PhD defence

[soappyblue]

Thanks for everyone that commented on my previous post. I have 4 days left till my PhD Viva. I'm getting super anxious as the time is getting closer 🫣 I had my mock viva which went really well and my examiners didn't have any bad things to say about my defence. They loved the way I answered all the questions in lots of detail.
Now the issue is, my thesis isn't the greatest. Some of the findings and detail in my conclusion chapter lacks critical analysis. Can a great oral defence stop me from getting major corrections? Or is the oral defence just an extra thing? Thank you for reading

Impossible to tell from what you’ve said here. I don’t think there’s any point in trying to second-guess your examiners at this point. The thesis what it is, flaws and all. If asked, can you explain concisely and credibly, why your conclusion is weak, and what it needed to have to be stronger? Why was it submitted with these problems? How much work would it take to rectify them?

When prepping for my viva I was basically told that the purpose of a viva is to establish that you have made a unique contribution to the literature and to check that it is your own work! So don't worry too much about the actual content of your thesis if you see what I mean? Best of luck! FWIW, major corrections aren't the end of the world. One of my colleagues got them and it was a couple of days' job to make the corrections.

@mintgreensoftlilac thank you! I do have a major contribution which I am really positive about and can say so much about it. Just worried my written work may bring me down

T
@Tellerain just a few bits of the conclusion and findings lack critical thinking and more description. I don't think it should take a long time if needed to correct this. The main thing is I have a major contribution to research which makes my work strong

I’m still not clear on exactly what you think the problem is. The key criterion is a sufficiently significant contribution to knowledge, and you’re confident on that, so what exactly is wrong with the dissertation in your eyes? Presumably your supervisor signed off on its submission?

@Tellerain Yes, my supervisor was okay with me submitting...I guess I should just wait and see

Sounds like you'll be fine. You have something new to bring to the table, which is the main point. Sounds like minor corrections at worst. Which can be quickly fixed. Good luck, have confidence in yourself and your work!

@murasaki Thank you very much, I appreciate the positive response. It has made me feel more confident in my work!

I used to be admin PhD manager for a department and as I arranged the vivas, I could tell to the day when I was going to get a student in my office with the wobbles as I knew them all personally. One calming chat later and we were normally good. No major corrections in 17 years. They all knew their stuff, they were just stressed, and that's totally justifiable. But they know their thesis better than anyone else.

You'll be grand.

Just try to relax. People actually often find their vivas quite enjoyable! It will probably be the last time you get to have a really in-depth conversation about it with other people who’ve read it carefully and appreciate it. The last time I examined one, the candidate said afterwards she’d really enjoyed it, and that was not a flawless dissertation, either. Minor corrections. She’s revising it for publication now, for a good UP.

Hello guys, thanks for the support. Just had my viva today, I passed with minor corrections 🍾

Many congratulations - that's super news - hope you can relax now!

Well done! Hope you are actually feeling happy and relieved — I had a lovely lunch and champagne with DH, then suddenly felt terribly flat and went home and cried!