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Tag: viva process

Nathan

Always Something

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No matter how much work you put into your research and thesis, or how much time you spend on viva prep, there’s always something that your examiners could say or ask that you haven’t anticipated.

And no matter what they ask, because of all of the work you’ve committed to your research and thesis, and all the time you’ve invested into getting ready, there’s always something you can do to respond to their questions and be part of the discussion.

You can ask a question. You can pause. You can think. You can check your thesis. You can remember something. You can take a situation and analyse it. You can work through a question or a problem. You can, in the end, always find a way to respond.

Whatever situation you find in the viva, there’s always something you can do.

Nathan

Slow Is Fast

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I forget where I first heard that “slow is fast and fast is slow” – the point being that taking one’s time to do something helps it to get done more quickly than charging ahead and risking problems.

This idea holds a lot of relevance to viva prep and the viva.

In viva prep, taking your time gives space for the work to be done. You can build up your confidence and the feeling of being ready. It’s something to savour, maybe even something to enjoy! Not something to be crammed in at the last minute or got out of the way. Going fast won’t help someone to get ready for their viva.

And nobody wants a six-hour viva, but pausing to think when asked a question helps more than blurting out the first idea. Pausing to think helps a candidate consider what a question means and what they know. Pausing helps them to find the best words for their response. Far better than trying to get the viva over and done with. Far better than rushing and then needing to clarify – far quicker too.

Take your time. Slow is fast.

Nathan

The Questions You Expect

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A question that’s expected can be prepared for.

A question you expect can still be difficult to respond to.

If you expect a question you might not be asked it after all.

And if you prepare you may still find something new to say on the day of your viva.

 

Remember that rehearsal for the viva doesn’t mean memorising talking points on expected questions. Rehearsal helps you find a process to engage with all questions about your research, your thesis and you – expected and unexpected.

Nathan

When You Don’t Know

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What would you do if you went blank or froze or could only think “I don’t know”?

It’s a situation you wouldn’t want; it could even be stressful. It’s reasonable to think about it before the viva but unhelpful to worry about it – particularly because there’s a lot you could do in that situation.

You could pause, take a moment to think and then respond. Your first response might be “I don’t know” but perhaps another moment of thinking will help you find more to say.

You could briefly reflect on why you don’t know something. Different reasons prompt different actions. Perhaps you can check your thesis. Perhaps you can ask a question. Perhaps, after reflection, you can just say “I don’t know”.

You could take a moment to think: even if you don’t know, you can share something with your examiners that will demonstrate your knowledge or skills in an appropriate way.

It’s good to reflect on this possible situation before the viva. It could be stressful, but there’s a lot you could do – if it happens at all.

Nathan

The Chair

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It’s not good or bad to have an independent chair at your viva.

Independent chairs are not examiners. They’re often a senior member of staff from your institution who is mostly acting as an observer. In your experience of the viva, it will be like having a teeny-tiny audience making notes. They won’t ask you any questions about your work.

They might ask examiners to move on from a topic if they think enough time has been spent. They might ask if anyone wants to take a break. But really their job is to observe and ensure that your viva is a fair process.

Not every viva has an independent chair. They’re sometimes used if an examiner has less experience. They’re sometimes used as a kind of quality control, checking that vivas are held in a fair way. Some departments or universities always use independent chairs because that’s what their regulations say. An internal examiner can take on some of these responsibilities, which is why independent chairs are not a universal part of the viva experience in the UK.

The best thing any candidate can do is find out in advance what the situation might be for their viva. It’s not good or bad for you: it’s just something to be aware of and something to consider as you prepare for your viva.

Nathan

It Doesn’t Matter

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Lots of things matter about the viva and how you succeed at it, but lots of thing really don’t.

It doesn’t matter if you have typos in your thesis, not really. Do your best to proofread and eliminate them, but be prepared to complete corrections after the viva.

It doesn’t matter if you missed a “key” reference from your field. You might have to think about it. You might have to talk about it. But how many more things have you read?

It doesn’t matter if your examiners are experts or not – and it doesn’t matter if you have cited them or not. Whoever your examiners are, they will be professional, they will be prepared and they will be ready to examine you.

It doesn’t matter if your viva is two hours or three hours or longer, except in terms of how tired you feel and whether you need to do something to prepare for that investment of time and energy. Long vivas don’t lead to more corrections.

And it doesn’t matter if you’re nervous. It might not feel comfortable and it could be distracting, but recognising that your viva matters, i.e., being nervous, won’t stop you from succeeding. Work to build your confidence and you’ll see that nervousness is just one more detail of your viva experience.

Nathan

Comments & Corrections

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A comment from one of your examiners does not automatically become a correction that you have to make to your thesis. A correction you receive is not always something that needs to be commented on in the viva.

A comment doesn’t mean that something is “wrong” – it could be something interesting to talk about. A correction doesn’t mean that something is “wrong” either – it could be a typo or it could be needed to create a clearer piece of writing.

Comments and corrections have to be expected as part of the viva process. Your research and your thesis are not perfect and that’s OK.

You can expect to receive comments and corrections and also expect your examiners to think that your work is good.

Nathan

Special Days

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There are so many special days in the life of a typical human.

Special days usually invite some element of preparation.

A special day might make someone nervous.

You mark your calendar for a special day.

And a special day is often marked in some way: a celebration, big or small, to show that the day really was special.

The viva is a special day in the life of a typical human. Not every human has one, but those that do get there after a long series of days. Some of those will have been special too, but some will have been hard, others will pass without comment and some days will go by in a blur of activity.

The viva takes preparation, you might be nervous because you’ll know it’s a special day ahead of time.

And hopefully you’ll make time to celebrate somehow too.

 

PS: Today is a special day for me as it’s my birthday! I won’t say how old I am, but for a little fun and celebration of my own you can save 42% on all of my ebooks at my Payhip store until the end of the month if you use the code SPECIALDAYS when prompted at the checkout! 🙂

Nathan

Expect The Unexpected

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There are regulations for vivas created by each university. There are expectations for the viva, general patterns of experience, that can be observed in the stories that graduates tell. There are norms we can derive from more considered inspection of stories with a departmental community.

These three aspects give a lot of certainty about the viva experience. Every viva is unique, but none of them are a great unknown.

And yet: questions are asked that can’t be anticipated. Corrections are requested that went unseen before submission. Opinions are suggested that have never been considered. And circumstances sometimes change, from simple logistical room switches on the day to last-minute changes to video vivas due to illness.

Expect the unexpected. You can’t discard the rules and patterns of experience. Embrace them, learn from them, but also remember that you have to expect that you won’t know any question until it is asked.

That doesn’t mean you can’t be prepared. That doesn’t mean you won’t be ready.

Learn about the range of possibilities. Rehearse to build your comfort for being in the viva. Expect the unexpected.

Nathan

Examiners’ Choice

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Candidates don’t choose examiners. For all the good ideas you might have about this person or that person to examine your thesis and you in the viva, you don’t choose them outright.

Your supervisors choose your examiners. They might ask you for your ideas and they might respond positively to your suggestions but they don’t have to. They are responsible for nominating the academics who will examine you.

Your university has to approve the nominations. They have to check the details of who your supervisor selects to check they are suitable. There are criteria that examiners have to satisfy.

And after all of this two people have to say yes.

They can say no if they’re busy. They can say no if, for whatever reason, they feel it doesn’t seem like a good fit for them to be your examiner. They don’t say yes to tick a box. They don’t say yes because they know your supervisor.

When your examiners are confirmed then you can prepare. You can make a choice at that stage to be ready to talk to them at your viva.

That’s the choice you make.

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