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Tag: viva expectations

Nathan

Typo Terror

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You don’t need to be afraid of finding typos. For the most part when someone finds a typo, at worst, it will distract them. A very, very, very minor frustration. For an examiner it is something to record in some way, so that they can ask the candidate to make appropriate changes later.

If you find a typo you can do the same.

Typos don’t need to be feared, they need to be found! When you encounter them, note them down, what is needed in the future to make them right and move on.

There’s far more important work to do and far more important things to talk about in the viva.

Nathan

More Examiners

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The most common viva situation in the UK includes two examiners, one internal and one external. Some universities have independent chairs to steer and confirm the process, and in most cases a supervisor is allowed to attend with the candidate’s approval, but there are nearly always only two examiners.

Nearly always.

There are good reasons for exceptions. It could be that the research requires people with different research backgrounds and interests. A third examiner might be needed so that certain knowledge can be brought into the viva. Or perhaps the candidate is also a staff member at their PhD institution and a second external is required to ensure that the viva is seen as fair.

 

More examiners could mean more questions in the viva; more people talking could mean the viva has more hours than most.

But it doesn’t mean significantly more work in preparation. An extra person won’t take long to look into: a few more papers to consider, a little more thought to consider what they might be interested in.

A 50% increase in examiners doesn’t lead to a 50% increase in prep, questions, viva time or corrections!

Nathan

Three to Five Seconds

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Or a standard viva pause.

Just long enough to check you’ve understood a question, begin to consider what it means and get some thoughts in order for what you might say.

Three to five seconds is a pause – but if you need longer, take longer. There’s no rush in the viva. If you need to think more or consult in your thesis then tell your examiners.

Pause when you need to in the viva. Take your time to engage as well as you can.

Nathan

Snapshots

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Remember that if you ask someone about their viva you are going to get a picture of what happened, and not the event itself. Not all of the details will be clear and perhaps some of the things you really want to know will not be present in their story.

It’s like looking at someone else’s holiday photos. Holiday snapshots show things someone else noticed or were interested in. At first, talking about it might only give surface impressions, the short version of what happened.

Every viva story is a snapshot of an experience. A viva story doesn’t reveal everything and without context could even be confusing.  Ask about what you need to know. And ask the right people! It makes more sense to ask a few people from your own department about their viva than trawl the internet for lots of stories.

Figure out what you need to know to have more certainty for your viva and your preparations.

Nathan

Finding The Answer

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Lots of questions have answers.

Answers are things that are known: factually accurate, true or perhaps established as a logical argument with sufficient supporting reasons and information.

If you were asked a question and needed to find an answer in the viva there are lots of things you could do or try:

  • You could stop and remember the answer, or at least attempt to.
  • You could use a piece of paper and calculate something that leads to the answer.
  • You could stand up at a whiteboard and draw while you talk to explain the answer.
  • You could check your thesis to look for a piece of information that holds the answer.
  • You could ask a question of your examiners to help explore the situation.

Lots of questions have answers and if you are trying to find an answer in the viva there is a lot you could do to find it.

 

But not every question has an answer.

Some questions seek opinions. Some are hypothetical and explore a scenario – or how someone thinks about it. Some questions have an answer – and you might not know it. Some questions don’t have answers, but they are worth exploring all the same.

If a question has an answer you might be able to find it. If a question doesn’t then you can still engage with it.

Not every question has an answer, but every question asked at the viva is something you can engage with and respond to. If there’s an answer there then there’s plenty you can do to find it – and if there isn’t you still have an opportunity to demonstrate your work, your ability and your knowledge.

Nathan

Before Submission

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Viva prep comes after you’ve finished and submitted your thesis. Before submission your focus has to be on finishing your research and your thesis, with some attention reserved for life and your future beyond the PhD.

That’s not to say there aren’t useful viva-related things to do before submission. but they’re all small. They don’t really count as prep:

  • Read the regulations. Get a sense of the process at your university and the outcomes and timescales involved.
  • Plan your prep. You don’t need to get ready, but you can prepare to get ready! Sketch out how you will do it when the time comes.
  • Discuss your examiners with your supervisor. Who are they? Why are they good choices? Can you make suggestions?

The last task is bigger  but still a very small task compared to everything else you’ll do to get to submission. Suggest examiners if your supervisor asks, discuss why their choices are good ones for your viva if they are already set. You don’t get to formally choose examiners, but you can be sure of who they are and why they are good for you.

And apart from these three tasks: finish your research, finish your thesis and plan for life after the PhD.

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?

Nathan

Average Viva Lengths

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I once took survey responses from over 300 PhD graduates about their viva experiences. There was a lot of data and a lot of clusters within the data. Without being careful it would have been easy to share wrong ideas about what was “average” or “normal”.

What might average mean? If we added up all of the viva lengths and divided them by the number of people it came to around 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Was that average though? Was that normal? What could I share that was useful?

 

In the end, thinking more on the data and on what people asked me I came to share a few key points about the average viva length:

  • Every viva is unique, so knowing an “average” doesn’t help by itself.
  • Sharing a breakdown of percentages doesn’t help either, it’s too much!
  • Expectations are useful to help in preparation: so an expected length has to be useful.

Which leads me to say: expect your viva to be at least two hours, because around 50% of vivas are two hours or longer. Yours could be less, but if you expect it to be longer then you can prepare to engage for a long period of time. You can prepare to take your time – and if it’s shorter then at least you’ll be well-prepared, rather than simply hoping it is over quickly!

And perhaps we should dismiss the notion of “average” vivas completely. There are real expectations we can explore for the viva, but they cover ranges of experiences rather than simple numbers.

Nathan

Examiner Notes

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Do a little homework when your examiners are selected. Make notes on each of them and concentrate on the following questions and points:

  • Why were they asked to be your examiners? Knowing the relevance of their selection gives you helpful information.
  • What do you know about their work? Have you cited their work? Are you familiar with it? Are there recent publications that it might be useful to read?
  • What do you expect from them? What do you know about their reputations?
  • What questions might you expect from them? What could they want to know?

Gather your thoughts on who your examiners are, what they’ve done and what you can expect from them. Like any viva expectations, there’s no guarantee for what they will ask or think in the viva – but like any viva expectations you can be prepared to meet them and engage, whatever happens.

Nathan

Paint A Picture

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Every viva is different but knowing what to expect can help you to paint a picture for yourself.

Read the regulations, listen to stories and find out about norms in your department or discipline.

Your viva will be different from every other viva there has ever been – but not so different that you can’t recognise what to do to prepare and what to do on the day.

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