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*****************Part 1: The day before my viva:***************************

I read through my thesis summary questions:

Basically for each chapter, I wrote answers for the following questions:

1. basic definitions of the chapter.
2. what was known before?
3. what is the chapter based on ?
4. what was the result ?
5. importance of the result?
6. how was the experiment carried out? using which method?
7. limitations of the method
8. strengths of the method.
9. future experiments?

To keep myself calm I used this trick of using a deck of cards, each suit represented a different chapter, and the number on the card represented the question I was to read. I went through the deck of cards. and the face cards, meant I could take a little break. It was a way of tricking myself to revise, without feeling overwelmed. I would just say to myself. just play the deck of cards!

-- Around 10pm, I finished reading that. And actually I was planning on going to bed early, cause I had to get up at 6am, but I wasnt tired and I wanted to re-read some papers. So I took a stack of papers to bed, and skimmed through them until around midnight, then I put them away and went to sleep.

Part 2 to continue....

======= Date Modified 29 Sep 2009 13:33:51 =======

Part 1:

The day before my viva:
I read through my thesis summary questions: Basically for each chapter, I wrote answers for specific questions which I will post below:

To keep myself calm I used this trick of using a deck of cards, each suit represented a different chapter, and the number on the card represented the question I was to read. I went through the deck of cards. and the face cards, meant I could take a little break. It was a way of tricking myself to revise, without feeling overwelmed. I would just say to myself. just play the deck of cards!
--
Around 10pm, I finished reading that. And actually I was planning on going to bed early, cause I had to get up at 6am, but I wasnt tired and I wanted to re-read some papers. So I took a stack of papers to bed, and skimmed through them until around midnight, then I put them away and went to sleep.

Part 2 to continue....

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I finally have my very own "I passed my Phd Viva!!!" Thread!! yipeeeeeeeeeee!!!! :-) :-) :-) :-)

I can now say officially, I have passed my Phd :-) wow sounds so weird and alien coming from me! I thought I would never see the day, that I would be able to say that. Still feels very surreal and I still feel like it's a dream.

Ever since I joined this forum, I have looked up in admiration for all those before me that have conquered their vivas and thought to myself. *sigh* I wish one day that will be me :-)
--
Before I describe abit about my viva. I want to thank each and every single member of this forum, you all have been such an inspiration to me, I absolutely could not have done it without the support of all you wonderful people!!! This forum completely saved me!

A huge thank you goes to :
Anthropologa, Miss Spacey, Rubyw, Armendaf, Tractorgirl. You guys went above and beyond the call of duty!!! I am extremely grateful for all the support and encouragement you all gave me, and especially last year, when we were all in the battle together! :-s

A very special thank you to the following people that have supported me, with words of encouragement and support:

K, Jojo, Kaymoy, Alpacalover, walminskipeas, Leopardi, HazyJane, bulbs, Bilbobaggins (you're so inspirational!), emmie, All the members of the nocturnals thread!!! especially the founder of the midnight train!! sylvester, PhdBug, Rosy, Cakegirl, olivia, liminalplace, keep_calm, Pineapple, Aloha, juno, pamw, badhaircut, chrisrolinski, eatingelephants, eska, pamplemousse. squiggles

I'm sorry if i've left anyone out! :$, I will add you as and when I remember!!

Thanks to the mod people on this forum!
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Before I describe my viva experience, I want to say this, that you all have the capability and the power within to do this!! Believe me, no one and I mean no one, doubted themselves more than I did. Everyday is really more important than how much you do on a specific day, just keep coming back each and every single day to your Phd and that is what will get you through.
I have this stuck on a post it note, a quote from a personal trainer (jillian Michaels)

FEEL THE FEAR - DO IT ANYWAY!!!

