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Nathan

The Epiphany

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My PhD was in an area of pure maths. Maths was the thing I was most interested in for many, many years. Looking back I can remember the day that maths became exciting for me.

It was a long time ago. I was nine, sat in Mr. Dodd’s class, and as a group we were reciting our times tables.

We got to “four times six is twenty-four” and I felt as though I had been struck by lightning. Twice actually, for in a split-second I first realised that four times six was the same as six times four – and then realised that two numbers always give the same result when you multiply them, regardless of what order you arrange them.

It was a small thing, but it felt like I had just found out a special secret. No-one else in my class seemed to care! To me it was magical: I wanted to know more about numbers, more about maths and what it could be used for.

 

When did you first connect with your research area or topic? Or even just the general field that you work in? What was the moment? Remind yourself. Towards the end of a PhD it’s not uncommon to become tired, stressed or in some way down about everything you’re doing (and everything still to do).

Look for the epiphany in your story. Look for the moments that set you on your path. Remind yourself of why you’re doing this – and perhaps reflect on what has kept you going. Use that to help you through the final stages.

Nathan

Summarising The Difference

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Consider some of the following questions ahead of your viva to capture thoughts on the difference your work makes:

  • What does your thesis add to what was known before?
  • How does your work change previous perspectives in your research area?
  • What could someone do in the future with your conclusions? How could they develop your ideas?
  • What is new in your field as a result of your work?

One question that always applies to a PhD candidate is to consider how am I different now, compared to when I started my PhD?

Because you must be different.

You’ve learned. You’ve grown. You’ve developed yourself.

Remember that the difference you’ve created through your work is a result of the difference you’ve made in yourself.

Nathan

Being Lucky

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Don’t trust that you’ll be lucky and that somehow things will work out at your viva.

Instead, trust in the process. Vivas are governed by regulations, expectations and the culture of your department.

Trust in your examiners. They’ll do their homework, be well-prepared and be offering you the chance to engage with relevant and realistic questions about your thesis and more.

Trust in your work. You’ve invested years in it, after all, both in your research and your thesis. Trust that after all of that effort, it’s enough.

Trust in yourself. You’ve invested years in you too! Trust that after all of your work and determination, you are enough.

You are enough. You don’t need to be lucky.

Nathan

Being Great

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What are you really good at?

What do you notice you have become particularly skilled at doing over the course of your PhD?

What topics do you know you’re particularly knowledgeable about?

How do you know you’re good? What’s your evidence?

How do you explain to yourself – and others – that you’re good at something?

 

Reflect and find the words to describe what you do well and how you know you do it well. Recognising that you are capable and knowledgeable is a helpful basis for feeling confident for your viva.

There really isn’t any other way to get to submission and the viva: you must be great at what you do. However, if you’re not feeling great, then reflect and find things you do well or things you know lots about.

If you already know that you’re capable, work to find words to tell yourself a good story about that so you really believe it ahead of your viva.

Nathan

Before You Know It

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It’s almost twenty years since I started my PhD.

I remember the first week very clearly, sitting at my desk, skim-reading through papers I couldn’t grasp, making notes and chatting with my office-mates.

I very distinctly remember thinking, “I don’t know what I’m doing, but at least I have a long time to figure it out.”

And I did have a long time, and I did – more or less – figure it out.

But that time went by so fast. Before I realised I was looking at my final months of writing up, those weeks of prep, those hours of my viva and an eye-blink afterwards when I did my corrections.

Plan the end of your PhD before you get too close. When will you do your prep and how will you get it done? What might your corrections period look like? And what are the key dates or weeks when you will have to hit targets?

Before you know it, you’ll be done.

Nathan

Techniques

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A small piece of viva prep: think back over your PhD and pick a method you learned, a piece of software or equipment that you became familiar with or a process for getting things done that you put together.

Unpick the steps involved for what you’ve selected.

  • What do you do at each stage?
  • How do you do it?
  • Why?
  • How well does it work for you?
  • And what has it helped you do over the course of your PhD?

When you reflect on the techniques you’ve learned or developed you have to appreciate the talent, work and time you have invested in your journey. There’s always more to learn and more to do, but you could only have come this far by becoming good at what you do. Remember that as you prepare for your viva.

Nathan

Proving

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I’m a lapsed baker.

I like making bread, but it’s a practice I’ve fallen out with of late. I must get back to it. It’s a hobby I’ve let fall by the wayside for too long.

I’m not the world’s greatest at all, but I’ve mixed enough dough enough times that I feel competent. If I read a recipe for a style of loaf or roll I’ve not tried before, I feel capable enough to give it a go. If I look in the cupboard and see we only have half the flour I need, I feel confident to tweak the recipe or make a substitution. And if I decide I want the dough to prove for a long time, or even in the refrigerator, I will happily alter the ratios of different ingredients to compensate.

I haven’t baked once this year, but if you asked me to make a loaf tomorrow I’m sure I could do it.

 

When you get to your viva, you have more than proved yourself. You have done the work. You have experience. You have knowledge. You can rise to challenges. Your examiners might ask you about something new, something different or something hypothetical. Why should any of that disturb you? Given everything you have done, how could that be beyond you?

Like me and my breadmaking, go with what you know. Refer to how you did something before. Build on past experiences and understanding. Adapt and engage with the discussion your examiners present, rather than simply hope it will be everything you wanted.

Prove yourself in the viva, as you have proven yourself many, many times before.

Draw confidence from your past successes as you work towards your future achievement.

Nathan

Character Sheets

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In tabletop role-playing games, players have character sheets. These are a way of capturing information about the person you are pretending to be in the game. Are you a warrior or a wizard? What equipment do you have? Character sheets list statistics about the character, measures of how skilful someone is and perhaps key details about their past or their talents.

If all of the above sounds totally unfamiliar then from real life picture a CV or resume. These do something similar to a character sheet. They show what someone has achieved, a shorthand for showing ability and success, essential skills and qualifications. It’s not the whole story, but a helpful summary for reminding someone or sharing key details.

As you prepare for your viva, consider making a character sheet for yourself. List your accomplishments, summarise the skills and talents that make you amazing, and highlight the ways you have levelled up. Summarise what you can do now as a result of your PhD journey.

In a game, a character sheet might describe someone fictional and amazing. For the viva, create something which shows a real, amazing person: you.

Nathan

Three Successes

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To build confidence for your viva, write down three successes from your PhD journey. Think back over the years of work and find three things that have been good: maybe things you did well, results that didn’t exist before or ideas that you have developed and shared.

Find three successes and write a little about each, focussing on why they are a success and what you did to make them great. You don’t need to spend long to capture something good.

In fact, you could probably take ten minutes every day to write about three successes from your PhD journey. Between submission and the viva make a habit of looking back and finding three successes from your PhD: make a habit of building your confidence for the viva.

Nathan

Your Work Matters

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In preparation for your viva, take some time to reflect on why your work makes a difference. Unpick the ideas that matter, reflect on why your work is valuable.

Your examiners want to talk to you about why your research is a significant, original contribution – and so you have to be ready to talk, discuss, think, reflect and respond.

Between submission and your viva:

  • Read your thesis and focus on what makes your work matter.
  • Highlight contributions that make a clear difference.
  • Use reflective questions to write summaries about key elements.
  • Rehearse responding to questions and discuss your work with your supervisors and others.

Remember that your work matters. It must – or you wouldn’t have come as far as you have on this journey.

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