Hiya,

I passed my viva the other day with minor corrections (or enhancements as they termed them!). I've spent the last few days trying to get used to it and it's quite a weird feeling. After all those years of slogging away at a PhD, 8 years in my case as I'm part-time, it was all over in an hour and a half's viva. It all seems a bit unreal, as one minute I was a stressed student trying to do my best in front of the examiners, and then it was 'congratulations Dr so and so'! I think it feels odd because you inevitably spend so much time and emotional energy building up to those final stages of submission then the viva that maybe it's bound to feel a bit strange. One of my supervisors asked whether I felt short-changed and would I have liked the viva to be a bit longer, but I wouldn't have really, the shorter the better followed by a pass was my ideal scenario!

The viva was ok, nice examiners, all very interested in my work, all in a good mood as they knew each other, had a nice lunch and liked the room they were in. I had my supervisor there as observer which was a good idea in retrospect, as she took notes throughout. It was useful talking to her about the questions they asked afterwards to see where they were coming from, as that'll help with doing the emendments. She agreed that some of the questions were a bit vague even for 'open questions', or more to do with individual examiner's personal preoccupations than my work. They explained what amendments they wanted in detail, and my supervisor took notes on that too, a good job as I really wasn't listening properly by then as I was revelling in having passed! The amendments were things like restructuring the conclusion to strengthen it, adding extra bits I said during the viva that they found really interesting but I had thought too mundane or obvious to write into the thesis.

The revision I did was mostly based on the Rowena Murray book, How to Survive your Viva, which I thought was really good for preparation, especially for the types of questions she suggests frequently come up across most disciplines. A colleague showed me his PhD revision which involved memorising keywords from every page of his thesis. I can see how that's helpful to know your work inside out, but I've always been crap at memorising things so it definitely didn't work for me. My sups said it was more important to hold the bigger picture of my research in my head rather than agonise over minute detail at that stage. They didn't ask me about specific citations or anywhere I'd referenced their own work, which I'd been worrying about. I think the most useful revision I did was to know my methodology inside out, both strengths and weaknesses, as that was a major part of the viva. And my mock was really useful as a precursor to the real thing, it really dissipated my nervousness a lot.

Then we gave the examiners a tour of the jewellery workshops as requested, then I went to the pub! :-)

I've agreed for mine to be present for all the reasons Bug said.

Walminski, I listen to stuff as an official break from the PhD so it probably doesn't happen enough to let me get sick of it. I can't work with music on, or at least anything with lyrics, however inane they might be occasionally! :-)

That's excellent! It's really competitive in the arts and humanities as you said, so you must be really good! :-)

Today's choice is Elvis (50's/60's) and Charlie Feathers, the more rockabillyish stuff. Not sure where it fits into your poll, Radio Kak probably!! :-) And yesterday it was the Jesus and Mary Chain.

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Alicepalace, that sounds horrible, extra stress on top of the actual viva! Do you reckon it affected your performance, ie by feeling uncomfortable?

I'm imagining I'll feel the same, getting home to put on comfortable but slightly scruffy clothes again!

Maybe the Duckie gay shame thing later this year would be interesting for you as it's themed around femininity this year. It's an alternative to gay pride events for people who don't fit into usual gay scenes or stereotypes, or just don't like them. I'm not gay, but their events I've been to when friends have been involved have always been funny and intelligent in the way they look at issues related to gender and sexuality that are relevant to everybody, gay or straight. I like them because they're unpretentious and don't take themselves too seriously, like some arty performance stuff is. EuroShame a few years ago was good for the ways it looked at what it means to be European, very friendly atmosphere too.

PS to the mods, I hope this doesn't constitute advertising.

I've been thinking about this too, as mine's this week. Not about men's clothes as I'm not one, but I was thinking that I should probably dress as if it's a job interview, to show I'm taking the whole process seriously. I'm trying to find something to wear in between being overly formal, which I hate and would feel very trussed up and uncomfortable in, and what I wear normally, ie more casual I suppose. I'm worried that if I wear something really different to usual it'll feel really alien and I won't perform very well. It will probably just be a skirt, blouse and plain pumps, though with slightly limited choices as I've noticed I've put on quite a bit of weight in the past few months and can't fit into several skirts now! :-s

What did other people wear for theirs?

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Thanks Smilodon!!

MH, it just seemed an obvious answer to your statement about not knowing what women want when they say they 'just want to be friends'.

'I just want to be friends with you' = 'I don't want to have sex with you' (generally). That's what it suggests to me. No mystery with hidden meanings about what women (or men) may or may not want. Maybe there are other things too, but I'd say that was top of the list. Unless I've misinterpreted you?

(I keep having to edit out typos - this viva revision must be getting to me!!)

Hello again. Why don't you ask your supervisor for a short suspension of studies so you can think about the whole situation more clearly? Maybe a few months. Then you'd have no PhD work to do, it would take off the pressure temporarily and you'd have the opportunity to see whether you were drawn back to the PhD subject, or maybe you'd never want to see it again. You'd be able to go back to it if that's what you decide, or would at least be able to make the right decision about alternatives. And you wouldn't be officially unemployed, though I have no idea about whether it would affect your specific funding arrangements - you'd have to check.

I'm sure your supervisor would want you to make the right decision, and if a breathing space ends up motivating you to stay, then that's great for the college. If not, at least you'd be making an informed choice if you do leave, and hopefully with no regrets about was it the right thing to do etc. I'm not a supervisor but I can't imagine any of them wanting to supervise someone whose heart isn't in it, as more problems are likely to build up when it draws towards its final stages, because it's really heavy going at times at the end. PhD students take time out for various reasons, personal or emotional problems, and health issues. A break helps you to get your head together, your health back to normal, or whatever the specific issues are for that student. There have been other posts on here from students who have got quite depressed with their PhD situations and have sorted out a suspension of studies. It helps you get back on track (or quit).

Anyway, it's just a thought. Hope you feel better today! (up)

Maybe try the head of research or postgraduate studies? You're more likely to be a statistic to them, as it's a less personal relationship than a student/supervisor one, and it would look better for the department's alumni stats if you did ok elsewhere.

If your CV is 'bloody marvellous' then maybe a lukewarm or non-committal reference won't make much difference. Presumably your 'genius' is evidenced in publications or elsewhere, which should help you. Otherwise, you'll just have to live with it as life is hard sometimes, as you've helpfully pointed out on other threads today.

Yes, me too Sleepyhead, I thought it was a rather arrogant comment. I also thought he'd got the wrong end of the stick in relation to the OP, who appears to have been rejected by a woman, rather than the other way round.