Up Or Down?
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!