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Original poster

Viva!

12 replies

benito · 15/02/2011 16:38

Panic, panic. I submitted three months ago and have now been given two weeks notice of my viva.

Half term is next week so I will have no time to myself. We were supposed to be going away for the first part and then it is my son's birthday that week. I will be off on my own with the kids.

This leaves me with the next two days - or mornings (I have a son with Asperger's who is in part-time schooling) as we are away for a weekend from Friday to Monday.

Aaaarggh. I don't feel this is enough time. I haven't looked at it in months.

I live 3-4 hours away from Uni and have never been there so I've never had any viva training.

Do you think this is enough time? Shall I try and postpone? It's taken me years to get to this stage part-time. I don't want to put it off unnecessarily but I don't want to mess up.

I've had no feedback save from my supervisor.

HELP!!!!

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jennyo77 · 15/02/2011 19:20

Hi.
Don't panic!
I am not sure what it is that you are studying but the best advice I can give is what was given to me.
You may not have looked at it for a few months but given that you have spent years doing it you really are the expert.
After the first 30 mins of my viva I actually enjoyed it. When else are you going to get a captive audience of people who are actually interested in what you have been doing?
what is the viva for?
usually there is not a lot of preparation you can do, other than the years you spent getting to this point.

good luck.

Original poster
benito · 15/02/2011 19:23

Thanks. What did you do to prepare then? Just go through your thesis? Mine is in law.

Did you make sure you are aware of any developments since?

Be honest!

OP posts:
peppapighastakenovermylife · 15/02/2011 19:27

I did the following to prepare

  • Actually read the damn thing Grin
  • Tried to work out what was wrong with it and how I would answer that
  • Came up with what I thought was interesting about it and what research I could do next
  • Summarised each chapter
  • Summarised the whole thing

(I then made notes of these to stick in the thesis so if asked I could almost read them!)

  • Worked out answers to obvious questions such as why did you chose to do this, what did you do, tell us a bit about it
  • Searched for and read any updated literature
  • Made sure I knew my examiners papers inside out

Relax Smile. Seriously. It is nowhere near as bad as you think. More of a conversation / debate than anything. Good luck!

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Original poster
benito · 15/02/2011 22:53

Thanks.That is really helpful. I could do that but the problem is that I need about a week to do it and I just don't have it.

If it was the week after half term, it wouldn't be so bad but I'm going to lose all half term. My husband is out of the house 8-7 every day and I have two kids.

So, I have tomorrow morning and Thurs morning and then we're away for a pre-booked long weekend until Monday.

I want to get this over with but I've just emerged from a battle to get a statement for my son who is still not in school full-time as he doesn't have the necessary support. I literally cannot do anything when I am at home with him and my 5 year old.

Should I just do my best or try and get the date moved?

OP posts:
jennyo77 · 15/02/2011 23:28

Hi.
My Ph.D viva was in science so maybe very different to you. But to prepare:
I read it
I googled my examiners and read over some of their papers
I spent far to long worrying
All this took about a day, so in your shoes I'd go for it and get it done and dusted.
Not sure what the system is you have to go through but it was the corrections afterwards that were soul destroying.

Good luck

peppapighastakenovermylife · 16/02/2011 10:40

I would just do what you can - a couple of hours in the evenings maybe? Can your DH take any leave even just for a day or so?

I wouldnt try and move it...might be weeks or even months before they find a date they can all do again.

To be honest most of my prep was just to soothe my mind - am not sure I learnt anything new.

Original poster
benito · 25/02/2011 10:33

Thanks for your posts. I decided to bite the bullet and I'm going ahead with it for Tuesday.

I managed to get hold of my supervisor in the week but that was a bit frustrating. I've never attended campus throughout my period of study but have seen him for occasional panels and he has, of course, looked at my chapters and the final thesis.

As I was submitting chapters, he flagged up the need to ensure they all fitted together. So, I made great efforts to ensure coherence when putting my final thesis together. He described it as 'very impressive as a whole'.

Then, talking to him this week on the phone, he started to go on again about the need to explain why it all fitted together just as he had raised as I submitted chapters.

I emailed him after to ask for his view on how it all fitted together and have had no response. That was 4 days ago.

I get the feeling that he doesn't always remember what my thesis is about! It's so frustrating as I feel I've had no guidance on this. It's not like I live and breathe the subject like some other PhD students do. With kids, one with special needs, statementing, work and everything else it is usually the last thing on my list.

Statrting to panic now!

OP posts:
Concordia · 26/02/2011 20:46

Good luck for next Tuesday.
Don't panic, it doesn't sound like you have had the most helpful supervisor or easiest circumstances but you have written up despite this.
I am sure you will be fine.
Peppa pig's suggestions make sense (wish i coudl take her to my viva with me really) i am still writing up so don't have much to suggest.
have you tried googling viva preparation and see what comes up?

Original poster
benito · 27/02/2011 19:45

Thanks - I keep horrifying myself with what I find on the internet!

And I spotted some mixed up references - op.cit. numbers wrong

And I don't like my first chapters

And I haven't had time to brush up on all the literature...

Tell me to calm down!! Tell me I won't fail by being crap if my thesis is ok!

Do you know anyone who has been failed at this stage...... starting to panic Confused

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Original poster
benito · 27/02/2011 19:49

That should be first chapter - others are ok I think.

This needs a little redrafting to make it fit better.

Do you think I should say that up front?

OP posts:
ViolaTricolor · 27/02/2011 19:50

You sound far too conscientious to fail! I didn't have much chance to prepare for my viva and it was really fine. I read the thing through, and revisited a couple (and I mean a couple) of the most central bits of literature, but that really was it. I don't think you need training -- I was certainly never offered any despite being on site in a very hands-on institution. You're the expert on what you did, and you really should be able to handle whatever they ask you. Even though they are greater academic authorities, you're the authority on your project. Truly! And you need to get into that mindset. Even if they ask aggressive questions, it's because they want to hear what you can do with them.

Concordia · 16/03/2011 16:16

how did it go benito?

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