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Tag: viva prep

Nathan

Build Your Habits

Daily Post

Viva prep is work: a series of actions that steer you towards being ready for your examiners.

You can approach it as a finite project, setting out tasks and activities to a plan for yourself, but it might also help to think of it as a cluster of habits – regular tasks or processes to help you prepare.

  • You could, for example, get in to the habit of writing down questions about your research whenever they occur to you.
  • You could find a convenient ten minutes every day to write about your thesis contribution.
  • You could start a practice of looking at difficult parts of your thesis with an open mind, “What can I learn from this?”

We are the sum of our habits. The things we do often, good and bad, give us a foundation for how we approach whatever situations we find ourselves in.

What habits could you choose for viva prep? How can you steer yourself in a good way for your viva?

Nathan

A Few More Words

Daily Post

Annotation helps you to prepare in two ways.

First, you have to think carefully about your thesis while you add the notes or emphasis you need.

Second, you have a more helpful resource for your viva.

 

Annotation is effective when you do it in two stages.

First, think carefully about what you really need or want your thesis to have. What do you want to see or find more easily? Make a list.

Second, consider how you will do each of the items on the list in a clear and consistent way. How can you make your annotations simple so they don’t confuse you?

 

In the big picture view of viva prep, annotation is a few more words to add to your thesis to help you get ready. With a little thought it can be a relatively simple exercise to make your thesis better.

What do you need? How will you do it?

Nathan

Preparing For The Unknown

Daily Post

Your examiners will have a plan for what they want to talk about at your viva.

This isn’t a script. They’re not asking a set list of questions like a questionnaire. They’re using pre-prepared questions and points to prompt the discussion.

You might have some expectations. Based on past experiences of talking about your work or because of your research you might think, “I’ll probably be asked about…” or “I’ll bet they want to talk about…”

It’s reasonable to have hopes or expectations, but you still won’t know until you get to your viva and it’s happening. There’s lots you can do to be prepared for the unknown though:

  • Talk to friends about their experiences.
  • Talk to your supervisors about viva expectations.
  • Reflect on your contribution to think about what examiners might want to talk about.
  • Read your thesis to remind yourself of what you’ve done.
  • Practise for the viva by talking about your work or having a mock viva.

You won’t know what questions will be asked until you get to your viva, but doing any of the above will help you feel a little more ready for whatever questions your examiners do ask.

Nathan

The Right Tools

Daily Post

What do you need to take to your viva?

  • Your thesis. Annotated in advance, carefully read and available as a resource to help the discussion.
  • Pen and paper. Something to write on and something to write with, according to your own preferences.
  • Water. Something to drink as it’s unlikely your examiners or institution will provide refreshments.
  • Anything else? Depending on your research there might be a prototype or prop that you can show, or some accompanying materials. It depends!

You don’t need much in your viva. You need your thesis and some other basics will help.

The most important things you’re taking are your knowledge, your capability and your experience.

The right tools for the job.

Nathan

At A Distance

Daily Post

Ask for help when you’re getting ready for your viva. Talk to your friends and colleagues in your department. Get them to listen to you talk about your work or ask about their experiences. Get the benefit of their help!

…but what do you do if you don’t have a PGR community in your department? Or what do you do if you are a distance PhD and you don’t have close contacts in your department because it’s rare for you to be there?

If you are in a position where you don’t have close contacts for some reason there is still a lot of viva prep you can do by yourself. If you need advice or want to know about viva experiences you might have to reach out to others.

Start by emailing and introducing yourself. It’s likely that there are even a few people from your department or a related institution who you’re acquainted with. Start with them.

Explain your situation. Tell people when your viva is and what you’re looking for. Ask for advice if you think they might have it and be clear about the kind of support you’re looking for if that’s what you need.

You might be at a distance and you might be able to do a lot of prep by yourself – but that doesn’t mean that you are alone as you get ready.

Nathan

A Month To Prepare

Daily Post

I don’t advise every PhD candidate take a month to get ready for their viva but a month is a good place to start from when considering your plans.

Viva prep – the deliberate tasks someone does to get ready for their viva – takes between 20 and 30 hours for most candidates. Viva prep includes activities like reading your thesis, rehearsing for the viva, annotating and making notes, checking papers and any other practical task you can think of that might help.

Taking a month for viva prep means that 20 to 30 hours breaks down to half an hour or an hour most days. You might take days off, you might do more each day in the final week, but there is a lot of time to spread things out. There is space to change plans. There is wiggle room in case anything goes wrong.

Some people thrive with the pressure of a tighter deadline. Two weeks can be enough time to get ready for your viva, but with two weeks you are committing to one or two hours every day and there is less margin for error.

For your viva and your viva prep you have to decide what is best for you. I would recommend starting with a month, sketching out a plan taking into account your other responsibilities, then see how that feels.

Nathan

It’s Important To Stretch

Daily Post

Don’t rush into viva prep. Make sure you have everything you need and a plan to help you get through the work you need.

Do small tasks first. Check the regulations. Ask for help. Place bookmarks at the start of chapters.

Stretch! Do small things so you know you’re starting well and won’t crash as soon as you find something difficult or you have a bad day. Start small and build up to being ready for your viva.

Nathan

An Extra Day

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If you had an extra day to get ready for your viva, what would you do?

Would you spend a chunk of time reading your thesis again, just in case you missed something?

Perhaps you’d feel better if you sat down and talked with your supervisor some more.

Or you could consider gathering stationery and going over your thesis pages one more time just in case you can add something helpful.

 

One more day is a lot of time and you could complete a lot of helpful work – but given everything else you’ve done during your PhD and after submission, maybe you could just take the extra day as a chance to rest?

Nathan

Reward Your Progress

Daily Post

Viva prep is a necessary part of getting ready. No tasks are particularly difficult, but if you are already tired, busy or stressed with regular work and life, then they can seem like more chores to get done.

There are lots of things you could do to help you stay motivated:

  • Keep a to do list to cross off and show your progress;
  • Ask friends to keep you accountable by checking in with you;
  • Reward yourself for getting things done.

The last suggestion might be really helpful. Can you incentivise your own progress? What could you set up as a small treat for reading your thesis? Or for completing a mock viva? Would an extra break be enough or do you need something more tangible?

It’s not for everyone, but if you need the motivation to help with your viva prep, consider what you can do to reward your progress.

Nathan

Expect The Expected

Daily Post

Every viva is unique but no viva should be a great unknown.

Regulations and stories of viva experiences give a shape to the general process; departmental and disciplinary practices give some fine detail to specific viva norms. Taken together these give a general pattern of expectations: you can’t know exactly what will happen, but you can imagine something that the viva will tend towards.

Every viva is different, so you can expect the unexpected – a unique experience – but you can also expect your viva to be like others you’ve heard about in your preparations. You won’t know which details will follow the pattern exactly, or how closely, but unless your situation is very different from every other PhD candidate you can expect your viva to be similar to many past stories.

Every viva is unique but you can expect yours to follow expectations.

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