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Tag: the PhD journey

Nathan

“No Corrections”

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“No corrections” is a possible outcome for candidates at their viva. Not for many: it seems to be the case for around 10% of UK PhDs. You can hope you get this outcome, but that’s about it.

“No corrections” is like finding a coin on the path as you walk down the street. You had to go that way anyway and this is a nice extra thing you weren’t expecting.

“No corrections” doesn’t mean that a thesis is perfect.

“No corrections” doesn’t mean that someone’s PhD is better than someone else. It’s just one of the outcomes.

“No corrections” does mean that a candidate will have less work to do after the viva than someone asked to complete minor corrections.

And as it’s much more likely to be asked to complete corrections after the viva it’s worth planning ahead: check your diary, think about your other commitments in that period and explore how you would get the hypothetical-but-likely work done.

Nathan

Time Zones

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I’m still enjoying my summer break from webinar delivery, but looking forward to starting again in the coming weeks.

One thing I always do now is see if everyone that I’m talking to is in the UK. There have been several times in the last few years when I’ve mentioned finishing for lunch that someone would say, “Actually, it’s almost bedtime for me…”

And just a few months ago someone shared that it was really early in the morning for them as they were in Alaska!

It helps to appreciate that others you’re working with might be in different time zones. There’s a conversion: you’re five hours ahead or three hours behind. There’s a difference between how you might feel at that time compared to someone else.

 

All of this makes me think of the different time zones of a PhD journey. At different stages you could feel very differently about your research, your progress and yourself.

Today, right now, you could be two years ahead of your first year. Whatever you felt then, whatever challenges you face, now you know more. Now you’ve done more.

Or maybe you’re three months away from your viva. You have viva prep ahead but the you-in-three-months will be ready. They may feel nervous but they can be confident too.

A day will come when you’re separated by hours from someone –  you again! – who has succeeded in their viva. You have nerves and wondering in those last hours, while they have smiles and tiredness!

 

Look back to reflect on your journey. Look ahead to see what you could still do to help yourself.

Whatever time it is, when you think about it, there’s always an opportunity for you to do something to help your viva preparation.

Nathan

Find Your Way

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That’s the key to getting viva preparations done. There are core tasks and activities, but no blueprint for when, where and how you do them.

You need to read your thesis. Do you do that in an afternoon? For an hour per day? A chapter per night? You have to find your way to read your thesis.

You also need to annotate your thesis, make summaries, check papers, rehearse and build confidence. How do you organise yourself to do all of that?

You can go with the flow. You can make a plan. You can do it all in a week (probably not ideal!) or plot it out over a month or so. You have to find your way.

Much like the rest of your PhD journey, there are lots of ideas and guidelines, good advice and practical tips. Then you have to apply them to your situation, your circumstances.

You have to find your way.

Nathan

Was That It?

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Today marks fifteen years since I submitted my final PhD thesis.

I remember that I went with a friend to hand my copies in. I wanted someone to be a witness with me to this great moment. The university admin department I had to submit my thesis copies to was quiet. The person on reception duties looked up and just about managed to say, “Yes?” to indicate they would listen to me.

With a big smile I said, “I’ve finished my PhD. I’m here to submit my final thesis.”

They kept looking at me. Then looked down at the small pile of books and submission forms I had set on the counter. Then looked back at me. And finally looked over their shoulder and called, “Geoff?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s another one for you.”

Geoff came out from a back room. He quickly glanced over my form. He checked I had two copies of my thesis on the counter. Then picked them up and nodded, “OK, thanks,” and walked away.

My friend and I left the building entirely deflated. Was that it?

 

I celebrated later that day, but I look back on my final submission like many parts of my PhD journey and think, “Was that it?”

All the times I was stressed in advance of something – a presentation, a meeting, my viva – but the actual event worked out fine.

All the things that I thought would be super-amazing and impressive, but turned out to just be work. Still interesting, but work and time and effort.

Meeting my examiners. Going to my viva. Submitting my thesis.

In some respects, my whole PhD!

Was that it?

 

I have no regrets, but today reminds me that sometimes the things we think will be really big and important are just things. Important events are just one day. Great achievements are just one step towards success or progress. Our big news is just one more thing that someone else will hear.

And that’s the way it is. We have to find the meaning for ourselves. Your PhD success is important, but to you, not to everyone. You have to make it matter.

Don’t look back and think “Was that it?”

Make the special days as special as you can.

Nathan

My Graduation

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In over six years of writing about the viva I don’t think I have ever posted about my PhD graduation.

The thought came to me a few months ago as, coincidentally, I was asked in a series of sessions about graduation: what happens, when does it happen, when can you call yourself “Doctor” and so on.

I realised that almost fifteen years later I have no memory of my graduation. I know that it happened but all I could find from that day was a single selfie I took.

A man, wearing academic graduation dress, mortar board hat, red and black robes, stood for a selfie photo with a paved area in the background
See, I really do have a PhD!

It’s not even a great photo!

My viva was in June, my final thesis was submitted in August and then graduation wasn’t until December. By that time I was knee-deep in figuring out how to run a business, helping researchers and looking ahead to Christmas. My viva? My PhD? I’d moved on months before. Graduation was probably fun for the ceremony of it, but I don’t remember anything about it now.

