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Tag: viva confidence

Nathan

The Last Review

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What will you look for when it’s the last time to look over your thesis before your viva?

  • The sections and sentences you’ve highlighted?
  • The red pen that shows the typos and changes you want to make?
  • The paragraphs that make you feel proud of what you’ve done?
  • The margins of notes you think you need?
  • Or the final pages that bring your research to a conclusion?

Or something else entirely? You have to decide where you need to give your attention. It’s probably best to steer towards the good stuff rather than remind yourself of typos. They’re there, you’ve acknowledged them, you know what you need to do.

Save your attention for what really matters.

Nathan

Spoiler Alert!

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You’ll most likely pass your viva!

It really is the most likely outcome.

Which doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be nervous. It doesn’t mean that there’s nothing to prepare for or you can just take time off until you meet your examiners. And it doesn’t mean that you won’t be challenged by your viva, the preparation, the corrections or anything connected with it.

You’ll most likely pass your viva. Do the work to fulfil that. Be nervous, but work to get ready and be confident. You’ll be challenged, so work to meet that challenge and respond to your examiners’ questions.

Spoiler alert: you’ve got this.

Nathan

Only

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I’ll be fine in the viva so long as I’m not asked about Chapter 4…

I can only talk about what I did, I don’t want to talk about hypotheticals…

I’m happy to talk to my examiners but don’t want them to challenge my conclusions…

PhD candidates have told me these things and similar for years. They’re reasonable things to think. They come from a place of concern about whether or not they can manage the task that’s ahead of them. There’s nothing irrational about wanting to do well.

But these thoughts don’t help.

A candidate has no control over what examiners will ask. You might have ideas or hopes of what they will want to talk about in the viva, but you won’t know until you get there.

Focus on being ready to talk whatever the question. Your only job in the viva is to engage with each comment and question as needed.

That’s it.

Hold on to that idea, prepare to be a full participant in the discussion, and you’ll find a far more useful position than holding on to worries and concerns.

Nathan

Use Everything

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Do everything you can to improve your feeling of confidence for your viva. Look back at the story of your PhD and take apart all the key moments and stages to show how you have become a capable, talented researcher.

Examine your successes. Unpick the work you did, what happened as a result and what that has meant for your research and for you.

Explore your setbacks and failures. Why did things go wrong? What did you do to change your approach as a result? What did you learn from those experiences?

Estimate the amount of work you invested. How many days did you show up? How many hours? Realise that you stayed committed to your work, even when it was a challenge.

What other numbers could help you to see the scale of what you’ve done? The number of words written? Papers read? Meetings attended and talks given?

Find ways to remind yourself. Statistics help, but stories help more. Do things that help you to feel confident. Wear clothes that help you feel good. Your confidence is not only rooted in the pages of your thesis and what you did to write them.

Use every opportunity you can find to build up your confidence for the viva. There are many, many reasons to feel certain of your success. Do what you can to remind yourself of them as you get ready.

Nathan

Just A Moment

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Just a moment.

That’s all you need, compared to the years of work in your PhD already, in order to get ready for your viva.

Just a moment.

The shortest of pauses, used regularly throughout the viva, is all you’ll need to think carefully before you engage with your examiners’ questions.

Just a moment…

…is how long your viva could feel! Hours passing by quickly because of how focussed you feel.

Just a moment.

Corrections requested, done, checked and then the thesis is finally – finally! – completed.

Just a moment.

A brief second in time where you cross a stage to shake a hand or receive a certificate in the post to say “You did it.”

 

The end of the PhD is a series of moments. Little snapshots where you do a little more, demonstrate who you are and celebrate your success. A short series of moments, following years of experience, growth and development.

If the end is hard, remember all the work that has brought you this far. Remember that it really won’t be long before you’re finished.

Nathan

An Absence Of Publications

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An infrequent-but-troubling question at viva help seminars is “What will my examiners think if I don’t have any publications by the time I have my viva?”

