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Tag: viva process

Nathan

Fair

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What’s fair or unfair at your viva?

  • Is it fair to be asked questions at your viva that you’re not expecting?
  • Is it fair if your external examiner does something different to you?
  • Is it fair if your internal examiner was the only person available?
  • And is it fair if either of them expresses a different perspective to some part of your research?

What’s fair or unfair at your viva? And is “fairness” a useful thing to focus on?

Worrying about what questions might come up or whether your examiner is the best choice is at best a distraction. Instead, bring your focus on to what you can do and what you did.

Is it fair that your examiners have to examine you after a short amount of preparation compared to your years of work?

Nathan

Greater Than

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Years of work and learning won’t make you infallible.

It’s entirely possible to get to your viva and be faced with a question you’ve never considered before. You can forget or go blank. And you can always be asked a question that – through lack of understanding, lack of knowledge or a glitch in the moment – it feels like the only thing you can say is “I don’t know.”

Taking all of this into account, how much more likely is it that you know something?

It’s not wrong to worry about what if’s, brain freezes or feeling uncertain as you respond to an important event like the viva. You can do something about all of these through preparation and through recognising that you don’t need to know everything.

Years of work and learning won’t make you infallible – but, for your viva, what you know is greater than what you don’t.

Nathan

Your Research, Your Questions

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Your examiners don’t ask random questions.

They might have some common questions. If examiners typically ask about the methods you used then there will be common formulations of questions that could explore that topic.

When it comes to the deep discussion in your viva the questions will become targeted. They’ll ask about the particular sentence on page 47. They’ll ask you to say more about the summary on page 78. They’ll ask you about the choices you made in Chapter 4.

 

All of which is to say that you and your work lead to the questions you’ll get in your viva. Common, generic questions exist – but they will still be asked about your work. And these questions are small by comparison to the specific and relevant questions that will be directly inspired by your work.

If you want to be ready for the discussion at your viva you could take a glance at questions you’ll find on the internet or be prompted by an AI – but then get to work with reviewing your thesis, take time to create summaries and invest a few hours in rehearsal with others.

Your research leads to your questions at the viva.

Nathan

Beyond The Viva

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We need to do this by… We have to make time to… Oh don’t forget we have to…

I’m willing to bet that these kinds of sentences aren’t just being said in my house! As the last days of the year line up it can sometimes feel like time is running out.

 

There’s a similar feeling with the viva I think.

Time has to be made to get X, Y and Z done. There’s the time of the viva itself, a small number of hours on one day but which can feel much bigger and important.

Then the viva is done. Over. Finished. Passed. Success.

And then there’s what comes next.

 

The days and weeks immediately after your viva are the almost end of your PhD journey. They might be bittersweet. They might not be what you were expecting or what you imagined.

Whatever happens there’s more afterwards. A new challenge like a new year, the same as the last one but unique and special.

Take a little time to brace yourself as you get ready for your viva. You’ll be done before you know it and then you’ll have new challenges to embrace.

Nathan

Basic Expectations

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Here’s an incomplete list of what to expect for your viva:

  • Examiners have training and support.
  • Examiners prepare for the viva in an appropriate way.
  • Examiners ask relevant questions and make appropriate comments to examine a candidate.
  • Logistics for the viva are communicated in a fair and appropriate way.
  • The viva will be a fair and reasonable challenge given the nature of the research, the thesis and the candidate.

And as the candidate you’re expected to have done the work, prepared and have a sense of what the viva is supposed to be like.

Or, more concisely, at a basic level you are expected to be ready.

There are patterns for lengths of viva, common first questions and so on, but the expectations that really matter are knowing that your examiners are professionals and that you are capable – ready to do what you need to do to succeed.

Nathan

Worthwhile Worry

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The viva is worth worrying about.

  • What will my examiners ask?
  • Will I be prepared?
  • What do I need to go to get ready?
  • Will I pass?!

Let’s add some context though: the viva is worth worrying about because it is important.

Worry isn’t the end. If you’re worried about what someone will ask then you can find out what to expect. If you’re worried about being prepared or don’t know what to do then you can take steps to find out and get ready. And if you’re worried about passing you can explore what typically happens to know that you’ll be alright.

Worry is a motivator. If you have a worry then work past it to a better feeling.

Nathan

You Can’t Lose

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The viva isn’t a game. The viva isn’t a quiz.

You’re not scoring points. You’re not competing.

You’re presenting your work. You’re responding to questions.

You’re sharing what you did and demonstrating what you can do.

Do the work, prepare and go to show what you know and what you can do.

The viva is a demonstration and confirmation.

Nathan

Responses At The Viva

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You don’t need perfect answers at your viva. You don’t need perfect responses.

You need to be prepared to respond well to your examiners but that doesn’t mean that you need to have “prepared responses”. Your examiners want to have a good conversation with you about your work, the process that lead to it and your capability as a researcher.

They don’t want you to read from a script and they don’t expect that you will have practised every possible permutation of question that they might ask.

Read your thesis. Write some summaries. Rehearse a bit.

You don’t need to be perfect. You need to be prepared.

Nathan

Hate To Wait?

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If, like me, you find it difficult to wait for things then you need to come up with a few coping strategies for your viva.

If the days leading up to your viva are taking too long what will you do to manage yourself? Can you arrange your prep to pass the hours productively or will you arrange useful distractions?

What can you do to begin your viva day well while you wait for the start time? Decide in advance so that you don’t have to respond in the moment to your feelings.

What will you do after your viva is finished and you’re waiting for your examiners? Again, decide in advance – have a short walk, refill your water bottle, make some notes – so that you are not waiting alone and only feeling nervous.

If you hate to wait then you can also take steps to help yourself as you wait.

Nathan

No Gold Medals

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No silvers either.

No special commendations.

No ribbons or grades.

Probably not even a pat on the back.

You pass. You get a certificate. You likely get some corrections to complete as well.

 

The meaning that comes from your viva success comes from you.

Passing could mean you did it. Passing could mean pride and reputation and your own wellbeing. Passing could mean new opportunities and possibilities. Passing is personal.

You won’t get a gold medal – because you make your PhD worth something.

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