A big step up – My PhD Viva story

March 28th, 2013 | Posted by PhDViva in Viva Stories - (0 Comments)

A big step up by Thomas Woolley

In England you’re pretty much set in school until you are 16, where you will sit GCSEs. After that you can choose to go to college, where you will do A levels. If you are still not bored with the educational system you can venture on to university to do a bachelor’s or master’s degree and, finally, if they still cannot get rid of you there is always the possibility of becoming a doctor in your chosen subject.

Whenever you transition from one of the stages to the next you always get the warning:

“You’ll have to work harder than ever before. This next stage is a big step up from what you are used to”.

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It Goes Fast – by Elizabeth Kate Switaj

January 15th, 2013 | Posted by PhDViva in Viva Stories - (0 Comments)

My PhD Viva Story by Elizabeth Kate Switaj

In some ways, I am writing this to figure out what just happened. There is nothing like a viva, and it goes fast. I woke up on the second of November, put on a brown suit, walked to the School of English of Queen’s University Belfast where I had been hundreds of times before, and an hour and a half later, I was a doctor. Three years of work on one project are done, and I have what I have been told adds up to an afternoon of work to do before taking my thesis to the binders.

As rites of passage go, it’s no Klingon Age of Ascension Ceremony. There are no pain sticks, though it is certainly a challenge.

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I was surprisingly calm about my viva – Dr James Stanier

January 15th, 2013 | Posted by PhDViva in Viva Stories - (0 Comments)

My PhD viva story by Dr James Stanier*

I had my PhD viva on October 14th 2011, which was about 5.5 months after I submitted. I had the date rearranged once because my external examiner was unable to make the first date closer to the time.

I must admit, after hearing everyone’s stories of nerves and breakdowns I was surprisingly calm about my viva. Although I have a feeling it’s because I was already in my new job when the date rolled around, and I was at work right up until the day itself. I didn’t have that much time to dwell on it. A few weeks before the viva I asked my supervisor how much he thought I should prepare; he said just to give it a couple of read-throughs during the week before, and that I shouldn’t worry too much. (more…)

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No one battles dragons or lions and comes away from the fight bragging about it.

April 13th, 2012 | Posted by PhDViva in Viva Stories - (0 Comments)

My PhD Viva story by Allan L. Branson*

To deliver a bit of my back story I am a 54 year old African American male, police supervisor (Lieutenant assigned to the Internal Affairs Division) in Philadelphia and adjunct professor at Chestnut Hill College. I defended in 2011. I should say that the experience is not one easily forgotten, nor should it be. I was literally a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, is based on my childhood growing up in that part of New England and the formal proceedings of the viva. I was a DL student enrolled at The University of Leicester’s Department of Criminology. (more…)

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I enjoyed my Viva by @weeladybird1981

March 5th, 2012 | Posted by PhDViva in Viva Stories - (4 Comments)

Last week I had my PhD viva. I still can’t believe it’s over; I can’t believe I’ve come through it and joined the ranks of the ‘viva survivors’. Most of all, I can’t believe I can truthfully say the following words: I enjoyed it. Who’d have thought that could happen?!

In the weeks before my viva, numerous people told me to enjoy it. I smiled doubtfully and said I would try to. The viva had been something I’d tried not to think about during the three years of doing my PhD. The mention of the word ‘viva’ gave me butterflies so I adopted my tried and tested approach to such scenarios – the good old head in the sand tactic. Fingers-in-ears-la-la-la-no-viva-thoughts-here-la-la-la. I considered the viva something I would deal with in the VERY FAR AWAY distant future and so got on with the job of writing the PhD. Before I knew it, though, I had submitted my thesis. It was the end of November 2011. My viva was to be held at some point in February 2012. I decided not to focus on it until I’d had a break for a few weeks (alternative interpretation: fingers-in-ears-la-la-la…). (more…)

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