Surviving a PhD viva

[Chemical Samile]

Hello all,

I'm currently finishing off my thesis at the moment and although it’s ambitious, I'm hoping to get a first draft written up by the end of January.

Once the draft is completed, I have a couple of mock vivas lined up with the read deal sometime in the next couple of months. Due to the absence of supervision from my advisor, however, I’ve not had any experience of a viva and have no clue what to expect.

Does anyone have any hints or tips on how to survive a viva and come through the other end with a happy result?

I am ever so slightly shitting myself at the moment whenever I think about it and any info about the process will alleviate some of my concerns I think.

Thanks

 

[satricion]

Can you attend someone else's to see what it's like beforehand?

 

[Chemical Samile]

Thats a great idea, but I don't think its possible. I'll ask my supervisor but I don't think there are any happening before mine.

I think the best thing I can do is prepare for the mock viva which will hopefully be happening very soon after I've finished the first draft. If I survive that then it'll be a massive relief. If it doesn't go so well at least I'll know why and can amend appropriately before the big one.

 

[Jerry Atrick]

Judging by your vocabulary (thesis instead of dissertation), I'm assuming you are not in the United States.

So forgive me if I sound ignorant when I ask: What is a "viva"?

Is that like your oral exam or dissertation (thesis) defense?

 

[Chemical Samile]

Hit the nail on the head - the viva is the oral exam where I defend my thesis. I'm in the UK and wasn't aware it was called anything else in the States, my apologies.

Any tips on surviving the defense?

 

[*=Regulator=*]

I'd suggest you really try to get your supervisor more involved with your thesis. If that isn't possible for whatever reason, try to get a new supervisor. I would never have survived my thesis (or got the work published) without the extensive support I got from my supervisor. You have them for a reason. A couple of my fellow students went down in flames because their supervisors didn't do their job.

If you're not getting the support you require, first raise it directly with the supervisor and if you don't get a satisfactory response, tell the faculty head. The last thing you want to do is waste 3 years of your life.

 

[Nibblez]

Ask others to critique your thesis and feed off their comments of course!