Signup date: 04 Dec 2006 at 2:30pm
Last login: 20 May 2021 at 5:48pm
Post count: 1225
I don't think that anybody can tell you that you need X hours per day. It depends on a lot of things, i.e. how productive you are, how fast/slow reader you are etc.
When I was doing my viva prep I read my thesis 3 times, made a list of possible viva q&a (and almost all the questions I got were from there) and read 3 or 4 of the main papers I had cited (two of them just before my viva and I got 2 questions out of them!!!!).
In total I don't think I spent more that 4-5 full days of preparing, spread into 4 weeks, as I was also working full time and I am not a native speaker of the language my thesis is written in.
Good luck!
If I were you, I think that I would prepare a presentation of my phd journey.... How I chose the topic, why there research questions, how smooth (or not) was the whole thing....
The examiners have your thesis in their hands and have already read it, so they know what's in it. Why tell them again? If they have quetions regarding your thesis they will ask, but they don't know the whole journey....
Good luck!!!
Well done RLD! You are more than half way there!!!!!
It is really good that the examiners explained what they want. It helps a lot!
I am sorry that you did not enjoy the experience, to tell you the truth I didn't either. It is s very stressful experience, although as time goes by you will feel better about it.
So, my graduation is in a couple of weeks. After the ceremony I would like to take my supervisors out for dinner. But, since I am not living in London, choosing a nice, but not so expensive, restaurant that offers a good vegetarian selection is quite tricky.
Can any of you suggest any place where we could have dinner?
Thanks!
First of all, congrats on submiting your thesis!!!!
Secondly, I'll tell you how I prepared for my viva..... I read my thesis 3 times and I knew it would be inside out. Then I made a list with all the viva questions that I could find. I also wrote answers to each question. The next step was to find all the answers in my thesis and fill my thesis with notes and post-its (and when I say I filled it I mean I FILLED it! There were so many little papers tham my examiners smiled when I took my copy out of my bag!). I also prepared a list of corrections, eventhough my supervisor advised me not to (for no particular reason).
It really helpd that I had a mock viva with my supervisor and another academic, eventhough it was just 2hours before the viva.
That was all! That was my preparation!
During the viva I had my thesis in front of me (with my post-its) and my notes with the answers yo the potential questions. The list of corrections was in my bag.
The viva lasted about an hour and I passed with (very) minor corrections....
Good luck!!!!!
I was working while studying for my phd. I had further difficulties, as I was working at a different country than where I studied, my native language is not English and my phd was in a UK university and my job had nothing to do eith my research .
I am not gojng to say that it is easy, but it is doable. It needs lots of organising and good time management.
I was working from 8 till 2, then I went to the gym for an hour, had lunch till 3:30 and started phd work at 4 till 8 or more if I still had stamina.....
I did it.
About a year after I started my phd my second supervisor retired from university and continued my supervision as an external. Six months before I dubmited my other/main supervisor also retired.
So, I finished my phd with 2 external supervisors.
I did not have any problem with either of ghem. They kept the deadlines they had set for feedback and they were both present at our meetings.
I guess it depends on the kind of person your supervisor is
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