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Tag: viva prep

Nathan

Unnecessary Prep

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You don’t need to work from dawn until dusk every day between submission and the viva in order to get ready.

You don’t need to read and re-read your thesis multiple times. You don’t need to check every paper you’ve cited or considered.

You don’t need to find every typo or amend every clunky sentence. You don’t need to fill the margins of each page with notes and reminders.

You don’t need to scan through lists of questions and worry about what you might be asked.

And you don’t need to be perfect or obsess about now becoming better.

 

Viva prep helps you get ready for the particular challenge of the viva. It’s a short period of time to reflect, remember and rehearse. The goals are quite small. The need is not so great. You have to prepare, but the work you’ve done so far already carries you a long way.

Nathan

A Series Of Steps

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You take a PhD one day at a time. Read, write, test, think and do it all again. Day by day you work through the journey.

You take viva prep one task at a time. Read, write, think, talk: each task brings you closer to the viva.

You take the viva one question at a time. Pause, think, respond, then on to the next point. Each question is an opportunity for you to demonstrate something about your research and yourself.

Step by step, each one bringing you closer to success.

Nathan

Not Noticed

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Twenty minutes before my first webinar of the autumn I realised that I couldn’t close my office door.

The panel from the side of the bath was in the way, leaning just beside the door. I had taken it off two months earlier to fix a leak and never quite got around to putting it back. I’d become so used to it being there that I no longer noticed it when I was passing through the doorway.

I spent two hurried minutes jiggling and fiddling with it to get it back into place on the side of the bath where it belonged. Then I washed my hands, took a deep breath and it was time for the webinar.

My bath panel is pretty big but it was only a little problem to resolve. It was stressful in that moment because of the urgency. It would have been far better to look around in the previous days (or weeks!) and sort it out sooner.

 

Little problems can be overcome once we notice them. Little problems in your thesis or your research are less stressful to resolve before the viva than in your viva. While you can’t just prime yourself to notice what you’ve not noticed previously, you can work carefully during your viva prep to look for little problems.

  • Read your thesis without skimming. What do you see? Typos aren’t a problem because they don’t require you to come up with a solution. A clunky sentence might be a problem. How do you make it clearer? A forgotten topic is a problem. What can you do to refresh your memory?
  • Ask for considered feedback when you rehearse. Your friend not understanding you is a problem. How can you explain your point better? Your supervisor disagreeing with you is a problem. How can you explore the issue?

A clunky passage in your thesis or a misunderstanding in the viva will not lead to your failure. Little problems are little, but remember: little problems are less stressful to resolve before the viva than in your viva. By working to spot what you’ve not noticed before you can pre-emptively fix things – or give yourself more practice solving little problems for the viva.

Nathan

Good Question!

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I listen to podcasts while I wash the dishes. It’s my little bit of “me time” in a busy day!

Recently, while scrubbing away at a pan I was struck by how often someone being interviewed began their response by saying, “That’s a good question…” They said it a lot, and every time they sounded very sincere and genuine – almost delighted to have been asked.

Many years ago in a short presentation skills seminar I was told that saying “that’s a good question” was a good way to stall and play for time to think. It could help to create a good impression and – as a presenter – engage with the person asking the question.

All those things can be true but stood in my kitchen with my hands covered in bubbles it hit me that it was also a really positive attitude to take into the viva.

 

Now, I don’t mean that every time your examiners ask something, you have to smile and say, “That’s a good question!”

But rather than worry in advance about what might come up, or ponder in the moment what your examiners could mean, just think that all of the questions you will be asked will be good questions.

Every single one.

Good because the topic is good.

Good because they get you to talk about something great.

Good because they challenge you.

Good because they highlight something that needs to be talked about.

Good because they help you get one step closer to the end of your viva and passing.

Your role in the viva is to engage with the discussion and respond to questions. Will some of them be tough? Probably – but start with the idea that they will all be good to give yourself a helpful way to engage throughout your viva.

Nathan

Just After Submission

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At submission, a PhD candidate won’t typically know when their viva is going to be. There’s a period when they’ll wait to find out the date and time for their viva. In the UK it’s common for the viva to be anywhere from six weeks to three months after thesis submission.

A candidate might feel pressure to do something just after submission – from nerves, wondering or hoping – but there’s generally not a great need to start preparing immediately. Viva prep is a different kind of work to what one does to get a thesis finished. The wait after submission can be useful as a break or gear change – a boundary between submission and prep.

Perhaps all you need just after submission is to take a moment. Deep breath. Make a few notes. What will you do for your prep? How will you do it? Sketch a simple plan. Then put it into action when you know your viva date.

After submission, generally, you can relax a little. The hardest work is done. You could be busy – it’s unlikely that your PhD is your only responsibility in life – but at least, for a short time, maybe you can put your research to one side and do something to help yourself rest.

Nathan

You Are Enough

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You don’t have to work every hour of every day to prepare for your viva.

You don’t have to be word perfect in your viva to succeed.

You don’t have to be perfect.

You can be you and that’s enough.

Nathan

Warming Up

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How will you warm up on the day of your viva? You might not need to perform vocal exercises or physically stretch, but you could:

  • Read through a summary of your thesis one more time.
  • Check that you have everything packed in your bag.
  • Select a special outfit to wear.
  • Rehearse using your computer and software if you have a video viva.
  • Chat with your supervisor if there’s one more point to be sure of.
  • Write something to get any thoughts or feelings out of your head.

Or you could simply sit down with a cup of tea or coffee and wait for the right time to arrive.

Nathan

Have A Break

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Have a break when you submit your thesis. Give yourself space to rest.

Have a break now and then when you prepare for your viva. You don’t need to cram everything into one hectic period of activity.

Have a break during your viva if you need one or if you’re offered. Take your time to make sure you keep performing at your best.

No-one else is going to make sure that you look after yourself or check you’re working at your best. There’s more you can do, but at a minimum have a break!

Nathan

Daily Confidence

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I worry about my viva every day…

These were the first words I saw in the chat window during a viva help webinar when I asked for questions. In a few short sentences the person described how they couldn’t help it: they felt nervous and worried every day when they thought about their upcoming viva.

There are useful big picture things that could help – learning about what to expect, preparing for the viva, talking to friends – but nervousness for the viva can persist regardless.

Feeling nervous is not always an easy thing to switch off, but building confidence can help; confidence doesn’t eliminate nervousness, but it does help to put it into perspective.

The person in my webinar worried every day. I wonder what might happen if they did something for their confidence every day?

What would happen if you did something every day for your confidence? For example, you could:

  • Reflect on the contribution in your thesis.
  • Bookmark a page in your thesis that you’re proud of.
  • Create a playlist of music that helps you to feel confident.
  • Tell someone about your research.
  • Make a list of successes from your PhD.

Worrying and feeling nervous are perfectly human responses to big, important events. They can become habitual though, a recurring issue to be dealt with. Rather than wait for them to arrive, invest in a daily practice to build your confidence.

Nathan

Want And Won’t

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To organise your viva prep think about what you want to do and what you won’t do.

You want to read your thesis but you won’t obsessively re-read it.

You want to make a note of typos but you won’t go looking for them.

You want to know about your examiners but you won’t read every paper they’ve ever published.

You want to feel ready for your viva but you won’t over-invest your time.

You want to respond well to questions in the viva but you won’t do that by scripting lots of responses in advance.

You want to feel confident but you probably won’t be able to eliminate nerves completely.

 

You want to do well in your viva. You won’t have to do much in preparation for that outcome.

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