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Tag: viva feelings

Nathan

Maybe & Definitely

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Maybe you didn’t get all of the results you were hoping for.

Maybe writing your thesis was harder than you expected.

Maybe your external examiner isn’t the person you would have picked.

Maybe there’s something tricky in your third chapter that you find hard to remember.

And, who knows, maybe your viva will be longer than you would like.

 

Definitely: You did the work. There are regulations and expectations that create a knowable viva process. You can take time to prepare in a way that helps you. Your examiners will be known well in advance of your viva. You have time to get ready.

 

Every viva has maybes. Whatever maybes you can think of for yours, these are more than covered by the things that you will know and can do definitely.

Nathan

The Ideal Viva

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Defining an ideal viva is really tricky.

Do we start from the outline descriptions that emerge from considering the regulations? Or base our idea on the general expectations that rise from the many stories of viva experiences?

Would it be better to take notes from a candidate and see what they want? Or follow the experience of examiners and allow them to set out what a good viva would be like?

There could be more perspectives to take onboard too. These four alone make for an interesting collage of ideas. If you’re reading this post I’d assume you’re most likely a PhD candidate. What does this mean for you? Is it even possible to figure out anything related to the ideal viva?

Maybe it’s as simple as this: learn all that you can. Read the regulations and learn about expectations so you have a good sense of perspective of the general viva. Explore what examiners do to get a sense of what a good viva might be for them.

And finally explore what you want or need from your viva. If that aligns closely with everything else you’ve learned then great! But if not, what do you do?

 

PS: one thing you could do, if you’re trying to find out more about what to expect, is take a look at the second issue of Viva Survivors Select. This is my monthly pdf zine sharing curated collections of writing from the Viva Survivors archive. The Uncertainty Issue was released two weeks ago and contains advice, practical suggestions and reflections to help with a lot of viva uncertainty.

And if you’re looking for even more help the first issue is still available and The Preparation Issue is due on Wednesday 11th June! 🙂

Thanks for reading.

Nathan

Hammer Time

Daily Post

I bought a hammer for a job – and then remembered the rusty nails sticking out of the fence. I could use the back of the hammer to hook and pull them out. Then I remembered the chest that needed breaking for recycling. I could use the hammer! When a screw wouldn’t bite in the pre-drilled hole of a flatpack bookcase I used the hammer to start it off.

Soon every little fix around the house looks like it needs a hammer. More and more I thought, “What can I use this for?” Sometimes it was helpful and sometimes it wasn’t.

 

Worry is a hammer. Worrying about the viva is applied too liberally. A tiny thought or question in the run-up to the viva isn’t acted on – instead it’s worried about.

  • “I found a typo, I’d better worry about it.”
  • “I’m not sure what vivas are like, I’ll worry about it.”
  • “I don’t know exactly what my examiners will ask so I’ll worry.”

That’s not to say that there are no viva situations that are worry-free, but it doesn’t have to be the first thought or feeling. It doesn’t have to be the last. If you worry you can do something to move beyond. You can always work past worry to a better state.

It’s easy to jump to worry when there’s a problem. Remember: other tools are available and you are very talented.

Nathan

The Next Time

Daily Post

Frame your viva as the next challenge of your PhD.

It might even be the last challenge of your PhD. It’s certainly not the first. You’ve overcome many others to get this far.

Remind yourself of the challenges that you’ve passed. What made them difficult? What did you do to get past them? Exploring a difficult situation might initially remind you of stress but steer yourself to focus on the positives: look for evidence of your talent and effort to help drive a growing confidence.

While your viva could be last challenge of your PhD it won’t be your last challenge ever. As you finish your PhD journey consider what you’re taking with you. What can you apply from your PhD to all of your future challenges? How much better will you be for this process?

 

PS: if you’re looking for help as you get ready for this challenge then check out Viva Survivor, my upcoming live webinar on Wednesday 25th June. I have delivered this session to PhD candidates all around the UK at the request of doctoral colleges, but this is only the third time I’ve opened up registration. Viva Survivor is a 3-hour live webinar, you receive a catch-up recording and follow-up materials all about the viva, viva prep and getting ready. Do take a look and see if it could help you! 

Nathan

Unique?

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Every viva is unique – because every candidate, research project and thesis are unique.

Every viva follows expectations – because there are regulations, academic processes and culture that inform the behaviour, actions and responses of examiners and candidates.

