Pete

I’m Pete and I recently completed the viva for my Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD) at Sheffield Hallam University. These are my reflections on the process and some advice on preparing for and completing your own viva.

Before the viva

There can be several weeks between submitting the thesis and doing the viva- plenty of time to get nervous! And nerves are natural; it’s the end point of a lot of hard work and you want it to go well.

That time though, it’s also a lot of time to get ready! You’ll be able to read through the thesis and make sure you know it well, do some practice run throughs, and make notes. Be sure to take a break; I took up linocut printing and went back to paper and ink making, read for fun, and reflected on the fantastic achievement that handing in the thesis represents.

I did two thorough read throughs of my thesis. This meant that I spotted some of the typos that inevitably creep in! But it also meant I could note areas I thought would be questioned and quickly sketch some comments onto the document. A detailed read through also means you’ll be confident you know the thesis structure and flow, and be able to answer that common question: “So, can you give us an overview of the research?”

After the read through I made index card summaries of key points. This had two benefits. Firstly, it helped reassure me that I *did* know my research, particularly the originality and contribution; secondly, I knew I had material to which I could refer in the viva. About a week before the viva, I went to the venue, just to familiarise myself with the layout.

The day of the viva

On the day I got up early and made sure I had something to eat. I checked I had my cards, the thesis, and pens. I then took a long walk into town, to burn off some nervous energy and avoid stewing at home.

When I got to the venue, the independent chair met me and said the examiners were ready if I was, or I could wait until the schedule time. I didn’t think waiting another 15 minutes would help, so in I went!

After the introductions and a run through of the process it was into the questions. The examiners were challenging and fair, which is what you want in a viva. After a few minutes I found I had relaxed into the viva and found it was a conversational process, and one I even began to enjoy!

The result

After just over an hour the examiners had asked all of their questions. I went outside to find my director of studies waiting- he’d come over from his holiday to be there! After about ten minutes we went in to get the decision, and I was told I had passed with no corrections. My main feeling in the moment was relief! But soon it sank in that I was now a Doctor, as I said to my wife when I called her. She then met me and my director of studies for the first of several celebrations.

Key tips

• You know best how you prepare, but here are some bits of advice
• Read and re-read the thesis. Make notes on the thesis, post-its… whatever works.
• Make sure you can set out the originality and contribution of your research.
• Remember- the examiners are there to assess you, not give you a hard time! Treat the viva as an opportunity to discuss something you care about with people who are interested in the topic.
• Take time to relax.

Good luck!