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Nathan

Careful Prep

Daily Post

Is there a danger that I could be overprepared for my viva? Do I need to be careful?

No to the first question, yes to the second.

I don’t think a candidate can do so much preparation that they can harm how ready they are for their viva – as if they were driving so fast in one direction that they missed their destination. Of course, a candidate could be over-invested: prep is necessary but it’s a means to an end.

Being careful means making a plan and trying to follow it. Sketch out the things you need to do, ask others for a little help or guidance and then do the work. Leave yourself time so that you aren’t stressed. Don’t fill in the hours with more and more work just so you feel busy.

You can’t be overprepared for your viva. Be careful that you don’t spend more time than you need or leave yourself too little time to feel really ready.

 

PS: want to know exactly what kind of work goes into being prepared for your viva? Take a look at the details of my Viva Survivor session on March 27th 2025. I’ll be covering a lot at my live webinar next week and providing a catch-up recording too!

Nathan

The Build-up

Daily Post

At submission sketch out a viva prep plan.

You might not know your viva date but that’s OK: you know your current situation. You know how busy you are and you know what responsibilities you have. With a little reflection you can also get a good feeling about how you need to approach getting ready.

A sketch of a plan can take account of busy-ness and obligations. Do you need two weeks to get ready or is it safer for your stress and your time to have a month? Sketch how you would do the work.

Start small and build. Day one of viva prep doesn’t have to mean reading your whole thesis, checking ten papers and having a mock viva. Build up to that. Read a little and then do more the next day.

The last week of viva prep will probably be busier than the first – but the last day might be more relaxed as you realise you’ve built up everything you need for meeting your examiners.

After all, you’re building on solid foundations.

Nathan

At The Last Minute

Daily Post

Don’t wait and start your viva prep in the week of your viva.

Don’t wait to ask your supervisor about something important until a few days beforehand.

And don’t wait until the last minute before your viva to think about how you feel about it all!

Sooner, rather than later, think about how you’ll get ready.

Sketch plans. Ask questions. Reflect on your PhD and how you’ve developed both yourself and your research.

Nathan

Getting Ready If You’re Busy

Daily Post

I had a luxury of time to prepare for my viva. I didn’t have a job or a family, so I treated my prep as a continuation of my 35-to-40 hours per week routine.

Most candidates won’t be in that position. You could have a full-time job, or a part-time job, or family obligations or 101 other things that I didn’t have to think about.

And that doesn’t need to be a problem. It just takes a little planning to make sure you don’t feel overwhelmed.

There are lots of things you could do to get ready (and there are lots of posts on this site on those sorts of topics!). Think about what will make you feel prepared. Explore how much time you might have, based on when you might submit and what your work pattern is like.

Break things down. How long would it take to read a chapter of your thesis? How long would it take to write a summary of a chapter? How could you spread it out over the weeks before your viva?

Even if you don’t have specific dates and times now, you can map out roughly how you might get it done. Keep that rough map. When your thesis is submitted you can start to make that sketch a reality.

Viva preparation doesn’t take hundreds and hundreds of hours. If you’re busy, or you’re going to be, sketch a plan today.