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Tag: the PhD journey

Nathan

Push & Pull

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Your success is partly the result of many actions that push your work forward and create your thesis contribution.

Your examiners will want to know all about this at your viva: the story of your research, the actions that got it done and the result now that your thesis is finished.

The actions that push your work forward also pull you along. Through the process you learn, understand more and become a capable researcher.

Your examiners will want to know all about this at your viva as well: what you know, what you can do, how you think and more.

Remember in viva prep to reflect on and review both your thesis and yourself.

Nathan

The Best Support

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What were the best references that supported your research?

Who were the most helpful people who have supported you?

What practices have you used for getting things done?

Whatever your best sources of support – whether they’re papers, people or practices – it’s a good idea to think about them as you get ready. In some cases, it might be a good idea to consult or use them one more time.

You did the work but everyone needs support.

Nathan

Favourite Days

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I was feeling a little wistful recently as I looked back two decades to my own PhD.

What did I remember?

  • I remember sitting on a train one day when suddenly my research problem snapped into focus. By the time I reached my destination I had made the first breakthrough of my PhD.
  • I remembered attending residential workshops, meeting researchers from other departments and realised the variety of research that happened at Liverpool.
  • I remembered endless tea breaks with friends and colleagues.
  • I remembered taking over the often unused chalkboards in my office to write something out. I got stuck, called my supervisor and then realised the solution before he arrived. I remember feeling proud as I showed him a previously unknown result.
  • I remembered writing up my thesis and how it went much more smoothly when I planned my process.

I was trying to think of my favourite things from my PhD. Most of the things that came to mind also had some other aspect to them as well: something I learned, some small success or result.

 

Two thoughts came to me afterwards.

First, it struck me that it’s probably a good idea to think about your favourite days of your PhD journey as you get ready for your viva. You’re bound to think about success and growth and that can only be good for your confidence and preparation.

Second, looking back I didn’t count my viva as one of my favourite days. I don’t think that’s because it was one of my least favourite days! It’s probably more in the middle. There were certainly harder times and definitely better times too.

So: look back to help your prep and confidence, but perhaps don’t expect that your viva will be as terrible as you worry (or as great as your greatest days).

Nathan

What You Learned

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You invested years of work. Read countless papers. Many months following the practical steps necessary in your discipline.

Was it experiments, interviews, reading, modelling or something else for you? Whatever it was, you did it.

What you learned matters.

You need to have a thesis to pass your PhD but that book is only an expression of the learning and development that rests in you. What you learned shows your capability. Being able to talk about what you learned, what you know and what you can do matters. You need to be able to communicate this to your examiners.

And even more importantly: understanding just how much you’ve learned and grown can be a huge boost to your confidence as you get ready for your viva.

So, what have you learned?

 

PS: Need more viva help? Check out the latest issue of Viva Survivors Select: The Focus Issue explores writing summaries as part of viva prep to focus your thinking and highlight what matters most.

Nathan

Anti-Perfect

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You can’t write a perfect thesis from a perfect piece of research that then leads to a perfect viva experience.

I can understand aiming for perfection and trying to make something as good as possible but working towards “enough” is probably more sensible.

You can define enough. Enough has a quantity: enough research, enough words, enough work to get ready. You can plan for enough. You can work for enough.

No corrections doesn’t mean that your work was perfect.

Enough. You are good enough. You have done enough. Do enough for prep and do enough in your viva. Perfect is a distraction and you can do better. You can do enough.

Nathan

You Got Here

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If you’ve submitted your thesis remember that that’s down to your time and work.

You had help and support. There were expectations that shaped what you did.

You did the work.

Having got this far there’s not much further to go on your PhD journey.

If you got this far, keep going. If you got this far, despite all the challenges within your research and from the wider world, keep going.

Survive can be defined as manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

You got here. Keep going.

Nathan

Saying More

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You can start a response at the viva with, “Well, my supervisor told me to…”

You always need to say something more.

You could talk about why your supervisor advised that. You could reference what stage of your PhD this was. You could unpick what you had already tried. You could say more about how you applied the suggestion. Depending on the situation you might even be talking about what didn’t work and what you then had to do instead!

Your examiners know that you’ve had support. They expect that you were given guidance or told what to do at many stages of your PhD. You can say that but you need to say more to show your role and efforts.

Nathan

Happy Times

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When were you most happy on your PhD journey?

Your first thoughts probably tell you a lot about what you value from your PhD. They may or may not line up neatly with your research, your thesis or things you think you’ll share with your examiners. But they’ll give you something to think about.

The viva is a big important day in your life – and then you’ll do something even more important afterwards. Whatever it was you were doing when you were most happy, it probably makes sense to see how you can have more of that in the future.

Nathan

Hundreds Of Somethings

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700 to 800 days.

A not unreasonable estimate for how many days a PhD candidate might show up to do work.

Some days might be bigger or more important than others. Some days you stare at a screen and try to work, others you punch the air and celebrate. Some days you read a whole book and others you can barely write two sentences.

What matters is that you keep going. What matters is that those hundreds of days include hundreds of somethings: actions, experiments, thoughts, conversations and opportunities that you apply to your research, your talent and your capability.

A long process of small steps that leads you to success. No two days the same. All those days and somethings adding up to a thesis and a candidate that are good.

Nathan

Routes To Confidence

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Confidence comes from lots of places. The confidence you want for your viva could be found in many things.

You can feel confident if you feel capable. Your talents can help you to see you can manage this challenge.

You can feel confident if you’re calm. Putting problems and stress to one side can help you find self-confidence for the viva.

You can feel confident if you reflect over your PhD journey. You have got as far as you have by doing well, by making something that matters.

You might not be able to do all of these to the full extent you would like. Doubt, time and other pressures might get in the way. Make an effort with any of the steps above and however far you get will prompt greater confidence for your viva day.

There isn’t one way to viva confidence. Find a route that works for you. Don’t hope you’ll feel good – work your way to feeling good.

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