You Are Here

Tag: viva feelings

Nathan

Confidence Is A Practice

Daily Post

You can’t simply hope that you’ll feel confident for your viva. You have to practise at it.

What can you do?

  • You can put yourself in situations that give you experience and knowledge that you’re capable.
  • You can reflect on your past successes.
  • You can use different techniques – music, objects, reminders – to help you hold on to your confidence.
  • You can learn more about the viva to help see how you right you are for the situation.

Confidence isn’t a hope-based feeling. You can build it. You can cultivate it like a gardener, trying different things until you have what you need.

So what do you need to feel confident for your viva?

Nathan

The Wrong Way

Daily Post

If you’re worried about doing something wrong at your viva or in your prep then you’re probably fine.

But, to be sure:

  • Check your institution’s regulations for the viva.
  • Ask your friends how they got ready for their viva and what happened.
  • Check out a few posts on this site for advice.
  • Ask yourself why you might be doing something wrong and get at the root of the worry.

If you’re self-aware enough to think that you’re going in the wrong direction then you’re probably on track and nervous. Nervous simply means that you’re recognising the viva – correctly – as something that matters.

Nathan

Grading

Daily Post

I remember that for my Masters there were different grades that people could achieve: distinction, merit or pass.

They were sort of similar to undergraduate grade boundaries in terms of achievement. There were extra conditions like needing to get certain percentages for exams and projects but they were simple groupings more or less.

PhDs don’t typically have that. I’ve seen universities organise special prizes for achievement or recognition but that’s separate to the candidate’s research and viva.

With a PhD, typically you pass or fail.

Actually, typically, you pass: the success rate is almost 100%.

Corrections aren’t a kind of pass but rather a condition of success: you might be asked to make some small changes, amend typos and so on. Do the work and you’re done.

Your grade for your PhD, after years of work, is a simple pass. Success. Finished. Done.

So, if you were going to an exam that you knew you were almost certainly going to pass, what would you do to help your success? Perhaps more importantly, what will you do to help how you want to feel about your viva?

Nathan

The Company Of Anxiety

Daily Post

How do I deal with the company of anxiety?

I have been asked many, many questions about the viva and I’m still surprised by questions I’ve never been asked before.

Sometimes the surprise is a personal story that is raw or a shocking situation. Sometimes, as was the case last month, the surprise is a phrasing that simply connects and shares a truth.

 

How do I deal with the company of anxiety?

For the person who was asking, anxiety wasn’t a feeling. It wasn’t triggered by a single problem or doubt. It was constant. It was a companion.

Anxiety about the viva can’t be waved away. To push back I think we have to push on with it a little further first. Anxiety is uncomfortable and you might have to get a little more uncomfortable before you can get away from it.

Anxiety is the surface feeling of a problem. When you know what the problem is you can do something about it. To deal with the company of anxiety you have to figure out what’s causing it and then take steps to deal with the situation.

 

How do I deal with the company of anxiety?

Decide you don’t want to be around anxiety anymore. Get closer, figure out what’s really going on so you can work past the worries you’re feeling.

You don’t have to stay in the company of anxiety but you have to be willing and able to take action.

Nathan

Filter & Focus

Daily Post

How are you looking at your viva and viva prep?

Do you look at it as a lot of work? Or are you excited by the possibilities?

Are you only seeing problems? Can you find the highlights?

And how are you thinking about your examiners?

It’s worth taking a step back to think about any filters you might have when it comes to your viva and whether or not your focus is being drawn by anything. For example:

  • If you’re tired that can be a filter on anything you try to do.
  • If you know of a problem in your thesis or perceive an issue with an examiner that could be a focus.
  • And if you have heard viva horror stories then it’s going to be hard to focus on what really matters.

As you prepare for your viva, take a little time to step back from the work: what filters are stopping you from looking at your viva situation clearly? What’s drawing your attention and moving your focus?

If there is anything getting in the way then think about your next steps. Who do you turn to for support? What actions can you take to shift unhelpful filters or a difficult focus?

Nathan

Uncertainty & The Viva

Daily Post

There’s a tension between the structure of regulations and expectations versus the unique circumstances of your thesis and situation.

Your viva will be unique but not a total unknown. You can have confidence that the process is set up well and also be aware of what you won’t know until the day.

Uncertainty is the tension you feel. Uncertainty is probably the discomfort you feel.

You can’t get rid of it completely but you can ask questions, check things out, ask for help and get yourself ready.

