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Tag: viva process

Nathan

You Get To Have A Viva

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It’s worth remembering, when you’ve submitted and you’re working towards your viva day, that it might not have gone this way. Despite the associated nerves and negativity that people attach to the viva, having one is not guaranteed.

You might have decided to stop pursuing a PhD. Circumstances, particularly during the last three years or so, might have made continuing with research impossible. Things might not have worked out with your supervisor, financial pressures could have been too great or your research ideas might have not developed.

But instead you did the work. You solved problems and overcame challenges. Things worked out enough. You submitted your thesis and now it’s not the case that you have to have a viva – you get to have a viva.

It’s work. It’s a challenge. It matters so it might make you nervous. But it’s a really good thing.

You get to have a viva. Remember that.

Nathan

Miskates Happen

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I have to turn off the captions for myself when I deliver a webinar.

It might help some participants to see an AI-generated track of my words, but I can’t see them on my screen. For the most part they’re a reasonable transcript of what I’m saying; whenever I see the wrong thing transcribed in the moment it trips me up, it breaks my flow and I feel I have to do something to set it right.

But I can’t, not in that moment. Because I have something more important to do. If someone else doesn’t understand and needs to, they can ask, but I have to keep my focus on presenting.

And all of this is not all that different from the situations faced by PhD candidates in the viva and during their preparation.

If you find typos, just make a note of them. Where are they? What’s the correction?

If you find something unclear, make a note. What’s the problem? How could you make it clear?

Once you’ve made your notes, move on. Read some more, make some more notes. On to the next prep.

In the viva, acknowledge the mistake, correct it simply if you need to and then move on to the next question or next part of the discussion. There’s more important things to do than dwell on mistakes in the viva.

Nathan

Be Early

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Be early for your viva.

Be early so you can take a breath or two and appreciate these last moments on this side of the milestone. In one moment you’re working towards your PhD, getting ready for your viva – and in another you’ve passed through the discussion, responded to all of your examiners’ questions and you’re on your way to completion.

Viva discussion can be deep and engaging, and you may not even notice the event unfolding. Afterwards you could be on a high or tired.

So be early: notice what you feel like, remember what you’ve done to get this far and take a few final breaths before you are Dr Someone.

Nathan

Motivations & Questions

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There are three things your examiners have to do in your viva:

  • Explore your significant original contribution;
  • Unpick the hows and whys of your research;
  • Examine your capability as a researcher.

They have to do this. There’s a lot to talk about and a lot that could be brought up through the discussion, but as a starting point, consider how you would respond to these three questions:

  • Why would someone value your research?
  • How did you solve a difficult problem in your PhD journey?
  • What can you recognise as an area of growth in your ability?

Each question corresponds to a point from above; there’s more to ask, more to say and these are just starting points. But what would you say?

Nathan

Boss Music

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Video game music has come a long way from my childhood in the 1980s. Beeps and boops have been replaced by orchestral compositions that rival classical composers and the biggest movies. The scale, variety and sheer power of some video game scores is astonishing.

I really like it when music for boss battles is different to the general music and soundscape for the rest of the game. Some games use different music for different bosses, usually with great significance – and some even distinguish different phases of the same fight!

(this piece of music from the sublime Hades springs to mind)

Examiners are not the final bosses of your PhD journey and you’re certainly not there to fight them! But one connecting element between them and video game boss music is that there is a change of pace. A different challenge. More focus. More urgency. A greater need to do well and a limited circumstance to do it.

You already know everything you need to know. You’ve completed many challenges to get to the viva. As you prepare, breathe and think, “What else? What am I bringing to this? What else do I need?”

And as music is a fantastic catalyst for action and emotion, consider what music could help you as you prepare. What could you listen to in order to feel calm? To feel happy? To give you focus? What could you listen to and feel more confident?

(this piece of music from the sublime Hades springs to mind!)

Nathan

A Small Word

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Viva.

We can say doctoral defence and thesis examination, but those four letters are enough. Two syllables capture a lot of meaning: it’s the end, an exam, requires prep, carries a lot of emotional significance and a certain degree of mystery.

There are questions in a viva and questions about the viva. There are experiences that lead to expectations and regulations that require reading-up. It’s the final big thing of a PhD but not the end.

