I submitted my thesis 7 weeks ago and have my viva this coming Thursday…. panic!!

I have read all the online guides and prepared some general and more specific questions for each. I have also had a run through using these questions with my poor mother (who is also sick to death of this). I have read through my thesis which made me feel physically sick at the prospect of going over it again. I have also completed some crib sheets of the main points in each chapter and have made a list of the main theorists, findings, sample size etc.



That probably sounds like I am very organised and prepared, but I feel terrified. I am far better at expressing myself with the written word, compared to a face to face discussion. I'm worried i am going to get brain drain and forget everything when I go in there, probably because I'll be so nervous. I think my main fear is the examiners saying "so... you referenced so and so on pg98 - can you tell me about this study. Fair question if it is one of the main theorists, but if it's just a study I happen to have referenced I'm scared I will have forgotten. As I said, I have tried to write a list of the key ones and hope that my examiners won't mind me referring to this of needs be. Can anyone who has been through this awful process advise on whether examiners tend to refer to specific studies in your lit review – obviously I’m assuming you have to discuss your main ones.



Help….. before I go completely insane and decide to book a last minute flight to Barbados on Thurs morning!

It is highly unlikely you will be asked about an obscure reference in your viva. More likely they will be interested in what your contribution to nkowledge is, how you arrived at your methodology, what the altenatives might have been and why you neded up not using those alternatives, what sources of primary data you used and didn't use, and why that was the case, etc., etc.

Also remember that you can take all of your notes into the viva and consult them if you like.

It's a general rule of thumb that you can say "good question, I'd have to think about that further" as a fudge answer once in your viva without any negatiev consequences (although try not to do it too much) - you can also ask to come back to particular topics at the end. It's not an exam as such, it's a discussion about your work and what it means for the discipline as a whole. Your examiners will already have an idea of the level of correction required before the viva begins.

Thanks for that. I know, the thought that they have already made up their minds (major corrections) and I am sitting here stressing about it seems utterly ridiculous. Your info has calmed me down. I was worried they were going to quiz me on all the lit I have read. My brain is already full to bursting and the thought of trying to retain more potentially useless facts is depressing. I am trying to go through the questions and actually voice them, so that I am able to talk about them coherently. I am pretty clear re: the contribution of my research and the strengths and limitations and because I have constantly doubted myself throughout my phd I think I have just about thought of every criticism or limitations of my research. I am just hoping I don’t get caught like a rabbit in the headlights, hopefully having some notes will help to chill me out a bit…. Hopefully!

Hi Carrie,
IN my opinion, the best thing for you to do now is relax!
I had my viva five weeks ago. I got so worked up and didn't sleep properly for ages before it.
I enjoyed my viva and I think from people that I have spoken to having been through it, tend to agree.
You've done the hard work now.
You supervisor SHOULD not of let you submit if they had any doubts about it passing.
Hope this helps!
xx

That's good advice and congrats for getting through it and living to tell the tale. I know a few people have said they enjoyed their viva - fingers crossed I will feel the same. At the moment all I have are negative thoughts, but i'm sure that's normal. I feel confident about answering questions about my study and I do think I will enjoy that part of the viva. However, I am concerned about my ability to handle questions that are less obvious and therefore I may not have prepped for.
I intend to try and relax as much as I possibly can - particularly as I have a stinking cold :( hope it clears by Thurs!
x

And stay away from reading about viva experiences on the internet! There's all kinds of horror stories - even more depressing than an episode of Eastender's. The reality is that the great majority of PhD candidates pass their viva's. So good luck. :-)