How to Handle Viva Stress: A Step-by-Step Guide to Preparing for Your PhD Viva

Are you worried about your future PhD viva, and wondering how to prepare for a viva master's? You’re not alone. To the majority of research students in the UK, the viva is the last obstacle after years of hard work, and, of course, viva stress sets in. It is the period when you need to present your thesis, describe your results, and prove your knowledge.

However, the fact is, the PhD viva is not designed to ruin you. It is expected that you will celebrate your studies. It is long overdue that you enter the right state of mind, equipped and with realistic plans in mind, so that when you sit before your examiners, you can turn the pressure into your opportunities.

This guide will take you through the process of viva preparation, stress management, pre-viva, during viva and post-viva processes step-by-step.

Why you might get Viva Stress

Whenever you are worried about how to prepare for a viva phd? This is your first sign of getting nervous about your viva. There is nothing to worry about. There are three main causes of viva stress: uncertainty, self-doubt, and pressure.

A PhD viva (also known as viva voice and abbreviated as viva in Latin, which means by live voice) is an oral examination in the United Kingdom, typically taking 1 to 3 hours. You sit between internal and external examiners whose questions are on your methodology, results and interpretations.

Most of these students are stressed due to:

• They are not aware of the type of PhD viva questions that are going to arise.

• They are afraid of being judged or having no idea.

• They do not have a proper understanding of their familiarity with their research.

• It is important to know that stress is an indicator of care, and not a sign of weakness. When you are familiar with what to expect, you will be able to handle viva exam anxiety to a much better extent.

Step 1: PhD Viva: What to Expect in the UK

First step for your How to prepare for a viva PhD: It is useful to demystify the procedure of viva preparation before the actual preparation. Generally, every UK university follows the same pattern for Phd Viva:

• Being presented either online or in person.

• Invites two examiners, one internal (one from your university) and one external (one from a different institution).

• Lasts between 1 to 3 hours.

• Offers alternative to another, which are: pass, minor corrections, major corrections and resubmission (nearly impossible).

By knowing these basics, you will be in a position to reduce the viva stress as you will no longer be afraid of what to expect. Your examiners will not be there to fail you; they are there to help you work to the standards of the doctoral work and to listen to you personally.

Step 2: Viva Preparation - Getting Early On.

Certain things can be effectively handled during viva stress when they are at an early stage. The preparation should ideally begin just after you are through with the thesis, after spending some time resting of mind.

How to Prepare for a Viva: The Key Milestones.

• Go through your thesis at least 2 times.

• Note down on the margin of the paper, highlight the most significant things and summarise each chapter in your own words.

• This reminds you of your thought process when a question was posed to you in your PhD interview.

• Know your weaknesses and strengths.

• Examiners often ask about limitations or areas of work in future. You are to be ready to discuss them without any doubts.

Review your references

Be sure you can be competent to justify your reasons why you used certain techniques or used certain references to reference, especially in methodology chapters.

• Learn what you bring.

• Be ready to give out what your research is special - the foundation of any successful PhD viva.

• Plan your answers.

The last thing you should do is memorise; you should train yourself in the way to explain your ideas as naturally as possible, as though you were having some form of academic conversation.

Use mock Vivas

You may be asked by your supervisor or colleagues some difficult PhD viva questions. This will give a sense of confidence and reveal what is weak.

Step 3: Viva Preparation Checklist (PRP) PhD

This is a brief list to take into consideration to make your viva process organised and not so frightening:

• Note down: Note down all your main points of the thesis on either sticky notes or on colour tabs so that you can see them every time you sit down to prepare for Viva, and you remember them quickly.

• Overview: Prepare an overview for each chapter in 3 or 4 points. Summarise everything you have done in your thesis in those 3 to 4 points.

• Prepare your own questions: There are simple and most common questions that are asked, like what is the reason you selected this method, and what were the main findings of your thesis. Prepare an answer for these common questions and keep rehearsing more than 10 times.

• Check the publication of your examiners: You need to research this, get the names of people who are going to examine you. Search if any one of them has researched your similar topic, this will help you prepare for who is going to ask you more questions.

• Train yourself: You need to answer confidently in your Viva; for that, you need to train yourself. Try answering questions in front of a mirror, a camera or your friends.

• Be prepared: On the day of Viva, be prepared with everything, decide on your outfit, the one that gives you confidence and looks decent. Sleep properly before the day of Viva.

Keep this complete checklist and do everything accordingly, and you will automatically start feeling that you are not under stress anymore. The only feeling you will have on the day of Viva will be excitement. 

Step 4: How to deal with Viva Stress on The Big Day

However much you can prepare yourself, it is normal to be a bit nervous, even before your PhD viva. However, too much viva exam anxiety may cloud your work, so here are the tips to remain calm:

Mindset Reset

Keep in mind that the Viva is a memory test and not an understanding test. You are the guru in your business. The examiners are just interested in exploring your thoughts, not assaulting them.

You should stand there with confidence, knowing that they are simply fans of your thesis and are there to clear their doubts. Convince yourself to answer everything gracefully and have the confidence that whatever they ask is just a doubt.

If you are not able to understand a question, there is nothing wrong in asking them to explain that question; they will not judge you or be rude to you, and they will surely explain that in simple language. If you start answering questions in the wrong sense, then there is an issue.

Do not start your answer as soon as the question ends; take a breath and then answer the question. Taking your time is the sign of composure and good gracious. This shows you are not among those who start yapping before thinking.

In case of doubt, put your answer in the context of reflection:

“That’s an interesting point. My thoughts changed in this process as I researched it out…”

Manage Physical Stress

For physical stress, there are a few things you can do so that you can manage that physical stress, where you might be moving your leg too much and having shaky hands.

Drink water, stay hydrated and avoid drinking any type of beverage that contains caffeine.

As soon as it's your turn, take a deep breath, relax, drop your shoulders and use a slow breathing technique.

When you enter the room, take your time and observe the environment, which will make you feel relaxed.

Dealing with “Viva Nerves”

It is important to remember that everybody has viva nerves. It is not to struggle with them but to collaborate with them - make use of that adrenaline as focus.

Hint: You have done a master masters viva, so you should lean on the experience you have had, it is similar but more involved. The fact that both PhD viva and master’s viva are mentioned here is also beneficial to the readers working at various academic levels.

Step 5: Reflect and Move Forward after the Viva - De-Stress

When it's over, breathe! Your PhD viva may be a great period, but it is followed by another important period.

However, when you are being corrected, that is absolutely normal, and the majority of the UK applicants are. Take rest before you start with your edits, you deserve the rest you are taking, so be sure you take it the way you want. You need to start your edits with a mindset that your biggest hurdle has been crossed, and now there are small hurdles for making that perfect thesis.

Post-viva tips:

·       Ask your supervisor to provide feedback.

·       Go out, have something, or see friends; you deserve it.

·       Write about what you have gone through to benefit the students of the future and get out of the viva stress.

Conclusion

In last, any viva before your PhD can be frightening, but by that point, you have already completed the most difficult part, writing your thesis. When you have learned how to prepare for a viva PhD, and have started good viva preparation, self-awareness, and practical coping skills, you will be in a position to deal with viva stress and go into that room feeling confident and calm.

All candidates are nervous, but with each response, you will know that you are competent, ready, and deserve that doctoral designation. And therefore, deep breath, have faith in your path, and present to you who will examine you, the researcher that you are.