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Tag: viva preparation

Nathan

More Starters

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I was playing with the random post link when I came across Starters (from a few years ago) and was once again reminded of these very helpful words by Rudyard Kipling:

I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.

If you’re starting your viva preparations, and perhaps want to shake loose some thoughts about what you’ve done, consider the following questions inspired by the words above:

  • What’s been your aim for the last few years?
  • Why did you start a PhD?
  • When did you find your greatest idea to date?
  • How have you approached your research?
  • Where do you think your research could be applied?
  • Who are you now, compared to when you started?

Reflect on your research and your journey to start your viva preparations. You may not be asked these questions directly, but you can be sure they will uncover ideas relevant to the discussions you’ll have with your examiners.

Nathan

Three Prep Sketches

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A period of viva prep could be lots of things depending on your circumstances. You might not be able to control your situation entirely, but the direction of your work can be chosen. You could decide to have:

  • A few busy days: many hours a day of reading, noting, reminding – emailing your supervisor – checking the regulations at the last minute, unsure and perhaps worrying over what your examiners might ask or do.
  • Two weeks of prep: an hour or two most evenings. Reading your thesis, making notes, a mock viva to be scheduled and had, and a bit of a chance to sit with your concerns and do something about them.
  • A month of small tasks for the most part: thirty minutes most days. A week to read your thesis, a week to make notes and check details. You already know the regulations before you start preparing. Plenty of space to reflect and do what needs to be done.

Three sketches, but you can probably tell by my word choice which I favour!

Of course, different situations can drive different needs. Your situation could require you to squeeze your prep into the few days leading to your viva. That said, if you can space out your prep over a month you can take your time to be sure you’re ready. You don’t need to over-stress because you’re doing the long, slow approach to your viva which leads to confidence – confidence through regular, deliberate actions that highlight your talent and your knowledge.

Nathan

The Humble To-Do List

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Make a little list of things you have to do for your viva prep, things that you know will help. It might include:

  • Read all of my thesis;
  • Read two or three papers by my examiners;
  • Chat to friends about my research;
  • Check the regulations;
  • Find out how my video viva will be done;
  • Check my supervisor’s availability for helping me.

Just a little list – this example is by no means complete, but there shouldn’t be hundreds of things! Some examples can be crossed off neatly, others will take time. You might want to break those down, depending on your preferences.

It’s much easier to know when you’re ready if you plot out what you need to do to get ready.

A little to-do list could help a lot.

Nathan

Obvious Afterwards

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I’d say a good 75% of my PhD results seemed obvious afterwards:

  • A clever solution for a programming problem.
  • An insight into the way a particular bit of maths worked.
  • A step in a proof that seemed inscrutable beforehand.

All obvious afterwards and in some cases very simple to explain to others. I remember two pages of my thesis that describe a process which took me upwards of 100 pages of notes to figure out the first time! 100 pages to figure out notation, to understand with near-endless diagrams what was happening, capture intermittent steps to show what was working and so on. Two pages in my thesis.

The rough work, long thinking and difficult days that lead to simplicity and “obvious” answers in your thesis or research are worth remembering. The outcome and answers matter, but don’t lose sight of the work – and the person who did it!

Nathan

All-You-Can-Prep!

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When I was a kid I used to love all-you-can-eat buffets. Some of this, some of that, pile the plate high and devour! And repeat! And repeat!

And then regret…

Sore stomach, parched throat, and a fuzzy head from too much of everything.

As an adult, my preferences have changed. Far better to have things you really want, rather than consume everything because it’s there.

I think it’s similar in a way with viva prep.

Most candidates will have between six to twelve weeks after submission. There’s lots you could do. You could read your thesis a few times, make lots of notes, have lots of conversations with people, a mock viva or two, read all of your references, check to see if there’s any new good ones and just keep doing more and more work. There will always be more you could do, and there’s a big gap of time (leaving aside how busy you probably are) to prepare in.

But all that focus will probably leave you with a fuzzy head from too much of everything.

Far better to act with intention. Decide in advance what outcomes you’ll need to satisfy to consider yourself prepared. You really can’t do everything. You don’t need to use every hour of every day to get ready.

So what do you need to do? Who do you need to help you? When will you get it done?

Don’t treat prep as open-ended task. A little thought and a little plan will go a long way to helping you get the work done.

Nathan

A Thimbleful of Courage

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A little bravery goes a long way. Yes, the unexpected question could scare you, or an honest mistake that seems huge, but you have talent, you have knowledge, you have your thesis.

This should lead to a confidence that you must be good. Good enough to meet with your examiners and defend your work. The tiniest amount of courage will see you through. The smallest reserve in the face of worry or fear. You can find it.

It’s normal to be nervous in anticipation of an important event like the viva. Find your courage. Be brave.

If you could get to submission, you can get through the viva.

Nathan

Summary Focus

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How small could you make your thesis?

It takes years to create, through research and writing, to make it what it is. But could your thesis be summarised in a few thousand words before your viva, to help you remember key points, important references and essential ideas?

Perhaps you could present the best ideas in, say, three minutes? A valuable and entertaining presentation for a general audience, not dumbing down, but not sharing all of the details.

Or could you capture everything essential for you in a single page? What would be essential? How would you decide on what to leave out and what to include?

You can’t walk into the viva having memorised tens of thousands of words and hundreds of references – and you don’t need to. A useful part of preparation is breaking down your work to find the most important details, to help your memory and make present the most valuable or necessary things that you might have to discuss in the viva.

You might want to explore several different scales of summaries, or ask yourself several different questions to help your preparation. To begin with, ask yourself what information you need to look over. What do you think would be useful to have almost at your fingertips? And what might others need to know or be interested in?

Nathan

A Series of Choices

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Are you going to spread out your viva prep over weeks or months, or do it all in a few days leading up to the viva?

Are you going to explore possibilities for your examiners in conversation with your supervisors, or leave the choice purely to them?

Are you going to be ready for your viva, or simply optimistic?

Are you going to respond to any and every question in the viva, or have questions in mind that you’d rather not discuss?

Are you open to being wrong about something, or certain that your research is right?

Some choices for the viva are easy, others aren’t. Some you have to make once, some you have to repeat. Some are conscious, some you won’t notice. Some have deadlines, some are fixed, and some you can change.

But they are there. They are your choices that lead you to the viva you’ll have and how you’ll engage with it.

Choose wisely.

Nathan

Do One Little Thing

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It’s 2020. You’re tired, you’re pressured, you’ve got no focus, you have a million and one other things to do and you still have to get ready for your viva.

My viva was a long time ago, but I empathise with anyone who feels like they can’t get things done right now. And yet still, you have to.

If any or all of those things are true, then do one little thing and then rest.

  • Put one bookmark in your thesis.
  • Write down one interesting question that comes to mind.
  • Find one nice piece of stationery to use in your prep.
  • Make a note of one person you can ask for help.
  • Take one Post-it Note and write “I can do it!” on it.
  • Stick that Post-it somewhere prominent in your workspace.

You can do it. You will do it. Despite tiredness, pressure, everything else you need to do and everything else going on around you, you can do it. There are lots of big things you might have to do to get ready, but lots of little things add up.

Do one little thing if you’re tired. Then rest. There’s still time.

Nathan

Answers & Questions

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Practice for the viva, through a mock viva, a mini-viva, a meeting or even just a chat with friends, is essential: you have to build confidence that you can respond to questions. But even more important is building confidence that you have the ability to do well in the viva.

You don’t know what answers or responses you’ll need in the viva; you can’t know for certain what questions will be asked. But with confidence you can be certain that you can respond to every question that you’re asked.

You can do this.

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