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Tag: viva feelings

Nathan

What’s Your Problem?

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Whenever something viva-related is tricky, confusing or makes you feel negative, your first step is to figure out what the problem is.

What makes this hard? What don’t you understand? Why are you feeling this way?

Once you know what the problem is you can start to do something about it. You could work to make the tricky more simple, the confusing more clear or act to change how you’re feeling. You can ask others to help and even if the problem is big you can take a small step in the right direction.

The work ahead might not be easy, but it’s easier than just trying to cope with stress at your viva. Once you can explain the nature of the problem clearly then you can start to do something about it.

 

(of course, this kind of thinking applies outside of the viva too!)

Nathan

Prep Powers

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What viva superpower would you like?

It might be nice to have Mega-Memory and have perfect recall of every piece of information. Would you prefer to have some kind of Precognition, able to hear your examiners’ questions in your mind hours ahead of time? Or perhaps you’d like Invisibility to hide from questions you don’t want to face?

 

Of course, you won’t be superhuman as a result of viva prep – but you don’t need to be.

Prep helps you to be ready. Building confidence helps you to be certain.

You don’t need to be superhuman but if you can find confidence you have a superpower: the ability to understand what nervousness is and what it means. Your viva is important and you want it to go well. That’s all.

Nathan

Shifting Feelings

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“Don’t be nervous.”

“Cheer up.”

“You don’t have to worry.”

These are nice sentiments ahead of the viva, usually very well-intentioned. If only feeling better were as simple as stopping nerves or putting a smile on your face.

 

Maybe it’s not a lot harder. You can’t shift feelings directly but you can take action to change your mood. Reading over a chapter could help lower nerves you’ll forget something. A mock viva could make you happier for talking to your examiners. Reading the regulations could help you realise you don’t have to worry.

If you need to shift your feelings in some way for your viva you have to do something.

How do you feel? How do you want to feel? What will you do?

Nathan

Understanding Limitations

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Every PhD journey has limits.

In research you might call them constraints. They could have been necessary choices. You might have found them frustrating at the time and their consequences could be disappointing depending on their impact.

 

Limitations can also be a gift: a constraining factor helps narrow possibilities for action. They could help when faced with overwhelming options.

When it’s time to get ready for your viva, understanding the limitations you face – in time, circumstances and even your preferences – can help you to plan out your prep and get the work done.

 

Reflect on your research and PhD limitations to help you explain and explore your research.

Unpick your limitations when it’s time to get ready to help you plan and do the essential work of viva prep.

Nathan

Symbols & Signs

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There are many elements of the PhD journey and the viva process that are symbols or signs. Some you need and some you don’t. Some you can choose and some you can’t.

  • A completed thesis is a symbol of the work of your PhD.
  • An annotated thesis is a sign that you have taken time to prepare and get ready for your viva.
  • A piece of paper with questions held in your external examiner’s hand is a sign of the respect that they have shown your work.
  • The outfit you choose for your viva can be a symbol to help how you want to feel.

For the symbols and signs you can’t choose, remember what they really mean. For the ones you can – and particularly for the ones that have an impact on you – choose carefully.

Nathan

Worries Are Human

Daily Post

Viva worries are a very typical, human response to an important situation.

It doesn’t mean that something is necessarily wrong. Given the journey that leads to the viva, the known and imagined aspects of the exam and the hoped-for outcome, feeling worried is a very natural response.

It’s also a first response: a first feeling upon thinking about the situation.

You can do more than just worry: you can ask for help, learn more about the viva and generally take steps to get ready. You can take action get past worry.

 

Worry doesn’t come from nowhere. Something prompts it.

Worry isn’t the end either. You can do something about it when it finds you generally – and you can do something specifically to help with your viva.

So, if you feel worried, what will you do?

Nathan

Uncomfortable But OK

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Your viva might be uncomfortable at times. Engaging with the discussion. Taking your time. Thinking and responding to questions you hadn’t considered. Simply the act of being there, being examined on something that you have invested years of work in.

Remember though:

  • You can know what to expect from your viva.
  • You can prepare and feel ready.
  • You can build your confidence to help with your nerves.

You can be uncomfortable, but you’ll be OK. Learn what to expect, prepare and build your confidence.

Nathan

Sooner Or Later

Daily Post

“It’s never too late to find out more, but you might have felt better if you’d found out sooner.”

There are many parts to the viva process: expectations, regulations, culture, ideas for prep and confidence and more. Right up until the moment you enter the viva you have opportunities to do something to help you feel more ready and better about the viva.

You don’t need to do everything and you don’t need to rush to do it all now. You can make a difference a day, an hour or a minute before your viva.

But you might feel better if you did something sooner.

 

PS: One thing that might help you feel better about your viva is to make a summary as part of your viva preparations. Summaries help you to focus, to think ahead about what you’ll need to talk about in the viva and can help you reflect on the best parts of your PhD and research. Summaries are also the topic of this month’s Viva Survivors Select, out now and available via my Payhip store 🙂

Nathan

Why Worry?

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You’re not wrong to worry about your viva.

A PhD takes a long time. Postgraduate research culture builds the viva up as some monumental event. The outcome – even when it is overwhelmingly positive for most people – is such a big thing that wanting to pass can lead to worries for all sorts of reasons.

What will your examiners say? Will you be OK? How long will it be? Will they be fair? Will your viva be fair for you and your needs?

And just what will happen?

Even though most vivas are a matter of a few hours, your viva is a big deal.

You’re not wrong to worry about your viva.

 

But…

…what will you do about it?

Worry doesn’t have to be the end. If you feel worried, nervous, anxious, scared or unsure then there’s a reason for it. By knowing the reason you can then start to make the situation better for yourself.

Ask for help. Take steps. Prepare and get ready.

You’re not wrong to worry about your viva.

If you are worried, what are you going to do?

Nathan

Looking Forward

Daily Post

I didn’t think my viva would be terrible but I also wasn’t thinking, “I can’t wait!”

Looking back 17 years, I could best describe my feelings in the days leading up as resigned.

I guess I have to do this.

I slept only a few hours the night before. At the time I couldn’t understand that sleeplessness. I had never experienced insomnia in that way. Afterwards I came to believe it was connected with not really knowing what to expect from the viva experience and not feeling like I was a good candidate.

 

It’s only recently that I’ve realised just how connected those two thoughts might be.

How can you feel like you’re a good candidate if you don’t know what to expect?

If you’ve no idea then you can’t know if you’re good enough.

 

If any of this resonates with you I think your next steps are clear.

  • Find out what to expect. There are regulations to check and people who you can ask to learn more about viva experiences.
  • Remind yourself of what you’ve done and what that means. You’ll see that your capability is more than enough to meet the requirements of the viva.

If you know what the viva is and are sure of who you are then the experience can definitely be something to look forward to.

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