You Are Here

Tag: viva confidence

Nathan

One Day, Not Day One

Daily Post

The viva is a single day when you have to rise to the occasion – but not the first day of the journey that you’re on.

Your viva could be difficult. You can expect to be challenged, but that challenge – discussing your research, your thesis and your ability as a researcher with your examiners – is not the first challenge of your PhD.

It’s not the tenth or even the hundredth.

The viva is one day you have to meet a challenge and succeed. By that day you have a lot of experience of doing just that.

Nathan

Saying Why

Daily Post

Sharing why your research is important is a natural topic of conversation at the viva. Saying why can sometimes be tricky. There are so many factors that you might want to share and so many different ways you might have expressed yourself in the past.

In preparation for talking in your viva, perhaps take a little time to reflect and gather your thoughts. Perhaps make some notes or write a summary. The following questions could help you to explore the “why” of your research:

  • Why was it necessary or important to explore the topic?
  • What were some of the unknowns when you started?
  • What did you not understand? (what do you still not understand?)
  • What are the boundaries of your research?
  • Can your work be applied in other ways?
  • What are the benefits of your work in this area?

Sometimes asking “Why?” is too hard. It’s one word but a big question.

Using other questions to reflect can be a valuable way to break past that barrier. Reflecting on several questions can be a helpful way to respond to “Why?”

Nathan

Finding The Words

Daily Post

If you’re concerned about saying the right thing at the viva – or worried about saying the wrong thing – then invest time before then in finding the words to share your research.

Write summaries to draw out key points. Review literature that has helped your work. Take time to rehearse with your supervisor or with friends.

The last part helps a lot. You can’t find the words by only worrying and thinking. You have to talk, because that’s what you have to do in the viva.

Nathan

More Or Less

Daily Post

Before your viva, work to feel more confident rather than less nervous.

The importance of your viva doesn’t change: you feel nervous because it matters.

Your confidence levels can increase though. You can reflect on your experiences. You can remind yourself of the successes you have created throughout your PhD. You can be sure of the improvement in your ability and knowledge. You can remind yourself that you did the work.

Work to feel more confident and you can feel less of the impact of nervousness.

Nathan

A Constellation Of Confidence

Daily Post

As you prepare for your viva think about a Situation where you did something well. What was the Task that you were trying to accomplish? Was there a goal you were aiming for or a problem that needed a solution?

Whatever the circumstances, what Activities were you engaged with? And when you had finished what were the Results of your work?

Reflecting on a story where you describe the Situation, Task, Activities and Results helps to create a useful narrative for exploring your capability with others. It can be a big help for job applications, interviews or pitching yourself.

Reflecting on a STAR can also help a lot with building confidence. It’s a foundation of knowing that you are good enough.

And you aren’t limited to one story. Find as many as you can and build a constellation of stories that you can look at when needed, to show yourself that you are good.

Nathan

Certainty

Daily Post

You can’t know in advance what questions you’ll be asked at your viva. You can’t know how long it will be. You can’t know exactly what opinions your examiners will hold. A viva experience happens based on a range of expectations, combined with the regulations of an institution and the individual thesis and candidate.

And with all of that true, there’s still a lot you can be certain about for your viva.

You can be certain that your examiners have prepared. You can be certain that their questions, whatever they are, are all carefully considered. You can be certain of who your examiners are before your viva by researching them, if needed. You can be certain of the range of expectations because so many people have shared their viva stories.

And you can be certain of who you are, what you’ve done and what you know. You can be certain that you are ready.

Nathan

A Piece Of Paper

Daily Post

When your PhD journey is finally finished you get a piece of paper. It will be quite fancy with official words and special ink. One page that says: you did it.

Before graduation, before your viva even, you might need something else to help you believe that you are capable. Kind words and good experiences help, but self-confidence has to come from you.

So take another sheet of paper, probably less fancy, but important all the same. Write down anything and everything you can think of that you know is good about your work: ideas, conclusions, methods – whatever you think makes a difference.

Then realise that all of those things are a part of your work because of you, your effort and your ability.

After your viva you’ll have a piece of paper that shows everyone what you did. Take time before the viva to show yourself what you’ve done.

Nathan

The Right Words

Daily Post

There are wrong words you could use in the viva. You could exaggerate or bluff. You could lie! You could mis-speak. You could be too modest or you could be careless in your thought or speech.

There are no perfect words for the viva discussion. Your examiners don’t expect you to respond like a machine without hesitation, errors or deliberation. Questions can have answers but they could also have opinions offered or hunches shared. You can say I don’t know.

You need the right words in your viva. The right words aren’t perfect, but they are considered. The right words aren’t scripted but can benefit from practice beforehand. The right words don’t require knowing the questions ahead of time or special understanding of the process.

The right words just require you to do the work. Do the work and you’ll find the right words on your viva day.

Nathan

Ifs And Thens

Daily Post

If you figured out how to get to submission then you can figure out how to succeed in the viva.

If you did all the work and wrote it up in your thesis then you can discuss it with your examiners for a few hours.

If you spent three (or more) years doing the research then you can talk for three hours (or less) about what it all means and how you did it.

Beyond nerves, beyond expectations, beyond the details of your research and your story, this is what it all comes down to. We can find lots of ways to look at the situation but it’s quite simple.

If you did the work, then you’re good. If you’re good then you can pass the viva.

Nathan

Good Reasons

Daily Post

There are good reasons to have your supervisor present at your viva.

They can make notes on your behalf. After the viva these notes could be helpful for completing corrections or continuing research. Your supervisor could also be a friendly face in your viva. It’s not supposed to be terrible, but knowing they are there could help how you feel.

There are also good reasons not to have your supervisor at your viva.

They can only be present: they can’t ask questions or respond to them. And it could be that while they are a friendly face that might not be what you need. For how you feel about your viva, an audience of any kind might be the last thing you want.

Rather than weigh pros and cons, reflect on what you want and what you need for your viva. That might include your supervisor or it might not. Whatever you decide your reasons are good enough.

1 … 25 26 27 28 29 … 68