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Tag: viva confidence

Nathan

Sure

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When you consider the viva, there’s not a lot you can be precise about.

The reasonable expectations of the exam describe a range of possible experiences. Vivas vary in length, examiners can have lots of different backgrounds and every thesis is unique. You can’t guarantee certain questions, though maybe you can have reasonable hopes and expectations of what your examiners will say. There’s a lot you won’t know until the viva is happening.

Being precise is difficult, but there’s a lot you can be sure of.

You can be sure that your examiners have prepared, just like you. You can be sure that despite the variety there is a core process at work: regulations, common expectations, norms in your department. You can be sure that your examiners will be fair with you.

And you can be sure of yourself. You can be sure that you have come as far as you have through hard work, a skillset and knowledge base that you’ve earned, and achievements that matter.

You can’t be precise about your viva. You can be sure.

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

Changes After Submission

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You might have corrections to complete after the viva, but between submission and the viva you don’t need to make any alterations.

Find a typo? Underline it or add it to a list.

See a reference that needs a tweak? Write in the margins or add it to a list.

Read a sentence that could be better? Underline it, write in the margins or add it to a list!

You don’t need to make changes to your thesis, but you might need to make changes to yourself between submission and the viva.

You might need to change your mind on what the viva will be like, if you hear more positive expectations than the worries you’ve been carrying around.

You might need to change your perspective on your examiners if you learn a little about their research.

And you might have to change the story you tell yourself about how capable you are, if you’re feeling a lack of confidence after submission.

After submission, change yourself – not your thesis.

Nathan

Three Favours

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Ask your family and friends to give you a little space, time and quiet in advance of your viva. You need a good environment to prepare in. They can help provide that for you. Let them know what you need and work with them to make it a reality.

Ask someone to drive you to university on the day of your viva, if you’re having your viva in-person. You need to arrive rested. Travelling by public transport or driving yourself could take away from your focus and energy; asking for a lift could help you to arrive at your viva in a great condition.

Ask yourself to believe something: to believe that you are good enough. To believe that you have come as far as you have through hard work, personal development and making something that matters.

The last favour might be the biggest you could ask, depending on how you’re feeling – but if you can grant the request you’ll find a confidence that will help a lot on viva day.

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

Have Fun

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Smile! Enjoy yourself. This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Things we don’t often say to someone when they have a viva soon…

But isn’t that a shame?

Yes, there’s work to do and an exam to pass, questions to respond to and a thesis to defend. Of course you have to share your research, discuss your thesis and demonstrate your excellence.

But who says that can’t be fun, enjoyable, a positive experience? Why don’t we encourage that more?

I’ll start: I hope you have a great time at your viva.

Nathan

Sit Down and Talk

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Very simple viva directions!

There’s a process and prep, a thesis and a candidate, two examiners with questions and comments and expectations and –

– really you just need to sit down and talk.

Have a conversation. A discussion. A chat.

Three prepared people, one thesis, one PhD journey and a few hours for everyone to do what they need to do.

Be ready to sit down and talk. Prepare, rehearse, be ready.

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

Now You Can

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If it won’t cause pain or upset, think back to who you were when you started your PhD journey.

Consider what you knew and what you could do, and compare that with your capability today.

Being ready for the viva is partly all the work you’ve done, partly the specific preparations for the viva and partly how you feel about yourself and what you can do. A PhD journey can be long and difficult; sometimes, when reflecting it can be natural to remember the beginnings or the harder moments.

Instead, remember where you are today. Remember the skills, the knowledge, the talent and the success that you have. You are not the person you were. You are not who you were when you began.

Now you can do so much more.

You know so much more.

And you have achieved so much more than when you started.

Nathan

What Now?

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You’ve written a thesis that captures a signifiant and original contribution to your field.

What now? What could you or someone else do to build on these ideas? How might this inspire someone else?

 

You’ve done several weeks of prep for your viva and there’s only a few days to go before the big day.

What now? What do you need to do to feel prepared? Who can help and what are your priorities?

 

Your viva is done and it’s been a great success, just like you hoped.

What now? What do you have to do finish things off? When and how will you get corrections and any other admin done?

 

Everything is finished. You’ve reached the end of your PhD journey.

What now?

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