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Tag: viva confidence

Nathan

Final Prep

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What’s the last thing you will do to get ready for your viva? What final action will leave you satisfied, a small smile on your face that you’ve done all you can?

When will it be? The morning of your viva, a final check of some detail? The day before, deciding what to wear? A few days ahead of your viva when you have a final chat with your supervisor?

Sketching out a plan for prep helps to make it real. Knowing the final step can give you something to guide you. Deciding for yourself what that final task will be really cements that this is for you.

Your research. Your prep. Your viva.

Nathan

Ready or Not

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When the date is in the diary your viva is going to happen whether you’re ready or not.

Don’t agonise over the date. Don’t fret about what might happen or what your examiners might ask.

Instead do the work. Do the work that’s needed to get ready.

The work will help steer you away from concern and lead you towards confidence. Preparing for the viva is a practical path and not a long journey – certainly not compared to your PhD as a whole.

Your viva is going to happen, ready or not. Choose to be ready.

Nathan

Taking Rest

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Rest before the viva is as essential as reading your thesis or having a mock viva.

Rest needs to be planned into your viva prep, even if that seems at odds with the work you’re doing.

Take time to rest and feel the benefits when you return to doing things to get ready.

Nathan

The PhD Is A Journey

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A long journey.

Tiring and stressful perhaps. At times the destination might have seemed uncertain – or perhaps even changed! But if your viva is somewhere in your near future then you’ve almost reached your journey’s end.

As you get closer, pause and take some time to reflect:

  • When has the journey been most joyful?
  • When has it been hard?
  • When have you been lonely?
  • When have you been supported?
  • When have you made the quickest progress?
  • When have you struggled the hardest?
  • When have you had to make difficult choices? (and how did you make them?)

And most importantly, what’s kept you going?

Reflecting on the PhD journey can bring up sensitive or upsetting memories sometimes. It can also help to show your progress, your success, your development.

You got this far. Now keep going. Your journey’s final destination isn’t too far away.

Nathan

The Big Pictures

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There isn’t a single big picture to consider before your viva.

Why did you want to do a PhD? That initial motivation is helpful to reflect on and share. It could help you to explain to your examiners what you thought was interesting about your research area when you started.

Why is your thesis research valuable? Insight into what makes your research significant can help you to describe why what you’ve done is worth a PhD. Reflecting on this can help you to find better ways to communicate your contribution.

Why did you keep going? Your response to this big picture question can help you – and your examiners – see your dedication, talent and effort. It can help boost your confidence.

There’s no single big picture way to reflect on your research for the viva. By considering different questions you can find what you need to engage well with the process and do what you need to succeed.

Nathan

In-Person or On-Video

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It used to be that an in-person viva was the right way to have a viva. Video vivas were anomalies, rare arrangements made out of necessity.

Then they were the necessary arrangement. For a time they were the only way of doing things.

 

And now some candidates might have choice over which format they would like for their viva. Which brings a new question: is it better to have an in-person viva or an on-video viva, if the choice is put before you? What are the pros and cons?

Having thought about it I don’t think there are negatives to either. They’re just different. The viva is the viva: a different medium allows some things and not others. It makes some aspects less of a challenge perhaps, but neither format is worse.

An in-person viva allows you to make more of a connection perhaps. It would be the best situation if you were looking to build a connection with your examiners.

A video viva would allow you to control the space that you’re in. You could make an environment that you would feel comfortable and confident in.

These are my general thoughts – of course, it’s a negative to you if you don’t like having a meeting over video. Or it’s a negative if meeting in public is something you don’t want to do just now.

Then you have to think: what are your pros and cons? How do you weigh it up?

A viva is a viva, in-person or on-video. If you have the choice, reflect on how you feel and consider how you could make the most of the opportunity of your viva.

Nathan

One Weird Trick For The Viva

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Alas! There isn’t one.

No shortcuts. No hacks. No loopholes.

No tricks. No weird little things that will just make it all better.

But you don’t need them.

You need someone who has done the work. Someone who has put in the time and dedication. Someone who takes things seriously. Someone who takes the time to get ready.

Someone like you.

You have all the magic you need for your viva.

Nathan

Security Blankets

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On my desk I have a drawing that my daughter gave me on the day of my first Zoom session. It helped me to smile as I tried something new for the first time – against a backdrop of change and uncertainty – and it’s kept me smiling, kept me feeling secure when I work ever since.

It keeps me thinking, “It’s going to be alright.” It helps me remember that whatever else is going on, I can be confident.

Children use all sorts of items as security blankets to help themselves cope or feel fine. Adults tend to put those sorts of things to one side when they “grow up”. But do we need to? Is it better to focus on our nerves and anxieties rather than try simple things to lessen them?

I think you can use whatever security blankets you need for your viva. Use a drawing that your child drew, wear good day socks, a lucky trinket or a process that helps you feel good. All of these things, when you really reflect, are reminders. They’re reminding you that you are capable. They’re prompting your behaviour or perception.

Some are more helpful than others, and of course, you perhaps don’t want to show up to your viva wrapped up in a literal blanket! Short of that, what could you to remind yourself that things are going to be OK? What can you do to remind yourself that you can be confident?

What will you do to help you feel secure for your viva?

Nathan

Survive Sounds Scary

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We hear survive and think of tragedy. Desperate situations. Almost impossible and yet somehow someone makes it through. Of course, given those associations, survive sounds scary.

Survive sounds scary but survive means manage to keep going in difficult circumstances.

Survive sounds scary but it doesn’t have to be life and death. It could be much less serious.

It could be difficult to meet with your examiners. All you feel about your work. All you’ve done. The anticipation and the nervousness making you uncomfortable.

But how difficult has your PhD been already? You’re still here. You survived. You managed to keep going in difficult circumstances.

Survive sounds scary. For the viva the simple thing to hold in your mind is you need to keep going.

Nathan

Count Down, Count Up

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It’s not wrong to hold your viva date in your mind and count down towards it.

Two weeks to go. Ten days. Seven days. Two days. Ten hours!

We do this with all sorts of events, like Christmas and the advent season. It can be a good way to focus. You have a deadline to steer your preparation.

Counting down can also bring stress and anxiety depending on the situation if you start to feel pressure.

Counting down is a tool: you can use it or not.

You could also count up.

Count up all your work. Count up all of your achievements. Count up all you have written. Count up all you’ve finished. Count up all the talent you have developed.

Counting down can focus you on the event and what you need to do.

Counting up can show you that you have what you need for the event when it arrives.

Two tools. Both can be useful. Use one or both as you see fit.

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