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======= Date Modified 01 Feb 2012 18:28:58 =======
oh yes! I was asked what I was proud of and had to resist saying "I made it into this room". I was a complete nervous wreck and gulped down three glasses of water like they were vodka. I wish they had have been vodka!

Edit: can't type tonight.
Edit 2: def can't type -/best of luck with it Sneaks (up)

Yes I've posted about this here a lot. Others have outlined the 5 areas I highlighted, after reading Tinkler & Jackson's book on viva preparation. They're not questions, so much as areas you should think about how your research fits into. Thinking about them prepares you to answer an awfully wide range of viva questions. And, to be perfectly honest, this can be done really quickly. In just an hour or two at most. Jot down your ideas, perhaps in a bullet-point list, or a mind-map. Nothing more stellar than that. It's really fast.

I did very little viva preparation. I had very little time, due to the neurological disease. I thought about those 5 areas, and read my thesis. But that was about it. I didn't have, and didn't want, a mock viva.

I spoke to my husband about this earlier. He did even less preparation. He just read his thesis. And he passed too.

I'm not quite sure how someone could spend months doing viva preparation. Not usefully anyway.

Here's my standard spiel:

My viva preparation involved reading a viva preparation book (Tinkler and Jackson) to demystify the process, rereading and summarising my thesis to familiarise myself with it and spot typos (I took a list into the viva on the day and handed it out - all examiners/convenor were very grateful), and thinking about and memorising my answers to 5 key questions: originality of my thesis, contribution to knowledge, methodology, weaknesses/gaps/mistakes, and what would I do differently if starting again.

Don't worry about Tinkler & Jackson: you get plenty of viva advice here.
And you've already read your thesis.
As I said you can think about the 5 key areas really fast. You've plenty of time.

And just because you've said something in the thesis - like contribution - doesn't mean you shouldn't be prepared to talk about it on the day. The examiners will expect you to.

THanks Bilbo!

I'm struggling to think of the difference between originality and contribution to knowledge though!

I spose originality is "has anyone done this before"

And

Contribution to knowledge "what have you added?"

?

Yes. The way I sort of think of the difference is that originality was the niche research area that you identified at the start and have filled. Contribution to knowledge is what you then discovered during the course of your PhD. So yes they are sort of related, but still somewhat different.

Originality: What makes my research distinct from other research in the field, how is it different?

Contribution to knowledge: What has my research added, contributed to the field?

I wasn't asked about them either but felt I was losing ground during the viva and so made sure when I was picked up on the weaknesses of the work that I took the opportunity to also highlight the strengths (even though I wasn't asked) and went through them one by one (its originality and contribution to knowledge etc).

You blog is excellent. I'd urge you to promote it widely, if possible.

i was asked although not in those exact words but don't think I answered them all that well. It's hard to verbalise them so I would practice!

Hi Sneaks, also hello to the well known others in this thread,

Sneaks, first of all I think you will be fine, taking into account your postings on this forum, I think you will be one of the best prepared and probably one of the most gifted in this PhD process.

If you think you need to prepare more, then I would focus on the viva and say that should be your main priority over the next four days. Thus make sure that every day there is a fixed short episode for preparation, say one or two hours. Focus on "Bilbo's five".

The other things, like your article, although related, should not be the main priority and probably can wait for a few days (unless a deadline). Also the teaching can be low key, no need to do extensive preparation. If at all running out of time, perhaps say you are ill for a day. In one day you can do more than enough preparation.

Head up, you will pass!

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Hi Sneaks,

I don't have much else to add as I think everything has been pretty much covered but I just wanted to wish you good luck.

ps. I completely agree with Rick re: paper. Unless you have a deadline, focussing on your viva prep seems more important at the minute.

the paper was for a deadline, which I met. The top journal in my field had a call out specifically related to my topic, and I need one more submission for REF so it was essential I got it in. I did it though!

I had a mock-ish viva (well not relly) with someone yesterday, he just skim read my discussion and asked me a few questions. I don't think the questions were as in depth as they would be from my examiners (he's not in my field), so they were more as a layman would approach the work, but made me a bit more confident.

I'm really struggling with those broad questions e.g. "explain your PhD in 3 sentences" or "what are your key findings" - these are things my sup rips apart whenever I try to express them.

I'm also a bit peeed off as my only viva prep with sup has now been shortened by half :-(

The difference between people. Those broad questions would have been the making of me! Instead my examiners seemed to focus on the statistics, which is my weakness, but perhaps that's why as it would have been evident from my thesis.

I would LOVE stats questions haha! :-x