Hi Uncutlateralus

I'm so sorry to hear you did fail your viva as I remember your posts from before when you said you were very worried that it was going to happen. Your attitude, as the others have said, is really refreshing, humbling and admirable.

I'm in a different field but from what I know I would say that you will very likely pick up work here and there but may find it difficult to find that secure, pensionable full time job - probably to get that, you will need a PhD. Forgive me if you have already answered this, but are you hoping to get it sorted as an MPhil? That would make you stronger I imagine in the jobs department.

The best of luck with the future, and again sincerest comisserations on not getting through the viva - it sounds a pretty awful experience.

can't give you definitive answers as everybody's viva is different but what I did was read, read, read the thesis itself. If all else fails, you must know your own thesis. Then I tried (not wholly successfully) to ensure that I knew all the literature I had cited. Ask yourself and then try to verbalise: what you did, how you did it, originality/contribution to knowledge and what you might do differently and any possible limitations. Finally I was told to know how your work fits into the big picture (this I found difficult).

Best of luck with it (up)

I can get both for you; pm me where to send them and I will forward them on:-)

That's really helpful Catalinbond, or should I say Dr. Bond! and thanks so much also Socpol, Sneaks and Bewildered, really interesting ideas - all your sessions sound interesting, lucky students (up)

not sure if enjoyable is necessarily the word all right but I do think they should be different from lectures which incidentally I am also giving. So they're the tutorials of my own module. The quiz idea might work or at least some version of it. I didn't just want to set readings and then drag it out of them. If they don't engage those sort of tutorial sessions can seem reallllllly long:-(

the normal of about 15-20 students. Good for me in that I can repeat so less prep but I am finding it difficult to think of ways to make them enjoyable - are tutorials supposed to be enjoyable???? I can think of things for the second meeting but for the first one, I'm a bit stuck!

apols Puddleduck for gatecrashing your thread, although it is related:p

Where I'm at, each student goes to just two tutorials a semester which are quite a few weeks apart. I would really appreciate any ideas for these, given that I won't get to know them over the term.

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What a great post Jennie; many congratulations :-). It sounds like it was hard won but very well deserved. A present (gift) to go with your cake!

Wow Bewildered, that's a great answer. I will be running tutorials this semester with 1st years but in a topic WAY WAY out of my comfort zone. tbh I feel I will only be about 10 minutes ahead of them at times so I have been wondering how to structure them.

They are included as far as I am concerned. I actually lost track of my word count right at the end as I was cutting and pasting and deleted a lot just before submission. However the examiners (in my uni anyhow) are only given a hardcopy version and I don't think that either of them actually counted the words. It looked about right and I think it was about right. I would imagine word counts, to the extent that you are talking about, only come into play if it 'looks' seriously short or seriously long.

Chillax!

Don't think there is a right or wrong way to do it, save don't just give a monosyllabic yes or no answer. My problem was that some of the questions were very long. Don't jump straight in there with an answer. If it helps clarify back to them what you are being asked (gives you a bit of thinking time too). I brought in a notebook in which to write the main points of any questions; I thought it would give me time to think and formulate an answer. however I never took it out of my bag nor did I open the thesis I had brought with me complete with post it notes!!!! One piece of advice which I did implement was to keep referrring back to my thesis. Some of my questions were actually more like comments and I wasn't sure if I was supposed to answer.

It happens on the day and I wouldn't stress toooooo much about it - easier said than done I know. Even as I was walking through the door, I was thinking "I can't believe this day is actually here". I was v nervous and I probably came over as unfriendly. Lots of people cry and get emotional when they're told they have passed - me, I sort of nodded, said thank you but don't think I remembered to smile:$

I would keep it on the back-burner and let them mention it and then demonstrate that you're aware of it but that it's quite different etc etc. I wouldn't highlight any potential problems unless they mention them to you. I devoted quite a bit of time to recent research in my field pre viva but wasn't asked a single thing about it!

something arty and creative as I am neither:-( or one of those people who get to mind an island for a year, all alone (not sure what hubby, four kids or dog would think of that!) but I think it sounds bliss:-x

Hey Natassia - Best of luck Thursday (I sent you a p-message).
:-)

Okay I have managed to copy it into a word doc and will send you that but anybody who can access the much neater pdf version please send on :-)