Thsnks Kronkondile. I am having a skivy day today shopping and meeting a friend. Tomorrow, I will start making the necessary changes as I have two weeks annnual leave from work and they need to be completed within 30 days. When I am back, work will be busy and I have a conference the week after. As you say, I am sure that will take my mind off things.

I think you have hit the nail on the head, I feel anticlimatic and I did not 'expect' to. Damn expectations!

Sorry, I was trigger happy and pressed send before finishing!

I think you are right, the PhD has been such a long haul, it is impossible to sit back and be more objective. I have always been hard on myself and self-doubt is such a big part of the PhD process, there is no reason why this should not extend to the viva! I am sure it will make more sense once the changes have been made and I have had more time to get used to it all.

Maybe it is because I never felt the PhD would end and now it alsmot has, that is a very odd concept for me!

Thanks for not making me feel silly about it.

Thanks 404 and Pea. Your replies are really helpful.

This is going to sound crazy but I can't shake this really odd feelings about the viva. I passed with minor corrections. I should therefore be ecstatic, I am not however.

I have been trying to figure out why as everyone else is really happy about it! I feel like I have not actually achieved anything and don't deserve the PhD. I don't feel I did as well in the viva as I could have done, so I am really cross with myself. I fell down on something really simple that I should have known (and do, it was just nerves). Once they started pursuing this line, I just lost my nerve with this area and must have appeared really stupid. That bothers me! I feel I let myself down and also my supervisor (my external was his external, I also know my internal really well too).

Am I going crazy or simply being too hard on myself? I keep trying to tell myself that if it was that bad, they would not have given me minor corrections.

Please feel free to tell me to get a grip.

Me too, I know what you mean insomniac. I hate going to bed with my brain buzzing as I know I won't sleep and then I get annoyed (and can't sleep even more)!

Hope you are feeling awake this morning.

I think it is possible personally. Can you share your concerns with your supervisor?

Coastman, thanks for the caravan holiday emoticon, I am loving that!

I will try and answer your questions 404. Yes the mock viva was useful. It was not so much about trying to predict what was asked but more about trying to provide a good enough, detailed answer at an appropriate level. I was worried I could not do this!

My supervisor did not attend. We decided that this was the best thing as I would be worried by him attending and he would hate not being able to speak! The examiners called him in to hear the decision and necessary changes etc.

There were some questions I could not answer straight away. I just said that I needed a minute to think about it and this seemed acceptable. I still felt pressure to start talking.

There were questions I did not expect and certainly things that I thought they would raise and they did not. Most of these were subject specific though. I don't think you can prepare for every question. I thought they would arrive with post it notes all over my thesis. In fact, the only copy with notes was mine!

Congratulations. Have fun!

Kronkondile, hope the crossing was not too uncomfortable. It went on for at least 2 1/2 hours (might have been slightly longer). The whole thing is still a blur to be honest.

Woo hoo, minor changes! I did not find out until about 4.50pm though, was a long one!

The whole thing is so odd as I can't quite believe it. Ah well, the celebrating will start and hopefully it will seem more 'real'.

Thanks guys.

Thanks, you are so lovely.

Thanks 404. I am still trying to revise which I know is pointless but I still feel the need to try and 'cram'. I am trying to remind myself that I did do the work so I should actually know it!

I promise to let you know the outcome (even if it is not so good).

I have my viva tomorrow afternoon and would really appreciate any good luck wishes or positive vibes.

Agh! Serious panic now and I feel like I don't know anything at all. Hopefully I will look more positive and confident that I actually feel!

Will keep you posted if my anxiety does not send me into a jibbering wreck by Monday.