You Are Here

Tag: viva regulations

Nathan

Unclear Expectations

Daily Post

Academic culture likes to make the viva seem big, mysterious and important.

The viva is definitely big and important but it’s not mysterious. Every institution has regulations. There are thousands of people every year in the UK who have a viva. There is a wealth of information about it if you look.

If anything about the viva seems unclear then ask questions, read the regulations and generally look to find out more. Send me an email if you like!

Finding out realistic expectations for the viva means you can prepare for it well, feel good about it and know that you are on track to succeed.

So what’s unclear for you? As a result, what will you do to find out more?

Nathan

Disciplinary Expectations

Daily Post

Regulations and general viva expectations are helpful to steer viva prep. They can also impact how you think and feel about your viva.

Take a little extra time to check and be sure whether there are any particular expectations within your discipline:

  • Are you more likely to have a different examiner setup?
  • Might you be more or less likely to have an independent chairperson?
  • Is it typical for people from your department or discipline to give a presentation at the start of the viva?
  • Are vivas in your field more likely to be quite long – or quite short?
  • And are there any general questions that seem common?

Ask around. Explore the expectations, if there are any, that seem particularly prevalent in your area. A little extra knowledge can only help you as you prepare for your viva.

 

PS: Need to know more of what to expect at your viva? Follow my Eventbrite page to get notified of upcoming independent viva help webinars!

Nathan

Not As Expected

Daily Post

If things don’t go as planned you have to act.

  • If your research doesn’t go as planned, what do you do instead?
  • If the first choice for your external examiner isn’t available who do you ask?
  • If your mock viva has to be cancelled what do you do now?
  • And if your viva doesn’t follow expectations in some way, what do you do?

You always have to do something. It’s important to remember that you always have agency. The unexpected shows up and you have to do something and you do and then you move on to the next thing.

You might need to ask for help or information. You might even need to check the regulations but, regardless, if something doesn’t follow your plan or expectations you’ll need to do something.

You can do your best, take action and move forward – and remember that while some things don’t go as expected a lot does work out.

Remind yourself of your effort and your impact and be thankful if you can for all the things in your PhD journey that worked out as planned.

 

PS: If you’re looking for more viva help and advice in the coming months then follow my Eventbrite page to get notified of future independent webinars like Viva Survivor and 7 Reasons You’ll Pass Your Viva. Dates coming soon!

Nathan

Small Changes

Daily Post

Maybe we need to rebrand minor corrections. How about:

  • Tiny tweaks?
  • Bespoke alterations?
  • Thesis refinements?

Whatever we call them, they are small changes compared to the large amount of work you have already invested. Minor corrections are a small amount of work to leave your thesis in as good a state as possible before you move on to your next challenge.

Small changes. Thank your examiners, do the work and finish your thesis well.

Nathan

Exceptional

Daily Post

There are viva regulations for your institution, general experiences from the massive number of vivas that happen every year and the particular practices of your department. Together, these combine to give a picture of what to expect at the viva. You can have a good sense of what a viva is supposed to be like by taking all of these into account.

There are always exceptions.

Most vivas have two examiners – apart from the ones that have three. Most examiners are academics at other universities – apart from the ones that aren’t. Most vivas up to 2020 were in-person – apart from the ones that weren’t, and then apart from all the ones that suddenly weren’t!

Your viva might be exceptional too. You might have done something a little different in your research or created outputs that most PhD candidates would not. Your thesis might be different. Your viva day might start differently. You could have requirements that many candidates never think about.

Exceptions change the viva but don’t change the purpose. Exceptions might shape your viva but they don’t alter the overall process.

Vivas are always unique and the exceptional people who have them are uniquely positioned to succeed whatever the circumstances.

Nathan

Fair Adjustments

Daily Post

You might need adjustments for your viva to be fair for you.

  • You might need your examiners to use a microphone.
  • You might need them to ask questions in a particular way.
  • You might need to write questions down so that you can process your thoughts.
  • You might need frequent breaks.
  • You might need a room at a particular location or with a particular setup.
  • You might need your viva to be over video or have some other technology involved.

It’s expected that every PhD viva might be difficult. The viva is supposed to be a challenge because of what you’re there to do, the level you work at, the meaning of what you’ve done.

Difficult is reasonable but barriers that limit you engaging with the viva are unreasonable. If you need adjustments to make the viva fair then make sure your institution knows.

Nathan

A Non-Examiner

Daily Post

An independent chairperson isn’t there to examine you at your viva. They’ve not read your thesis and don’t have questions. They’re there to make sure the process is fair and make sure that the viva is following regulations. They might steer your examiners or provide guidance but they’re not there to examine you.

If you have a supervisor present at your viva then they’re not examining you either. They’re there to watch and maybe make notes. They can’t respond on your behalf and they can’t ask you anything.

If you want to know more about the examiners and non-examiners who might be at your viva then look at the regulations well in advance. Get a sense of what to expect, what that means for you and what you might need to do as a result.

Nathan

Critical

Daily Post

Your examiners have to be critical of your thesis and research.

That doesn’t mean that they will be negative.

Your examiners have to critically read what you have written.

That doesn’t mean that they have to go looking for problems.

Your examiners have to ask you critical questions.

That doesn’t mean that they are trying to catch you out.

Nathan

Just In Case

Daily Post

Around submission time, if not before, look for someone who can help you if something goes wrong. You’re probably looking for someone at your doctoral college or graduate school, or possibly even your departmental or faculty director of postgraduate studies.

You want the name and contact details of who to turn to in case:

  • One of your examiners cancels;
  • You are ill and need to postpone;
  • You require accessibility accommodations that aren’t being met;
  • You need to check some point of the regulations;
  • Something truly unexpected happens!

Get the details of an emergency contact just in case. You might not need them. I hope you won’t. But you will be glad you have them if something goes wrong.

Nathan

Patterns, Predictions, Preparations

Daily Post

Vivas follow patterns. These come from regulations, general experiences of candidates and examiners and the culture of departments. There are general expectations that describe the trend of vivas in the UK, reasonable estimates of length, process, ranges of feelings and so on.

Given the general patterns and a person’s experience, ability and research, it is possible to make some predictions for what will happen at a particular candidate’s viva. It’s reasonable to predict that someone’s experience will most likely be similar to the patterns of the general experience. It’s reasonable to predict particular questions based on their research and thesis.

Patterns and predictions only take one so far though. They can help you feel better. They can highlight general things for you to think about in advance of the viva.

Then you have to prepare.

Preparations for the viva are what make the difference. It’s not enough to have a good feeling. It’s not enough to get a sense of what vivas are like. You have to do something. You have to take steps to get ready.

What patterns are you aware of? What can you reasonably predict for your viva? And what will you do to make sure you are prepared?

 

PS: one thing that could help your preparations is Viva Survivor, my upcoming live webinar on Wednesday 25th June. I have three objectives for the session: to share realistic expectations for the viva, help attendees know how to prepare well and to be of help.

I’ve shared this session more than 400 times with over 8000 PhD candidates, but this is only the third time I’ve opened up registration. Viva Survivor is a 3-hour live webinar and all attendees get access to a catch-up recording and follow-up materials. Take a look and see if it might be of help for you. Thanks for reading!

1 2 3 … 6