1) In my opinion, the most significant aspect of preparing for the viva is how you perceive your own work. The examiner\u2019s evaluation of your thesis is important, but what is more so is the value of your contribution in your own eyes. You should always try to maintain a feeling of inner peace and satisfaction with the 3\/4+ \u00a0years of hard work invested in crafting this significant piece of research as well as a sense of pride in your academic accomplishments regardless of the dynamics or the outcome of your viva<\/em>. Easier said than done?.. Maybe.. but you have to try. After all, by the time you complete your thesis, you will know more about your specific topic than your supervisors and your examiners. Even if there are corrections to be made, this will only make your thesis better. However, if you know deep inside that you have not given it what it deserves, that\u2019s another story.<\/p>\n 2) We need to realize that the stress typically associated with the viva is not only related to our performance on the day, but there can be deeper underlying sources of pressure such as fear of \u2018shaming\u2019 your supervisors, disappointing your family, running into (more) debts, or losing a potential job opportunity.\u00a0 Moments of reflection can help in pointing out the exact source(s) of viva tension and addressing it\/them.<\/p>\n 3) What adds another layer of complexity is the fact that the viva though marks the end of a PhD also signals the beginning of a new – and often ambiguous – stage in our lives. Personally, I used to have mixed feelings in this regard. On the one hand, I was pleased that I will soon complete my studies and stop thinking about teacher cognition and technology use day in day out, but on the other hand, there was a shade of sadness as I was soon leaving it all.. supervisors, friends, LTE, Manchester.. etc. Actually, I think the Doctoral Community blog has helped reduce the intensity of these feelings for I remained a member of my old group but in a different capacity.<\/p>\n 4) Unfortunately, what contributes to this feeling of loss is the attitude of the University itself. If you end up with minor corrections, your IT account closes down some weeks after your viva in a bit of an abrupt \u201cThank you and goodbye!\u201d. This means that you no longer have access to main university facilities.\u00a0 However, it’s good to know that although you lose access to your email account the latter does not close down. A good advice that an IT personnel offered me was to direct my university email to another (personal) one. This way even if people continue to send emails to my student account I will still get them even when I longer have access to it. And don\u2019t forget to apply for an alumni library card for it offers you limited on-site access to library facilities (incl. journals) especially if you plan to publish parts of your thesis.<\/p>\n 5) It is crucial to talk to fellow PhD students at a similar stage of their studies or recent graduates about your feelings for sometimes it’s good to know that certain (seemingly strange) thoughts or emotions are also experienced by others.<\/p>\n 6) Confidence is key to any oral examination especially the viva, but as we know, it is not developed overnight. Contributing to conferences and seminars provides you with opportunities to present your work to different audiences, to defend aspects of it, and to develop a wide range of personal and interpersonal skills.<\/p>\n 7) Some students like to choose their external examiners themselves. I have no problem with that but your supervisor\u2019s opinion is very important in this regard especially if you don\u2019t know your potential examiner in person.<\/p>\n 8 ) It is wise to familiarize yourself with the work of your external (and possibly internal) examiner even if it is not directly related to your thesis, for it is a reflection of their frame of reference and epistimological stance which s\/he will inevitably draw upon.<\/p>\n 9) One interesting way of preparing for a viva is to sit in one (or more). I sat in a friend\u2019s viva two weeks before mine, which taught me so much about PhD defense. For example a) I realized that there was nothing really to be anxious about, b) the line of questioning made me think about my own thesis and as I was taking down her examiners\u2019 questions I started to think about how I would respond to similar queries, c) I was the first to congratulate my friend when they told her she had passed! Because of this positive experience, I was happy to invite other students to my viva.. (and believe me, you will be too busy to notice their presence). Also, there is an assumption that students don\u2019t like others to attend their viva. This might be true (and we should respect their right not to have anyone there), but interestingly, sometimes people find comfort in having others in the room. For example, after my defense, I offered to sit in a colleagues\u2019 viva when I felt he was a bit anxious and he was very appreciative. If, however, you don\u2019t wish other students to be present, don\u2019t hesitate to decline their requests no matter how close they are to you. Perhaps the only disadvantage of sitting in someone else\u2019s viva is the tendency to compare, especially if you get a relatively longer viva, less friendly examiners, smaller room, or a more complex set of questions \ud83d\ude41 .<\/p>\n 10) I didn\u2019t realize the importance of a mock viva until I had one. It helps you see unclear areas in your work and to develop better arguments especially if there is say a week\u2019s time between the mock viva and the actual one. Audio recording your mock viva is also very useful for in addition to helping you review the questions asked, you listen to the feedback, have the chance to evaluate your own responses, and better articulate your ideas. After my mock viva, I wrote notes in my thesis next to the sections that needed further clarification. This was very helpful during the actual viva for the sequence of my arguments was already there \ud83d\ude09 .<\/p>\n 11) One thing I became sure about after my viva was the importance of knowing one’s thesis inside-out, for questions can go into very minute details. Color-coding sections in your document is helpful in this respect. At the same time, one has to be familiar with the outer boundaries of one’s work (e.g., the general interviewing literature).. and still there is no guarantee for the types of questions one might get.