Daily viva help for PhDs
Happy to be there?
Happy to be discussing your research with your examiners?
Happy that your viva day has arrived?
Happy that it will all be done soon?
Happy to have made a contribution?
Happy to be starting something else soon?
The viva could means lots of different things. Can you be happy in some way that you’ve arrived at this almost-end to your PhD journey?
Defending your thesis at your viva does not mean shielding it from harm or arguing aggressively.
(attack is not the best form of defence)
To defend your thesis well you need to know your thesis and research well. You need to know your field. You need to be a good, capable researcher. You need to know a little about your examiners. You need to have rehearsed for the viva with some kind of practice at responding to questions.
And all of these things are neither unreasonable to expect of you or too burdensome to satisfy during your PhD and prep time. You don’t need any aspect to be perfect.
To defend your thesis you need to do the work, be a good researcher and show up ready.
Defending your research doesn’t need to be more complicated than that.
We can’t really talk about the average viva. We could calculate mean lengths, modal questions asked and so on, but it wouldn’t amount to much.
There’s far too much variety in research for us to make claims about a normal viva either. There are norms within disciplines and departments that arise from specific practices, but they have to be explored by candidates in their communities.
The typical viva is knowable though.
It’s typical to have two examiners, one internal and one external. It’s typical for a viva to be between two and three hours in length. It’s typical to expect everyone present to be prepared. The most common outcome for the viva is minor corrections.
Average makes the viva sound predictable (and dull). Normal implies there is a “right” process for all vivas. Typical reminds us that there are common expectations. Neither normal or average, they just are.
Be aware that there’s a chance your viva won’t be amazing.
It’s likely it won’t be terrible or exhausting. It’s highly improbable for your examiners to be unprofessional or unfair. And it’s certainly true that the viva can be an enjoyable experience.
But it could be just OK.
Fine.
So-so.
Meh.
I’m glad that lots of candidates enjoy their viva. I’m sad that some people, like me, feel their viva is an anticlimax. I don’t know what can be done to set expectations for the emotional experience that candidates might have.
At the very least consider it as a possibility.
There’s a good chance you will enjoy your viva! It’s unlikely you will hate it. But it could end up just OK.
Still, you’ll have passed. Then you can move on to the next step of your journey.
95% of vivas are finished by the four-hour mark.
I estimate that less than one-in-ten candidates will be asked to prepare a presentation.
Around 85% of candidates are asked to complete minor corrections to their thesis as the formal outcome of the viva.
Approximately 10% could be told the outcome of the viva as they start the exam.
And as useful as these statistics can be sometimes for shaping expectations, they’re also really hard to give someone a game plan for the viva. Lots of overlapping ideas – and while they create a feeling to hope for or engage with, you can’t know what is going to happen until you’re there.
The statistics help but you can’t play that game. You have to focus much more simply.
Use the stats and the stories of friends to create a picture of the viva that honestly seems fine. Then do your best. Create the best thesis you can. Prepare as best you can. Boost your confidence as best you can. Start the viva well. Keep going.
It’s important to have good expectations for the viva but the numbers can be a distraction. Create good expectations for yourself too.
Friends who have recently had a viva in your department are good to ask about what to expect. Listening to their stories can give you certainty for your viva.
There’s great variety generally when it comes to viva experiences; local knowledge of your department’s practices can both shape your expectations and help you to prepare. By asking the right questions you can get the information that will be most useful to you.
If you ask only one person then you might hear a helpful story that puts the viva in perspective. If you ask several people you might spot patterns in the structure of vivas in your department. Perhaps your department has a certain way of doing things. Knowing that information could really put you at ease.
Don’t simply ask a friend, “How was it?”
Go deeper. Ask more to help yourself more.
If I had a pound for every time someone told me they were surprised they enjoyed their viva I would probably have a very healthy savings account. When I share stories of success and enjoyment with candidates they are surprised. They’ve heard that vivas are OK or that most people pass, but don’t know that they can be good.
With candidates and graduates being surprised by this we have a problem!
So what can we do?
Candidates can find out more about what to expect to get a better sense of the reality of the viva. Graduates, surprised or not, can share their stories more widely. Vivas aren’t perfect, but they are more often enjoyed than awful.
Questions about viva expectations often lead towards the UnWords.
It’s human to expect the worst. It’s normal given the rumours, myths and half-truths told about the viva for a PhD candidate to expect the worst. It doesn’t match the reality though.
Examiners have regulations and training in mind to make sure they’re fair. You can take time to be ready. Examiners are looking for engagement rather than answers. They’ve no interest in being unkind.
It’s natural to ask questions about the PhD viva. Thankfully the answers you’ll find will generally lead you away from expecting the worst.
In principle you can invite your supervisor to your viva. It’s up to you, there are plenty of benefits.
These are all possible benefits from your supervisor being at your viva – but you still might not want them there. It might feel too uncomfortable. The idea of it might make you nervous.
It’s not a bad idea to have them present but it might not be a good idea for you.
Say yes if you need some of the benefits. Say no if you need that space for yourself.
It could be that, like me, having to wait for something means your thoughts turn to asking “What if…?” These questions aren’t always helpful for keeping calm or confident. Sometimes they even prompt nervousness. They could be natural to ask, but seriously unhelpful in those moments.
Before or after the viva, wherever you are, there’s a good chance that you’ll need to wait.
Waiting to start, waiting while your examiners talk afterwards. Wait to get going or wait for it to be done and the result known. Waiting might simply feel uncomfortable or it could spark anxious questions, depending on your temperament and how you feel in those situations.
If you know you feel uncomfortable in those situations, what could you do?
By now, I’m pretty confident when I deliver a presentation or seminar, but I still get nervous waiting. So I have a routine that starts things off. I have a small series of tasks to calm me and engage me while the time ticks down. I have music that I listen to which connects me with the work I’m about to do.
What could you do? Is there something you could listen to before your viva that might help? Is there a series of steps you could take to keep you calm? A process for setting up your space that would help you?
And afterwards, if you’re at home or your university, what could you do while waiting for your examiners to finish their discussions? Could you go for a short walk? Make a drink? Talk to someone?
You’ll most likely have to wait on the day of your viva. What can you do to feel comfortable in those moments?