Or worse, “Can my examiners fail me if I don’t have any publications?”

Examiners might ask or might know if you don’t have any publications. They could ask you why not, and there could be many reasons you could offer:

  • I’ve been focussed first on finishing my thesis, but have plans to publish…
  • I’m exploring publishing a monograph after I’ve completed my PhD…
  • I don’t want to publish papers based on my PhD because…

An examiner can have opinions and expectations on what is the right way to do things. Everyone’s allowed an opinion, but in the viva an absence of publications cannot count against a candidate. The thesis and the work done to produce that is being evaluated.

Other publications could be seen as a good thing, but the absence of them can’t be taken as a negative.

More than anything, prior publications are a confidence boost for a candidate. If you have some then you have a little more support for feeling that things will go well because others have accepted your work.

But if you don’t have publications, it’s likely that you’ve invested your time in other ways – not bad, just different – and have taken other steps to show yourself (and your examiners) that you are a capable researcher.

You don’t need publication to pass your viva.

Nathan

Why Does It Matter?

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Ahead of your viva, reflect on the significant and original contribution you’ve made through your research. It’s a topic that your examiners will have to discuss with you during the viva, so it will help to be prepared to talk about what you’ve done.

A key question to help reflection could be to consider, “Why does it matter?” What is it about your work that makes a difference? What will others see in it? Think, make some notes and have a conversation with someone about why your work matters.

And remind yourself that your work does matter – it must, after all you have put into your research.

Nathan

The Paperweight

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A small white paperweight, with a black etched design of a leaf

It was a gift from my daughter on Father’s Day a year or two ago. I love my paperweight. It feels like I’ve always had it.

Whenever I feel nervous before a webinar – which is every time I deliver a webinar – picking this little paperweight up is the action that helps me feel confident.

I’ve been a researcher-developer for nearly fifteen years. I’ve helped candidates get ready for their vivas for thirteen of them. I’ve delivered over 400 viva help sessions to almost 8000 PGRs, and been writing this daily blog for over six years.

Yet when I come to deliver a webinar this little paperweight is the thing that helps me feel confident. A small, solid reminder of why I do what I do. A little kickstart for my confidence.

You can’t have my paperweight, but you can find ways to be confident.

Think about what could help you. Is it reflecting on your PhD journey? Is it a routine that helps to centre you? Or perhaps even a small object or image that reminds you of who you are, what you can do and why you’re doing what you’re doing?

You can’t have my paperweight. You can find your own path to confidence.

Nathan

Small & Little

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Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Do every little thing to help yourself.

These are not contradictions when applied to the viva and viva prep.

 

When you find a typo after submission, you could underline it or add it to a list, but that’s all you can do. Would it be better to have spotted it in your proofreading? Sure. Is it frustrating? Maybe, but being frustrated won’t help. Fixing a typo won’t be hard later and won’t distract your examiners too much before then.

Small stuff is like that. Distractions like typos, forgetting a detail, or not having a viva date months in advance. If something is frustrating or a problem but you can’t do much about it, let it go. Work around it or work past it, but don’t drive yourself to distraction being annoyed by it.

 

On the other hand, if you find little things that could help, then try to do them. Add tabs to your thesis, find little opportunities to share your research with others and practise, wear your favourite socks, play your most happy music and follow every tiny idea that could help you get ready for your viva.

 

A problem doesn’t have to be big and difficult to frustrate your preparation. Put them to one side when you can.

An action doesn’t have to be big or time-consuming to help you get ready. Engage with it when you can.

Nathan

A Simple Introduction To The Viva

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The viva is an oral exam at the end of your PhD. Typically two examiners study your thesis and prepare for a discussion with you centred on your work and ability as a researcher.

You’ll have plenty of time to prepare. Vivas happen to others all the time, so there’s lots you can learn about the process. This helps you prepare too.

Through all of this you can be ready for the time you’ll spend talking with your examiners. Viva candidates most commonly pass their viva.

You will too.

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