<\/p>\n 12) Another tip for preparing for your viva is to go over the notes (and possibly transcripts) of your meetings with your supervisors, right from the beginning. They help you see what paths you have chosen to follow or not to follow and why<\/strong> (this ‘why’ often comes up in questions)<\/em>. If you have kept a researcher diary throughout your PhD, this is the time to review it.<\/p>\n 13) In my former writing-up piece I mentioned the importance of proof-reading your thesis (especially if you are a non-native speaker of English). Well, even if you do that, you might still discover a typo here, a phrase that should have been deleted there. In case of such minor errors, just ignore them with the hope that your examiner won\u2019t notice them \ud83d\ude42 .<\/p>\n .. If, however, after submission you notice a serious problem with your thesis caused by say the university IT system (eg. change in thesis format, or section numbering), you have to mention that to your supervisor right away. To avoid such stressful situation, is advisable to convert the final draft of your thesis into PDF on your<\/em> machine and then print it anywhere you wish.<\/p>\n 14) Having a list\/ lists of possible viva questions is essential for preparing for the day. After attempting to answer these questions, you can ask a friend or a colleague (preferably from the same school) to go over some of them with you. This does not have to be a dull encounter in a dark corner in the library. On the contrary, I had a session with a friend in a coffee shop the day before her viva and it was quite fun.<\/p>\n 15) The following are sets of typical viva questions that I have collected over time. I encourage you to add to them so we have a complete collection \ud83d\ude42 .<\/p>\n a)\u00a0\u00a0 This list was kindly offered by Julian Edge:<\/span><\/p>\n b) The following are some questions that were taken down during my viva (Thanks, Eljee!):<\/span><\/p>\n c)\u00a0\u00a0 The following are additional questions that I took down in my friend\u2019s viva:<\/span><\/p>\n 16) Preferred questioning styles may vary from one examiner to another. For example, you might get questions in the negative. e.g. \u201cyou don\u2019t seem to have an organized structure for..\u201d<\/em> and you know for sure you have added a table for that. Don\u2019t panic! Relax, find the information, and present your evidence. It is therefore important to mark your thesis, and a mock viva might signal areas for potential questions.<\/p>\n 17) If you encounter a question that you don\u2019t know the answer to, again don\u2019t panic or try to make up an answer. First, ask the examiner to re-phrase it. If you still don\u2019t get it, then admit that you don\u2019t know the answer and maybe state that this is an area that you wish to explore further.. and move on (don\u2019t continue to think about that \u00a0%#@$* question for it might distract you from answering others).<\/p>\n 18) Some examiners tell students that they have passed at the beginning of the viva and some don\u2019t. I wasn’t told, but my examiners started the session by telling me that this was an opportunity to celebrate my work and the discussion progressed as a formal\/serious interaction. Some examiners can get a bit too serious, or insist on a point that you might think is totally insignificant. Remain calm, defend your position, and don\u2019t let any of this throw you off or shake your self-confidence. At the same time, we need to accept the fact that there are different ways of perceiving the same text. So, it\u2019s a matter of finding the right balance, which you can only achieve if your mind is clear and your emotions are stable, and that in turn happens when you are at peace with yourself (as mentioned in point #1).<\/p>\n 19) During the viva itself, if you really feel the need for a break, ask for one. Remember, this is not a police investigation!<\/p>\n 20) The University of Manchester offers various resources that you can make use of as you prepare for your viva:<\/p>\n 21) You might also have a quick look at these references on the topic:<\/p>\n Watts, H. J. (2011). Preparing doctoral candidates for the viva: issues for students and supervisors. Journal of Further and Higher Education<\/em>. 1-11, iFirst Article.<\/p>\n Wellington, J. (2010). Supporting students’ preparation for the viva: Their pre-conceptions and implications for practice. Teaching in Higher Education, 15<\/em>(1), 71-84.<\/p>\n 22) Finally, don\u2019t spend the night before your viva reading through your thesis. Rather, go over main points and marked sections, and do something you like (e.g. go out for a walk, meet friends, watch football..).<\/p>\n 23) .. and of course the typical question: What to wear to the viva? In such situations it is better to err on the side of caution and dress a bit more formally (in this article<\/a> on jobs.ac.uk it is stated that \u201cit is often the case that dressing formally focuses the mind for the task ahead. If you are neat and tidy in appearance, perhaps your thoughts will be well ordered too\u201d<\/em>.. Maybe). However, make sure that whatever you wear is comfortable<\/em>. Your viva might last for two hours, so there is no need for additional tension because of a tight belt or an uncomfortable pair shoes!<\/p>\n 24) Make sure you are there a bit early.. and before you leave, have you remembered to take your thesis with you (and maybe a small bottle of water)?<\/p>\n Now, all that\u2019s remaining is to wish you all the best.. Congratulations in advance, Doctor!<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/lantern.humanities.manchester.ac.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/Defending-next-week.gif\" "\\"Defending")
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\n<\/a>Harding, S. (2009). Training for the viva examination: A translation studies student perspective. The Interpreter and Translator Trainer<\/em>, 3<\/em>(1), 29-46.\u00a0 (It is freely available on the Internet, as it seems)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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<\/a>Best,<\/p>\n