My MSc thesis was submitted on Friday 2nd October (the deadline day). My Supervisor told me not to consider my Viva until the thesis was submitted as I would have plenty of time to prepare after the thesis itself was done.

My Supervisor emailed me on Friday 2nd asking for my Viva to be at 9.30am on Wednesday 7th. He knows I work full time yet expects me to produce an A1 sized poster, prepare and learn a 20 minute script, prepare answers to questions and get the poster printed, all before 9.30am on Wednesday. I'm not saying employed people should be given a later date, but perhaps nobody should be given a date within a week of submission??

I was also advised that I leave my thesis for a few days and go back to it with a fresh mind - how is this even possible?

I emailed my Supervisor back on Friday saying that I was expecting to have more preparation time and asked if the Viva can be rescheduled. I didn't receive a reply so I'm having to get the work done this weekend anyways (due to work commitments) incase it cannot be rescheduled. Even if I was unemployed I would only have 4 days!

I will only be able to print the poster at 9am on Wednesday morning at my University's print shop - which is a tight squeeze, especially if I'm not at the front of the queue! And the poster may print out completely wrong! I live 50 minutes away from University & the shop closes at 5pm (the time I finish work), so I can't get the poster printed on Monday/Tuesday.

What sort of durations have any of you had between your thesis submit and Viva date? Am I being unreasonable by asking for it to be rescheduled?

Also, I'm not looking for a sob story, but I was involved in a car crash on my way to submit the thesis so that has been taking up a lot of my mind! Talk about bad timing!

Hi MJ,

Wow I have never known such a fast turnaround from submission to viva. If you honestly feel you won't be at your best for the viva that quickly, I agree you should ask for the viva to be delayed. Remember though you and your supervisor want the same thing! So your supervisor would not have done this unless they thought you are ready. Interestingly I know a number of people who would want to swap places with you - the longer the gap the worse the nerves seem to get and the more doubts set in.

It is also important to remember the poster and presentation is really to benefit you! It will give you something to talk around in the viva, you are not going to pass or fail based on the poster or the presentation.

good luck with your viva.

Playing devils advocate here but surely you knew you had a viva and it was most likely sometime after submission (prior to your unfortunate accident)? Had you not already prepared for it?

That probably sounds harsher than it's meant. If you areally are in a bind and are struggling to get it completed by then - ask to change the date but it will probably only be by a day or two.

Don't get too stressed about it. You can't 'really' prepare for the questions as you don't know what they are! You will know everything about your thesis, leaving it and going back I found made no difference! It's 20m which is barely nothing. Don't paraphrase your thesis - they've read it already! Most people score more on their viva than their thesis.

Seems clear from the OP's post that they'd been advised not to do this prior to submission.

I'd agree with Tester's advice about considering whether or not you're ready for the viva. Since you've been affected by a car accident in the last few days, I wouldn't imagine you'd have much difficulty in stating that you need more time. Good luck whatever you decide to do.

It does seem a bit strange. My examiner contacted me with a list of possible dates and asked which was convenient. I wouldn't like a few days notice either! I'm sure it will go well MJ107 - at least everything is fresh in your mind.

I understand that they were told - I was implying they should take some responsibility to prepare for it themselves. I struggle to beleive that being told once "do not prepare for it until after submission" you nor you fellow students would ever raise the question again or prepare for it. That is certainly not my experience of a MSc.

If that is what was communicated by the supervisor I would be raising a formal complaint and demanding an extension.

Hey everyone!

Thanks for all of your replies. My Viva has successfully been rescheduled for the beginning of next week instead!

Turns out my Supervisor was setting a date earlier rather than later because he has booked a last minute holiday! How nice for him!

Anyways, I'm just glad to be given this weekend to really go back over the work I produced last weekend and better prepare what I'm planning to say during my speech.

In response to AOE26, I had already made an empty template for my poster prior to submission, and was aware of the fact that I would need to be talking about the implications of my findings and the research's strengths and weaknesses, though as I only finished writing the thesis the weekend before the submission, and then worked the weekdays in between, I hadn't had a chance to actual put anything into words and properly begin to prepare.

Thanks again for your opinions :)