Whatever Works

A cup of coffee. Your favourite socks. A smart suit. A playlist of great music. A hug.

Well wishes and good luck. Prayer. A stack of notes. A well-edited thesis. A lot of chats with your supervisors.

A placebo. A ritual. A priming thought. A small stuffed toy. A tiny paperweight.

Within reason, do whatever works to help you be ready for your viva. Practical preparations matter, but there’s a space for anything and everything that helps you feel better, happier and more confident that you can rise to the challenges of your viva.

Do what you need to so that you can feel sure it will all be OK.

 

PS: one thing that will definitely help how you feel about your viva is finding out what to expect. There are a lot of sources of helpful information – including The Expectations Issue, the latest curated collection of Viva Survivors help! Check out the link for more details.

Whatever Works

Good day socks.

A playlist that helps you feel happy.

A lucky teddy.

Three cups of coffee.

Dancing around.

A Post-it Note of encouragement.

An outfit that just feels right.

There’s practical must-do tasks that help candidates get ready for the viva – reading, checking, making notes, practising – and then there are the rituals, warm-ups, placebos and boosts that you just need. There’s no right or wrong, it’s not silly, it’s not weird: it’s what you need to feel right.

Whatever works, works. Use whatever you need to help you feel ready.