It’s possible to hold on to both of these ideas and embrace the tension that exists between them both.

Your viva will be unique and you won’t know some of what will happen until it does AND your viva will follow the pattern of many others that have come before.

Nathan

What Will You Do?

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Hypothetical situations can be inherently stressful. We don’t like to think about them because we know that they’re not real right now – but know that they could be.

For example:

  • What will you do if you don’t get all of the results you are hoping for?
  • What will you do if you find a problem in your thesis after submission?
  • What will you do if you feel short on time and your viva is very soon?
  • What will you do if you’re in the viva and your examiner asks a question that feels instantly tough?

Whenever you’re faced with a situation like one of these you might feel overwhelmed or worried or confused. That’s a typical human response to a potentially stressful situation.

Whatever you feel you then have to decide: what will you do?

In some ways, the real point is that you can decide. You feel whatever you feel and then you can do something. You can choose in a moment of stress and uncertainty just as you have through all of the other moments of your PhD journey.

You can do something. There is always something you can do.

Nathan

Everything But That

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“I don’t want to talk about my methods chapter.”

“I’m ready for any questions except something about my bibliography!”

“Please, please don’t let them ask about my interpretation of that paper…”

“I will be OK so long as……”

 

Sound familiar? If any resonate with how you feel about your viva and talking with your examiners then you are most definitely not alone.

You’re perfectly rational: the process and pressures of the viva could easily make anyone nervous about needing to talk about a particular something. It might even make them stressed.

What do you do? If a possible question makes you feel nervous or stressed before the viva, what are you going to do?

You could review part of your thesis, talk with a friend, make some notes, read a paper or ask your supervisor to bring it up in a mock viva.

If there’s something that troubles you then there’s something you could do.

Consider your options and make a choice. Don’t stop at feeling nervous or stressed.

Nathan

Generous Questions

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I often thank people in webinars for “generous questions” that they ask.

Typically these are questions that cover a sensitive topic or difficult area for them. It might be something they would struggle to talk about in another context or if it was outside the private space of the webinar chat.

I often call these generous questions because they allow me to talk about difficult things. Without exception and despite the specifics for that person, the questions are always related to broader topics that concern others.

  • The specific question about a regulation worry can be addressed for that person and for others who will be worried.
  • The question about what to do about a mock viva with a challenging supervisor can be explored and we can look at other options for everyone.
  • Not knowing how to respond to particular criticism or disagreement can be widened out for all present.

Another thing that’s quite common in webinars but which happens in real life as well is people apologising for “silly questions” or “questions that might not matter much” or “questions that are difficult”.

Of course, these apologies aren’t necessary – in fact the questions themselves are necessary because they can help the person asking to find some peace or next actions to take, assuming that they’re asking the right person.

If you have a question, ask it. And if the response can be applied more broadly than your particular circumstances then please pass it on.

Nathan

Associations

Daily Post

Eggs. Hot cross buns. Hills. Rabbits. Sunrise.

Easter has a lot of associations. These come from religion and tradition but also from the specific associations that build up in families.

It’s a recurring tradition in our family that we organise little treasure hunts at Easter – I’m not sure how common that is in the UK!

 

The viva has strong meanings for lots of people, whether or not they’ve had one. What associations are you aware of? When you’re getting ready it’s important to unpick what you think and feel about the viva. Why do you think that? Who told you? Why do you feel that way?

Associations can be generally true expressions of viva expectations. Equally they might be part of the local culture in your department, the way things are done in your discipline – or the result of learning of a single bad experience of someone else.

Unpick the associations you have when you think about your upcoming viva. Make sure that the story you’re telling yourself is accurate and helpful.

Nathan

Beliefs Lead To Actions

Daily Post

What happens if you believe your examiners are going to be harsh with you?

What happens if you believe the viva is a tough process?

What happens if you believe you’re going to forget something important?

You won’t be more likely to fail, but if you believe the viva will be harsh or tough then you’re going to act accordingly.

You’ll be on alert in your prep, looking for problems instead of looking for progress; you’ll be cautious in the viva, wondering when the bad questions will come. If you worry about forgetting you’ll be watching yourself and distracted from simply engaging with the discussion.

Your beliefs about the viva have an impact on how you approach it. Sometimes they place limits where there don’t need to be.

What happens if you believe that you’ve done enough? What happens if you believe you’re good enough?

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