Daily viva help for PhDs
You can’t have perfect recall.
A mock viva won’t make you bulletproof to a difficult question.
Notes and summaries won’t cover everything.
Remember that perfection isn’t the point of preparation.
Prepare to become prepared.
Read, revise and rehearse to be ready.
It’s not a good idea to have a script for the viva. You can’t take such detailed notes in that you are effectively quoting pre-prepared responses. Besides, there are so many possible questions and variations of questions that to even attempt detailed notes would be foolish.
You can read in the viva though: your thesis is your companion in the exam, a faithful friend that has everything you need, right there for you to use.
You might not have all the answers; your thesis might not either. But to help you respond you can read, check, quote and find things. Scripted answers won’t help you in your viva, but reading your thesis will.
If you’re looking for some help reflecting on your research ahead of the viva, consider reading one of the chapters in your thesis and then respond to the following questions:
There’s a lot more that you could do to get ready for the viva than simply consider the valuable, the interesting, the vague and the questions someone might ask. To start reflection these four words can be very useful – and very easy to remember when you spot the acronym they make!
I always make sure I have a plan for Monday before I stop work for the weekend. It helps me to motivate myself at the start of the week.
Whenever I’m about to wash the dishes I check to see if there’s any leftover hot water in the kettle from the last cup of tea. Even a small amount can save some water and gas from running our boiler.
I use a piece of software called TextExpander to help with regular writing tasks. Simple keyboard shortcuts create strings of social media tags, my email signature – even whole emails for sending to university finance departments! It saves a lot of time.
I love life hacks and little things that save time or effort. I don’t have anything like that to offer for the viva. Everything you need to do for the viva takes exactly the time or effort needed. You can’t shortcut reading or annotating. You can’t write a summary using an easy method. A mock viva can’t be halved with one weird trick – and neither can the real viva!
There are small viva prep tasks – sticking in bookmarks to your thesis, making lists and the like – but these aren’t hacks. There’s no room for shortcuts – and no need for them either.
Take your time. There’s no need to rush. There’s no need to work smarter or harder.
Use the opportunity of the submission period to get ready for the viva, and use the viva to succeed.
In preparation for your viva consider the old and the new.
The old:
The new:
Reflect and draw out valuable ideas about your research; explore for yourself how you have grown as a researcher. There’s a lot to unpick about your journey, your research and how you have got it done. Take time to reflect and prepare before your viva.
When you sit down to read your thesis for the first time after submission try to do the following:
Reading your thesis is probably the first step in your plan of viva preparation. Make the most of the opportunity to start well.
Every viva is unique.
Some vivas are long, some are short, but most fall within a certain range. Some vivas start with a presentation, some with the candidate being told they’ve passed, but most begin with a simple question to start the discussions. Some candidates are excited, some are unprepared, but most are nervous-but-ready for the hours ahead. Some candidates get no corrections, some resubmit their thesis, but the vast majority are simply asked to complete minor corrections.
A variety of viva experiences leads to a range of expectations. There are lots of things that could happen: thankfully there are patterns of experience that stand out. Expect to be in your viva for several hours and expect questions that prompt discussion. Expect that you will be ready-but-nervous (or nervous-but-ready!) and expect that you will have to make some changes to your thesis afterwards.
Your viva will be unique but cannot be a total unknown. Understanding the range of expectations for the viva process can help you to prepare for whatever happens.
It’s necessary to read your thesis in preparation for the viva. You don’t need to memorise your work, but it helps to have a good recall of the flow of your thesis to make using it in the viva easier.
Annotating your thesis or writing summaries are helpful for viva preparation, and have the added benefit that they have to be done actively. You can’t write a summary without being engaged with your work. You can’t annotate your thesis without being switched on and reviewing what’s there.
You can pass time skimming your thesis, but that won’t help your prep as much as reading actively or investing time in writing about your research. Reading and writing tasks are essential elements of getting ready. Find good ways to do both kinds of work.
The viva might be the final challenge of your PhD, but it’s not the final challenge you’ll ever face.
The questions your examiners ask might prompt the final big discussion you have about your PhD research.
Your final preparations for the viva are building on a foundation that has taken years to create.
Before you start your viva take a final deep breath and remind yourself how you have got this far. Not by luck. Not by chance. Through work, determination and ability you have reached the one of the final things to do for your PhD.
“What’s the most important thing I can do today that would make tomorrow better?”
I’ve had that question stuck on the wall at eye-height next to my desk for as long as I can remember. I saw it in a book or a blog post years ago, liked the provocation, and have used it as a reminder ever since.
Focussing on the most important aspect of the prompt sometimes leaves me trying to do great, big things. Most of the time I think about little tasks, any small things I can do, that will make tomorrow better for me.
I look ahead and think, “What would help Future-Me? What would make my tomorrow better?”
There are lots of big, important things you have to do to be ready for your viva. There’s a lot that goes into finishing your PhD journey. But within a busy day, as an act of kindness for Future-You, consider what you could to do help your tomorrow.
Look ahead and think, “On the path to my viva, what could I do today to make tomorrow better?”