Viva is a small word that looms large for a PhD candidate. Figure out what it means to you, what you need to know and what you need to do to be ready for yours.

It’s a small word but not a small thing.

Nathan

“No Corrections”

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“No corrections” is a possible outcome for candidates at their viva. Not for many: it seems to be the case for around 10% of UK PhDs. You can hope you get this outcome, but that’s about it.

“No corrections” is like finding a coin on the path as you walk down the street. You had to go that way anyway and this is a nice extra thing you weren’t expecting.

“No corrections” doesn’t mean that a thesis is perfect.

“No corrections” doesn’t mean that someone’s PhD is better than someone else. It’s just one of the outcomes.

“No corrections” does mean that a candidate will have less work to do after the viva than someone asked to complete minor corrections.

And as it’s much more likely to be asked to complete corrections after the viva it’s worth planning ahead: check your diary, think about your other commitments in that period and explore how you would get the hypothetical-but-likely work done.

Nathan

Getting Started

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Again and again this year I am reminded of a lesson I’ve heard many times.

“Getting started changes everything.”

When I was wondering what to do exactly for 101 Steps To A Great Viva or how to run a Kickstarter, getting started gave me a sense of how much work to do and what the possibilities were.

When I was turning over ideas for a bespoke webinar but not making progress, getting started made me see what ideas I could incorporate from other sessions and helped me find cool things to do with the cohort.

And when I was feeling overwhelmed by a big writing project, getting started allowed me to get a feel for the topic, the points and the humour I wanted to bring to it.

Planning is essential. Information is necessary. A little forethought can really help.

But sometimes these things leads to procrastination. Delay. Avoidance.

Starting viva prep changes everything: you’re on the path to being ready.

Starting to reflect on your PhD journey changes everything: you build your confidence rather than wonder if you’re good enough.

Starting your viva changes everything: no more nerves, no more wondering what will happen.

Nathan

Was That It?

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Today marks fifteen years since I submitted my final PhD thesis.

I remember that I went with a friend to hand my copies in. I wanted someone to be a witness with me to this great moment. The university admin department I had to submit my thesis copies to was quiet. The person on reception duties looked up and just about managed to say, “Yes?” to indicate they would listen to me.

With a big smile I said, “I’ve finished my PhD. I’m here to submit my final thesis.”

They kept looking at me. Then looked down at the small pile of books and submission forms I had set on the counter. Then looked back at me. And finally looked over their shoulder and called, “Geoff?”

“Yeah?”

“There’s another one for you.”

Geoff came out from a back room. He quickly glanced over my form. He checked I had two copies of my thesis on the counter. Then picked them up and nodded, “OK, thanks,” and walked away.

My friend and I left the building entirely deflated. Was that it?

 

I celebrated later that day, but I look back on my final submission like many parts of my PhD journey and think, “Was that it?”

All the times I was stressed in advance of something – a presentation, a meeting, my viva – but the actual event worked out fine.

All the things that I thought would be super-amazing and impressive, but turned out to just be work. Still interesting, but work and time and effort.

Meeting my examiners. Going to my viva. Submitting my thesis.

In some respects, my whole PhD!

Was that it?

 

I have no regrets, but today reminds me that sometimes the things we think will be really big and important are just things. Important events are just one day. Great achievements are just one step towards success or progress. Our big news is just one more thing that someone else will hear.

And that’s the way it is. We have to find the meaning for ourselves. Your PhD success is important, but to you, not to everyone. You have to make it matter.

Don’t look back and think “Was that it?”

Make the special days as special as you can.

Nathan

Apologise Or Acknowledge?

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Your thesis isn’t perfect. It’s almost certain you have typos or passages to correct. There are likely other approaches you could take in your methods. Your recollection or knowledge might have gaps. And you can’t have done every possible thing even with years to complete your PhD.

So should you apologise to your examiners?

Or simply acknowledge?

  • Yes, there’s a typo and I can correct that.
  • No I didn’t do that and here’s why…
  • I’m not sure about what would happen, but perhaps…
  • Can you tell me more so I can understand…

I don’t know if there are no circumstances where it might be good to apologise to your examiners, but I think for the most part acknowledging and discussing the point is a better course of action.

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