Good luck yellowtreble! I will be joining you in viva land on Thursday :-)

As I have only just had my proposal accepted I am such a long way from what you are going through but having sat exams at 6months and submitted my MA thesis three weeks before giving birth, I really feel for you - will be thinking of you (and everyone else) going through the viva. :-)

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yellowtreble HOW DID IT GO?

I hope it went well or perhapse it is going well!!!
Please let us know the details once you have the opportunity:-)

I cannot imagine how you are feeling...I am so stressed just of the idea it is coming...waiting to come into the room...being asked the first question...finding the right words....or perhaps nothing nothing coming out of my mouth...oh god!

I am starting to doubt even more on my knowledge as my brain is playing some tricks...

A QUESTION please: Are we suppose to memorize our thesis? If we forget something can we consult the thesis during the VIVA? Does it look bad to do it? Do we have to remember the references...I mean all of them...some of them I read ages ago and I am sure with the stress I won't automatically remember all of them....anyway I am so bad at remembering names and dates...

Hope some of you will advice on that

RELAX :)

Ok no you're not expected to memorise your thesis.

You can consult it during the viva (make sure you take it wih you on the day).

And no you don't have to remember the references. Actually I wasn't asked about any of mine ...

I wonder how that lady got on?

I hope she didn't go into early labour due to the stress of it all.. :$

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Thanks BilboBaggins, I know I should relax but it is so hard to do. Tomorrow I will try to go to the swimming pool to relax.

CairoTango, who is the other pregnant woman? Somebody is in the same situation as me?
If it is the case I also hope she didn't go into labour because of the stress, this is my worst nightmare
I try to control the stress as much as I can be as the days pass by my brain becomes empty and then the stress emerges...
I want to run away to a different planet but then I will never know the answer on my work.

I read one chapter a last time then try to sleep.

Good night everyone.

VIVA minus 2 days!!!!!!

Squiggles yours is tomorrow, how are you feeling today? What are your plans for the days?


Today I might go to my university to assist at a seminar, in fact i don't really want to but apparently it will take my mind of things and help me...no to sure...but anyway my brain is dead so I'll see

yellowtreble No NEWS! please tell us! :-)

Good luck to you Squiggles, is it morning or afternoon?

Time is flying...so much left to read and read and read... why oh why did I start this PhD...the sun is shining, people having fun without thinking of their hypothesis, methodology and evaluations....life is so unfair :-(:-(:-(

But then you think after Friday I might be one of them :-):-):-) sad or happy at leat I will be free... I am dreaming once you start a PhD you accept that you will never be free....you mind has been taken by science.

Lol, my mind has been taken over by history ;-) How are you bearing up? You do realise childbirth will be a piece of cake after this, just try and hang onto little one during the viva or it will be one for the examiners to remember ;-)

I do really feel for you, I'm still 2nd year so a long way off for me yet, but even now just the thought has me in a panic, but it will be ok. If I've learnt anything from hanging out here with these guys its that it seems that the viva is never as bad as they thought it would be, they've done so well and are now Drs and on Friday evening you will be too - just think, a whole weekend chilling while the rest of us continue with the grind :-)

Hi Stressed,

Thanks for the encouragements...child birth a piece of cake...let me think....no I don't want to think about it...
One thing is sure, I am dead stressed for tomorrow but as you said and so many told me...it will be over! (I hope)
I go back to some reading and then will go out to chill out...

GOOD LUCK squiggles,

I understand and can imagine how you are feeling, I anticipate the same stomach feeling...don't forget to breath apparently it helps
I will be thinking of you all afternoon, it is nearly the end. I am so excited for you.
Please let us know how it went as soon as you can.
I wish you all the BEST! and hope you will be a DOC by this evening :-):-):-):-):-)

Hi guys,
Sorry I haven't been back on the forum since Tuesday! You will be all glad to hear that I passed with minor corrections on Tuesday, mostly typo's and clarification of a few paragrapghs. My internal thinks i should be able to go out in july graduation.
I was in the viva just under 2 hours. It went so quickly, and to me the examiners seemed to skip over huge lumps of my data. Only had to really defend my point about 3 times but the rest was formatting critism which you have to just take on the chin. Even better when I got out my co-sup had sent a bottle of bubbles down for me - which was promptly consumed.
So chin up everyone - read the thesis, you know what you wrote so thats the best preparation advice I can give to those having their vivas this week.
Big thank you to everyone on the forum who has helped me through the process. Need to crack on with the corrections. :-)