. Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Your Objectives

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Why did you start your PhD? What was your objective when you began?

As you continued through the years how did your work develop? Did your objectives change?

And as you reach the conclusion how do you feel you’ve reached your objectives? What are your objectives for the future?

Some of the questions above might be in the background of your viva. Some are probably not typical of discussions but all are worth reflecting on as you prepare.

What you were doing, why you were doing it and how things changed over time are all worth considering before your viva.

 

PS: Want more reflective viva help? Then check out my live 3-hour Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 25th March 2026 where I’ll share more reflective thoughts and a lot more. You’ll also get four-week access to a recording of the session and follow-up materials too. There’s information at the link but please get in touch if you have questions or want to know more. Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Final Focus

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I try not to be overly prescriptive or proscriptive when it comes to advice about viva prep.

There are certain kinds of work that are helpful when someone is getting ready for their viva but every candidate faces their own challenges and situation. There are approaches to planning prep (start with reading, for example) that would seem appropriate for every candidate…

…but what might be a good approach for one person could be bad for someone else. You might need to read your thesis over the course of a week in preparation for your viva while a friend has the opportunity and impulse to read theirs in one afternoon.

I emphasise the kinds of work that help not how someone “must” do them. It’s helpful to make a plan but you need to make a plan that works for you.

And with all of that said, one thing I would encourage is to give a little focus towards your confidence at the end of your preparations.

A few days before your viva take some time to think about your PhD journey. Note down what you’ve done and what it means. Recognise the talents that you have developed and see them as a foundation for confidence at meeting your examiners.

Nathan

Onwards

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Some questions to consider as you approach your viva and your life after the PhD:

  • What are you taking away from your PhD experiences?
  • What are you leaving behind?
  • How have you changed?
  • How are you the same?
  • What’s the biggest difference you’ve made through your work?

And perhaps the most important question: what does all of this mean for your next big challenge?

Nathan

All The Opportunities

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A PhD journey is not successful because you do everything perfectly first time or achieve 100% of your goals. You find success because you make enough of all the opportunities that you have found and made for yourself along the way.

You made the most of what you could and were able to do something with it. You didn’t find the answer for everything but you found enough somethings that you made something that mattered.

The goal isn’t that different for your viva. You don’t need to get 100% or avoid too many wrong answers. Instead you need to make the most of all of the opportunities you’ll find there. Every question or comment from your examiners is an opportunity and invitation to say more and do more – to show more of what you did, who you are and what you can do.

An I don’t know or I forget is a small thing. It won’t lead you away from success. Make the most of the opportunities you find at your viva and you’ll be fine.

Nathan

Different Ways

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As you prepare for your viva it might be helpful to consider the alternatives you didn’t choose.

  • Were there other papers you could have cited?
  • Are there other possible methods to the process you selected?
  • Can there be other explanations for what you’ve presented in your thesis?

When you find something that could be different then unpick the situation to help you explain it to your examiners. Ultimately you made a choice so you have to explain why you made it.

  • Were there alternatives? If so, why did you choose this?
  • If there were no alternatives at the time what made you realise the possibility later?
  • If you would keep your choice, why? If you would change your choice, why?
  • What did you learn through the process?

It’s uncommon for there to be only one way to do something during a PhD (although it can be that different ways arrive at the same ultimate outcome or result).

If there was another way then reflect, understand why and consider how you could explain the situation to your examiners.

 

PS: I’ll be talking about viva prep, viva expectations, examiners and lots more at my live 3-hour Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 25th March 2026. Attendees get four-week access to a recording of the session and follow-up materials too. More details at the link – and you can save £10 on registration with code VSMARCH2026 before midnight tonight. Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Yesterday

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Yesterday was a great day to reflect on your PhD journey so far.

Yesterday was a good time to consider how you’ve got as far as you have.

Yesterday was a good day to reflect, remember and build your confidence for your viva.

Today is the next best opportunity.

Nathan

Achievements

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Think back over the course of your PhD so far and list five big achievements.

  • How did they happen?
  • What did you do?
  • Why do they stand out to you so much?
  • And what did those achievements allow you to do next?

Remember that all of your achievements are yours. You did the work.

You can’t be certain about the questions you’ll face at your viva or your examiners’ opinions but you can be certain of the work you have invested and what you’ve achieved.

 

PS: I’ll dig into more confidence-building viva prep at my live 3-hour Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 25th March 2026. Attendees get four-week access to a recording of the session and follow-up materials too. More details at the link – and you can save £10 on registration with code VSMARCH2026 before Sunday 8th February 2026. Thanks for reading!

Nathan

Inspecting Chapters

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Pick a chapter in the middle of your thesis. Have a quick read and then consider the following questions for a few minutes each:

  1. What does this chapter add to your thesis?
  2. What did you learn from doing the work?
  3. How did you feel writing this chapter?
  4. How did you feel reading it now?
  5. How many typos or other mistakes have you found?
  6. How many times did you think “I wish I could change that!”?
  7. What else from your research did you think about when reading it?
  8. What do you think your examiners might make of it?

Some of those questions might seem odd or unfair – but probably not as unfair as some of the questions you might ask when you doubt your progress or capability!

 

Doubts and worries are a part of being human but you can decide what you’d like to give your attention to. Not every question is worth your time. You can decide where to put your focus.

Find ways to ignore questions which only hinder your prep and confidence. One approach would be to focus on more helpful questions. In my opinion, questions 1, 2, 7 and 8 are probably the most helpful questions in the example above!

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