You’re not technically Doctor Someone until you’ve had the chance to graduate. But it’s possible that you’ll have done all your celebrating long before you get to that point. Certainly it won’t take crossing a stage or a piece of paper to make you feel your Doctor-ness.

Still, from someone who has no memory of graduation, writing to someone who may have this in their future: I kindly suggest you do something to mark the occasion. Maybe go out for a meal or find a way to share your final, final success with friends and family. Or if graduation is something you can’t attend, celebrate the confirmation of your success in some other way.

Do more than just pose for a selfie!

Nathan

Invisible Work

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An audience doesn’t see the preparation and planning that goes into a talk. They might appreciate that work because of the effect it creates in the talk, but they don’t see it. They might not fully understand just how much work has been invested or even know some of the steps that have lead to the successful talk.

Reflecting on the invisible work of a PhD and a thesis is a useful activity for viva preparation. Even though you wrote your thesis, by the time you see the final collection of chapters – and given just how much time has been spent – you can forget what efforts you’ve put in.

You can forget the personal development. The setbacks and successes. The dedication you’ve invested.

To build your confidence for the viva and review what you did, reflect on the invisible work. Remind yourself of all you’ve done to produce your impressive thesis.

 

(sometimes this even extends to blog writing, when you can write a post and only realise when you come to share it that you have written on the topic with the same title two years earlier!)

Nathan

Persuade Yourself

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In your thesis, whatever the topic, whatever the structure, you’re trying to persuade your audience of something.

In your viva you are adding to the work of your research and the words in your thesis to persuade your examiners. You want them to believe the truth: you did the work and it has the value they’ve understood when they read your thesis.

Whatever their questions, you’re working to persuade them that you have ability and knowledge and your thesis is good enough.

 

Between submitting your thesis and succeeding in the viva you have to persuade yourself that you have ability, knowledge and a good thesis. Depending on your journey, your background and your circumstances when getting ready, persuading yourself that you really are good enough could be the hardest task of your PhD.

But that’s what you have to do.

And hard as it might be, given your experience so far, it’s a challenge you will rise to. Given everything else you’ve done, you can do this too.

Nathan

Peaks & Valleys

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Viva confidence can come from reflecting on the years you’ve invested into your research and thesis. The journey has to show progress, personal growth and development and times that you’ve succeeded in your goals.

Looking back could also show you times when things didn’t work out, or when you faced setbacks. Particularly given the last few years you might remember the impact of the pandemic, both personally and professionally.

When you reflect it’s good to consider both the high points and the low. Use specific questions to unpick how a situation had an impact and what it’s lead to now.

  • A High Point: What happened? How did you come to succeed/develop/grow? Why has that contributed to your confidence now?
  • A Low Point: Why was this a difficult moment? How did you get through this? What have you done to learn from this time?

Highs and lows, peaks and valleys, whatever we call them, every journey of growth and progress has them. No plan goes unchallenged, there are always obstacles to overcome. But if you’re looking back on your PhD and getting ready for your viva, remember that you have overcome your challenges. You have done enough.

Don’t dig too deep into anything painful, but also remember that you have made it through your low points of your PhD. Keep going now and you will succeed at your viva.

Nathan

Predicting Failure

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It’s clear that most PhD vivas results in success.

Ask your graduate school. Look online. Talk to people who have been through the process. The vast majority succeed. Corrections are part of the process and not a failure or setback. The process of doing a PhD, submitting a thesis and having a viva is not perfect, but it tends to work.

So accurately predicting success as the outcome of submission and the viva is simple.

Candidates succeed at the viva for very similar reasons, even when their research and theses could be very different. They succeed because they did the work, they wrote a good enough thesis and became a capable researcher. In the viva, they were able to demonstrate everything they needed to in order to pass.

 

Accurately predicting failure is much, much more challenging. Candidates pass for very similar reasons. They fail for very different, personal ones. It’s hard to know in advance.

Worry and nervousness isn’t enough. The vast majority of candidates succeed and most of them are in some way nervous about their viva! If you genuinely feel concerned that you’ve missed something or that something isn’t good enough, talk to someone. Talk to your supervisor. Talk to your graduate school. Talk to friends and colleagues and anyone who could help and ask them, “Do I really have a problem here? Am I just a little nervous? What can I do?”

Get help if your thoughts are turning to failure. It’s extremely unlikely, but finding a way that you can work towards success is much better than trying to assess how likely it is that you’re headed for failure.

Nathan

There Are Limits

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A PhD journey is bounded in many ways.

You can only read a finite number of papers and articles to build up your knowledge.

There’s a cap on the number of words that a thesis can reasonably contain.

You have only so many productive hours in any working day and pushing beyond that will not bring greater progress.

And you have hundreds of days to do the work but those days will eventually come to an end – and then you’ll have weeks to prepare for your viva.

 

Consider your limits as you start to get ready for submission and your viva. What do they show you?

Perhaps there were other things you could have done, but if you’re a typical PhD candidate those limits will show that you are knowledgeable. You embraced your work and studied. The limits of your PhD journey will demonstrate that you worked hard enough to get things done. You’ll have a thesis with thousands and thousands of words as proof that you stayed determined.

There are limits that come in many forms, but none detract from the picture presented of you and your work. You did something. You made something that wasn’t there before and you can be proud of what you’ve made.

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