Don’t let uncertainty drive you to worry. Acknowledge the tension and do anything you can to get certainty for the things you can be certain about. Then prepare for the things that will remain uncertain until viva time.

 

PS: you, your research, your thesis and your viva are all unique. Your upcoming viva experience is a deeply personal thing in how you feel, how you approach getting ready and how you engage on the day. There’s a lot to think about and if you’re looking for some help then please take a look at the latest issue of my viva help zine, Viva Survivors Select 13, The Personal Issue. I hope it helps.

Nathan

In The Mix

Daily Post

I often ask webinar participants how they’re feeling about their viva. I use a poll which allows people to pick one option or write in how they’re feeling.

  • Some say they’re excited. They’re quite rare!
  • A lot of people say they feel uncertain or unprepared.
  • The majority of people say they feel nervous, anxious or worried about their viva – and most of those people say nervous.
  • Also: nervous is really common whether someone is days, weeks or months away from their viva.

I’ve been thinking lately that I need to update the poll to allow people to give more than one response. Candidates can feel a mix of things all at once: they feel excited and nervous. They might feel like they’re unprepared right now but confident they’ll be OK in the end.

What’s your mix of emotions like? If you feel a little negative then maybe you have to consider how to change that state. If you feel something positive then think about how to hold on to it and maybe build on it. And if you are feeling a mix then think about how the positive can offset the negative.

What steps could help you to feel better about your mix of viva feelings?

Nathan

Problems & Situations

Daily Post

This is another post inspired by Seth Godin. He’s inspired me a lot over the years; it was his example of publishing a daily blog that encouraged me to do the same with Viva Survivors.

 

If you have a Problem then you can find a Solution. A Problem is a thing that can be resolved in some way. There might already be a Solution or several of them. It might be that you have to find a Solution.

However you come to it, a Problem has a Solution.

If there’s no Solution then you have a Situation: that doesn’t make it less real but rather than resolve it like a Problem you have to find a way to endure it. Otherwise you’ll just obsess and stress.

 

A viva-related Problem is something like your supervisor not being available to give you a mock viva. That’s a Problem: you could maybe arrange it at a different time, you could ask your second supervisor instead or you could have some other kind of practice. There are Solutions.

A viva-related Situation could be not having your first choice for your external examiner. That’s not a Problem because you can’t change it. It’s a Situation and you have to find a way to feel better about it. You could talk more with your supervisor, read up on your external examiner or maybe do some special prep – it won’t solve things but you’ll be better for your efforts.

There are lots of viva-related feelings and circumstances that give rise to Problems and Situations. Whatever the circumstances make sure you correctly identify what you’re dealing with and then work towards resolving it however you can.

Whether you have a viva-related Problem or a viva-related Situation you have work to do.

Nathan

A New Opportunity

Daily Post

The viva is a new opportunity to talk about your research and your thesis. It’s similar to other times during your PhD but also unlike anything else you will have faced so far.

  • It’s similar to past discussions, meetings and presentations – and on a topic that you know a lot about – so your past experiences can really help you rise to the challenge.
  • It’s different to other challenges you’ve overcome so a little preparation will be necessary to be ready for the challenge you’ll face.

The viva is a new opportunity so it’s to be expected that you’ll feel a mix of nervous and confident about what might happen. Draw on your past experience and take time to make yourself ready for the challenge.

Nathan

Separating Out Feelings

Daily Post

In my local area we’ve recently moved to separating food waste from our rubbish. Pre-sorting in our homes makes for a better waste management situation. There’s been grumbling and resistance from some but for the most part I think people realise it’s a good thing to do.

As with so many things in my life, encountering this new situation made me think of the viva!

It made me think of all the feelings that someone might feel ahead of their viva. There can be a lot of mixed emotions as the viva draws near. It helps to sort and separate them. Different feelings require different actions:

  • If you feel worried then you have to ask yourself why. When you know the root of the problem you can do something about it.
  • If you feel unsure then you have to decide who to ask for help, whether that’s your supervisor, a friend or simply a webpage provided by your institution.
  • If you feel unprepared then you have to take action. There are a great many things you can do to improve your preparedness.
  • If you feel confident then you have to hold on to it. What can you do to build your confidence up even more?

Separate out your feelings as you work towards your viva. Respond to the negative and recycle them for positive actions and feelings. Take the positive to one side and build on them.

1 2 3 … 17