Hello,

This is my first post - I've been lurking for a while and I'm just grateful that I found you all ,-)

Anyway, to cut a very long short, I am in the re-submit phase of my PhD. I'm in year 10 because I am part-time student but full-time lecturer. I am a mathematician by first degree but am now working in economics. Due to poor supervision (Director of Studies with no PhD, second supervisor who claimed to know what he was doing and didn't, third supervisor who'd like me to fail, no supervisory meetings ever, supervisors not understanding that maths and economics are very different subjects, blah blah blah, you get the picture) I got major revisions and a re-viva.

My question is have any of you had a re-viva? I'm not entirely sure what it's for - the examiners (I had two externals because I'm a member of staff) told me that I didn't need to do any more research but needed to beef up the thesis (i.e. explain EVERYTHING in detail). I presume the re-viva is because they weren't convinced I knew what I was doing but I'd like to know. Has anyone been through one? Did you survive? ,-)

Sarah :-)

Good luck with it! I'm sure it'll be better the second time around. Are there any stats on how common this is (just because I enjoy fuelling my 3am cold-sweat doom fantasies).

Sarah,
Usually when u give ur Viva, the externals give a written feed back form. Did u get urs?? If yes then it would be really easy to just follow what mistakes they have pointed and correct them.....Other than that I dont know anything else regarding this
......I am sure u will survive!!!! and come out with flying colors.
Gud luck!!!

Thanks for the good luck wishes. 

I should have clarified that I am currently re-working the thesis according to the examiner' s massive (but fair) list! I've looked at our uni regulations and others but nowhere does it say the purpose of the second viva.  I suppose it's because you are essentially submitting a new thesis. So I've answered my own question.  D'oh!

Anyway, any success stories would be welcomed just to make us feel better    
:-)

I'd be interested in this too as I am in the same boat Sarah, and yet no-one I've talked to has any experience of it. The most I've got is expressions of surprise quickly followed by pity.

All I can do is wish you the very best of luck, I guess at least you know that they are only going to focus on the amendments as my understanding of the situation, from my supervisors, is that they cannot bring new issues to the table and what they have not mentioned in the first viva should be off-topic at the second.

let us know how it goes, I am dreading mine with a vengeance as I had a deeply unpleasant experience at the first.

xx

Just wondered if anyone had any information or experiences they could share?
Ta.

Angelofthenorth I've found out a bit more.  A re-submit acts almost as a first attempt in that they can give you further corrections (you might want to check that this is the case in your university). This is good and bad.  At least if you don't quite meet the criteria the examiners laid down they can get you to do a bit more rather than fail. Of course it means more work but rather that than fail.  One of my colleagues had several rounds of corrections before he was given his. As you said, they can't bring anything up that they did not specify in the corrections list that they gave you.  I have been given the impression by more than one person that if they were going to fail you, they would have done it at the first submission. Although you can't guarantee they will pass you, the likelihood is that they will eventually even if a few more revisions are required.  So it sounds as if we'll be okay eventually (fingers crossed)
(up)

Thanks for that info Sarah. It still sticks in the gullet but I guess we have to just have to 'suck it up' as Americans say!

BTW, when do you have to resubmit by?

Angelofthenorth, I have to submit by 24th October. ARGH!

It still annoys me too because my research was fine, it was the lit review that was the problem and the examiners basically let me know that I was given poor supervision.

Sarah -> Aaargh!! I feel for you. My deadline is mid March, sadly I've had about six months now though and achieved very little so far. Head down this weekend.

On the plus side I did hear a story yesterday from a colleague who knew someone in our position that when they re-submitted the examiners decided to waive the second viva - we can live in hope!? I also know from a previous conversation with some admin people in my institution and for the re-viva there will be no travel / subs etc paid to the external. I know it's a long shot but it's a nice thought to hold.

So, keep working and let me know how you get on. It's really helped knowing that I'm not alone in this crappy situation.

I finally graduated with my Ph.D. this summer, after seven years and two vivas. In my case the re-viva may have been slightly different, as I had been given two new examiners; my original internal had been reassigned as my supervisor, whilst the external was deemed unsuitable. During the re-viva, the examiners went through the whole of my thesis chapter by chapter, asking me just about everything they could think of; fortunately they were unable to catch me out on anything. However, another student I knew, who finally graduated after eight years, had a very short re-viva, during which they seemed to just establish that he had completed the chapters that were missing from his thesis the first time round.

Dave

Thanks Dave, it's always good to hear positive news. My next one is in January so at least I get Christmas off (up)