You Are Here

Tag: the PhD journey

Nathan

Beyond The Viva

Daily Post

We need to do this by… We have to make time to… Oh don’t forget we have to…

I’m willing to bet that these kinds of sentences aren’t just being said in my house! As the last days of the year line up it can sometimes feel like time is running out.

 

There’s a similar feeling with the viva I think.

Time has to be made to get X, Y and Z done. There’s the time of the viva itself, a small number of hours on one day but which can feel much bigger and important.

Then the viva is done. Over. Finished. Passed. Success.

And then there’s what comes next.

 

The days and weeks immediately after your viva are the almost end of your PhD journey. They might be bittersweet. They might not be what you were expecting or what you imagined.

Whatever happens there’s more afterwards. A new challenge like a new year, the same as the last one but unique and special.

Take a little time to brace yourself as you get ready for your viva. You’ll be done before you know it and then you’ll have new challenges to embrace.

Nathan

Why People Pass

Daily Post

Why do people pass the viva?

They do the work.

They make something that matters. They grow and develop as people and researchers. They get ready. They figure things out and figure out ways to meet challenges.

And hopefully, in time, they share what they learn with others still working their way through to help them avoid or be aware of problems on the way.

Nathan

Cutting Corners

Daily Post

Don’t do the minimum. Don’t try to squeeze viva prep in. Don’t cut corners on your confidence.

Ask for help. Make a plan. Do the work. Have certainty in your efforts.

There are no good shortcuts on a PhD journey and no good shortcuts to being ready for your viva.

Nathan

You Can’t Lose

Daily Post

The viva isn’t a game. The viva isn’t a quiz.

You’re not scoring points. You’re not competing.

You’re presenting your work. You’re responding to questions.

You’re sharing what you did and demonstrating what you can do.

Do the work, prepare and go to show what you know and what you can do.

The viva is a demonstration and confirmation.

Nathan

Scale & Perspective

Daily Post

The viva is one day out of more than a thousand.

Viva prep is important – but takes perhaps 0.5% of the time and work of the rest of your PhD.

The longest possible viva is shorter than the longest work day of your PhD journey so far.

The number of words you’ll speak in your viva will be a fraction of the words you’ve written in your thesis – which is a fraction again of all of the words you’ve written for your PhD.

The viva matters and you have to pass but it helps to put it into perspective compared to the amount and importance of the work you’ve done before.

Nathan

Your Reasons

Daily Post

There’s a reason you did your PhD.

There’s a reason you used the methods you used.

There are reasons why you think what you think.

There is a reason for the typo at the bottom of page 72.

There are reasons for the work you did and didn’t do.

There are many reasons why you’ll succeed at your viva.

When you can reflect and understand enough of the whys and reasons of your PhD journey then you’re probably ready to share them with your examiners – and ready to succeed.

Nathan

Find Useful Numbers

Daily Post

In the last few months I passed two milestones in my work helping people get ready for their viva. Through delivering my Viva Survivor and 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva sessions I passed the 500 session mark – and a little after that I went past the 10,000 participant mark.

Not bad for a quiet and shy mathematician who used to dread presenting, eh?

The numbers don’t tell the full story though. They don’t mention the development, thinking, writing, preparation, admin and behind-the-scenes work that goes into making something – but they are a reminder and a reinforcement for me and my confidence.

If I wake up tired or if something isn’t write when I deliver a session I am reminded that I have done this before and have experience to draw from. I’m not perfect but I am ready. If I’m asked a question that is particularly tricky I can take a deep breath and do my best and feel confident in that.

 

My numbers are reminders for me: what numbers do you have?

The number of days you showed up?

The number of papers you’ve read?

The number of words you’ve written?

The number of challenges you overcame?

There’s a big story behind all of your success. Find useful numbers that remind you of your story and your progress.

Find numbers that remind you of the work you’ve done and what that means.

 

PS: Registration closes at 5pm today for my Viva Survivor webinar! I’m delivering this session tomorrow, Wednesday 3rd December 2025. As I said above, I’ve shared this session a lot –  more than 400 times – and it is my comprehensive live session on getting ready for the viva. Check the link for full details of what to expect and if you’re thinking of signing up you have to do it soon!

Nathan

Up Or Down?

Daily Post

I’ve always thought it funny that advent calendars are counting down the days to Christmas but the numbers on the doors increase. Counting down or counting up?

It makes me think of the viva (as lots of things do!) and the different ways that people approach getting ready:

  • Some people count down the days to their viva and wonder if they’ve done enough to be ready.
  • Some people with a plan mark the days as they get closer and think, rightly, that their prep is adding to being ready.
  • And perhaps another useful approach would be to treat these days as adding to the overall experience of being a good researcher.

Every day between now and your viva, however long you have, means one more day of doing the work.

It doesn’t matter how you record it. It’s one more day with more opportunities to get better and become more prepared.

 

PS: One opportunity for getting ready for your viva is my Viva Survivor webinar this Wednesday 3rd December 2025. I’ve shared this session more than 400 times and it is my comprehensive live session on getting ready for the viva. Registration closes tomorrow afternoon so check the link now for full details of what to expect from the webinar!

Nathan

If Your Viva Is Tomorrow…

Daily Post

…then you still have time to help yourself feel more ready for your viva.

You could do something small like read a favourite section, check a reference one last time or write a few notes to clear your head.

You could select your clothes or listen to some good music or message a friend to confirm that you’re OK.

You could write down what you’ll do in the morning or plan what you’ll do after the viva is finished.

 

If your viva is tomorrow then there are lots of things you could do and probably no need to do any of them. If your viva is tomorrow it’s because there are over one thousand yesterdays when you showed up and did the work.

If your viva is tomorrow then you’re ready. And if your viva isn’t tomorrow then you have time to get ready!

 

PS: If your viva is some time after this week then you might have time to get help at my Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 3rd December 2025! I’ve shared Viva Survivor more than 420 times and it is my comprehensive live session on getting ready for the viva. Attendees also receive access to a catch-up recording and other follow-up materials. Check the link for full details of what to expect from the webinar.

Nathan

Talent & Work & Time

Daily Post

Talent, work and time are three related things that help a PhD candidate get to their viva – and help them get through their viva.

You need all three and each of them needs the others.

  • Your talent, by which we mean your capability as a researcher, rests on being developed through your work over a long period of time.
  • The work you do requires ability and a good amount of time for it to be done and to mean something.
  • The time for your PhD journey is necessitated by the work you do and the effort and talent you bring to it.

All three of these are wrapped up in you, your research and your PhD journey. All three of these are behind you, supporting you as you work towards being ready for your viva and then help your success at your viva.

You took the time. You did the work. You have the talent.

That’s how you got this far and it’s how you will succeed at your viva.

 

PS: I’ll be exploring viva confidence, which is what today’s post is all about, at my Viva Survivor webinar on Wednesday 3rd December 2025. I’ve shared Viva Survivor more than 400 times. It is my comprehensive live session on getting ready for the viva covering expectations, viva prep, examiners and more. Check the link for full details of what to expect from the webinar!

1 2 3 4 5 … 46