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Tag: viva expectations

Nathan

The First And Last Questions

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Old viva advice says that the first question you’re asked at the viva will likely be easy, while the last question likely won’t be. Like a lot of advice, there’s a kernel of truth to this belief but a lot more to be said.

Let’s say that the first question you’re asked in the viva will likely be simple: whatever it is, you’re being asked to start the viva and start it well. Your examiners want to get you talking, get you past nerves and worries; they ask something simple about the beginnings of your research or get you to share an overview of what you’ve done.

These might not be easy questions, but they will be simple to understand and likely be topics you’ve thought about and talked about a lot in the past. First questions are asked for a specific purpose. They get the viva started well. They may or may not be easy, but your examiners won’t be looking to make things hard for you.

The last question of a viva could be many things:

  • “Do you have any questions for us?”
  • “How would you like to see your ideas developed in the future?”

Or it could just be another question: challenging, probing, digging into the work and words of your thesis.

First, last and everything in between: take every question as it comes.

Breathe. Pause. Think. Respond as well as you can.

Every question is an opportunity for you to share a little more and add to the good things that your examiners think about you and your research.

Nathan

Sure

Daily Post

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

“It Just Was”

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Why was your viva so long?

I’ve been asked many times before about why my viva was four hours long, but the question surprised me at a recent webinar. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it had been some time since the last asking, or maybe I had something else on my mind that day. But I was prompted to a little bit of reflection.

Now, I’m not my examiners and I don’t have their perspective why my viva was four hours. I can only share what occurs to me and what I think. To begin with, I had a thesis describing six projects; they were all in the same area but about different ideas. That meant that we had to keep going back to square one with explanations as we talked about the thesis.

I also had some issues with presentation. While my examiners accepted my contribution, they were less happy with how the thesis was structured. Information didn’t flow in some places. In others it just didn’t meet their discipline expectations. We had to talk about that and about the corrections that would follow.

Just over halfway through my total viva time we had a break of about ten minutes, but I didn’t really notice that the time had passed. And at the time I didn’t have any awareness of typical viva lengths, what vivas were like and so on. I don’t really know why my viva was that long. It just was.

 

When someone asks about my experience, I think they’re really asking, “Why might my viva be four hours long?” – and that’s a much bigger question.

It could be that you have lots of projects – or just lots to talk about. It could be that there are issues like I had, with presentation or structure or clarity. It could be that your examiners need to unpick something to fully understand it.

Or it could be that everyone in the room is just really engaged by the discussion and they want to keep talking.

Four hour vivas are rare, all things considered. Don’t expect yours to be, but if it happens to be that long it’s not necessarily for any bad reason at all.

Nathan

Hole In One

Daily Post

You might have a viva that’s finished in an hour or less, but it’s not very likely. You can hope, but that’s about all you can do.

Instead of hoping you get some rare occurrence, why not focus your energy on something that could help you more in your viva?

Read your thesis. Write summaries. Rehearse for the discussion. Do the work to be ready for what happens, rather than hoping you get a rare, short viva.

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

Silence In The Viva

Daily Post

Like nervousness, silence might not feel comfortable sometimes but it doesn’t necessarily mean something negative.

In your viva a moment of quiet could be while you or an examiner checks a detail or finds the right place in your thesis. You might need a quiet pause to think or read, or to make a note. Silence could be a side-effect of a video viva delay or a simple pause to settle after a noise from outside.

Silence in the viva is a brief quiet between questions, responses and discussion about really important things. Silence in the viva is not for long before the words flow again. Silence in the viva is just one of those things that will happen.

Prepare for talking at your viva by rehearsing and talking before your viva. Use that opportunity to prepare for the silence too.

Nathan

In The Break

Daily Post

You can ask for a break at any point in the viva. Bathroom breaks, medical-related breaks or for any other reason if you need one.

As well as attending to the need at the time, take sixty seconds in the break:

  • Breathe. Release a little tension if you feel any and can.
  • Check in. How are you doing? Is there anything you need?
  • Note? Will writing something help you before you start back up?

And remember: you’re getting closer to being done. You’re almost there. Not long now.

Nathan

Patchwork

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Every viva is different because every thesis and candidate are unique. Your thesis and experiences will to some extent ensure that your viva is different from every other viva before or after yours.

Every viva follows patterns because of university regulations, general expectations and departmental norms. There’s a patchwork of rules and ideas for what a viva is supposed to be like that gives every viva some structure. Taken together, each of these elements tells a candidate roughly what to expect: how long it might be, what kind of questions could come up and what the experience might feel like.

The more you stick pieces together, the better informed you can be and the more ready you can make yourself – while understanding that you won’t really know what will happen until you get there. The patchwork of regulations, expectations and norms helps you be ready for whatever happens.

Nathan

Have Fun

Daily Post

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

Daily Post

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.

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