And now I can honestly say it was all worth it, because it is really the best feeling in the world, and nothing will ever come close! It was the happiest moment of my life. :-)

oh had not seen this!! thanks Tractorgirl!! and again congratulations!! :-)

======= Date Modified 29 Sep 2009 12:44:05 =======
THANKS YOU GUYS!!! :-)
Thanks to the founder of this thread!! Anthropologa

Special Thanks to: Kaymoy, Alpacalover, walminskipeas, missspacey, Leopardi, Armendaf, Rubyw, Tractorgirl, HazyJane, bulbs, Bilbobaggins, emmie, (aww i'm so happy you like my DONE method! and congratulations on getting all those things DONE!! awesome, and its totally possible. anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and do abit every day)..

Very Special thanks to the guys that helped me when I first came to the board, like a lost little lamb. Thanks to - botanybod , swantje, jouri, Smilodon, Rosy, golfpro, sjo4, A116,

Thanks to all of you!! sorry if i've left anyone out. brain abit fuzzy at the moment !! lol but you know who you are !!

thanks so much for all your support. I love this thread!!!

I want to thank each and everyone one of you , for your encouragement and well wishes, and support these past couple of years. couldn't have done it without you guys! Thank you, isnt enough!!

A special thanks goes to the three musketeers that we're writing last year, Ruby, Armendaf and Tractorgirl. you guys were amazing!! and such inspiration to me. bringing it to the table each and every single day!!

A very special thank you to Miss spacey for all your advice and help!

And now...
I finally get to make my own "viva" thread !! yipeeeeeeeeee, ever since I joined this forum i've wanted to have my own "viva thread"

drum roll..........

(after my viva yesterday i was thinking all day, i can't wait to get on this forum and make my own viva thread lol!!)

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Aww thanks so much Sheena, Ruby and Alpacalover really appreciate the support guys!!

edit: well i did as much cramming in as possible. but i think its best i get an early night and sleep. instead of cramming anymore. whatever i know by now is enough. i have to get up at 6am. so need to be bright eyed and bushy tailed!

i'm just gonna do abit more reading and then call it a night and head to bed.

its weird, but it feels REALLY SURREAL that its not really happening. its really strange feeling. like logically i KNOW my viva is tommorow and i'm gonna be sitting infront of my examiners at 10.30am. but its like so surreal. difficult to explain. i'm just happy to be finally at the finishing line and just gotta get through this last hurdle.

**feel the fear - do it anyway **

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****Last chance revision****

goals for today

1: go through a pack of cards (each card represents a specific task) 52 cards

task >> read through summary questions and answers for each chapter.
task >> read through papers of pile A (13 papers)

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update. had my meeting /mini mock viva yesterday ok it wasnt really a mock viva, not even a mini one, but more like random questions lol and discussion but i just like to think of it as a mini mock viva hahaha - but it went OK. there were a few questions i didnt know at all. and a few questions i thought i wouldnt know the answer to, but i did, suprising even myself!.

anyways so my sups gave me a bunch of reading material to revise last night. for the questions i didnt know and my sup was like, you really should know this!!!!

so last night and this morning, i crammed. and had another meeting with only my 2nd sup this time and my 3rd sup and went well today and answered the questions i didnt know yesterday.

i'm sooooooo glad i met up with my sups!! as much as i was dreading it and didnt wanna see them. it really helped me! as i am feeling so much more positive now!!! i'm going to bed early now and waking up early tommorow, and going to just revise tommorow and review as much as i can. leaving sunday to relax and do some light reading. but main revision is tommorow. last chance revision as i like to call it ! hehe

if you dont hear from me, it means i've fallen off the planet after my viva. no im just kidding hehe. i will come back and let you guys know what happened. whatever will be will be. i just gotta do my best and forget the rest. part of me is looking forward to it. as i've been in limbo land for a year now and felt like i was stuck in treacle, studying with no finish line in sight, and a dark cloud over my head. i am ready and i want to take the next step now. of course there is still a large part of me that thinks, if i had more time, i can study even more and read even more papers and know even more stuff! but you gotta draw a line eventually. whatever i have studied up until this point, is good enough.

no matter what the outcome, i dont care now. i just want to do my best and thats all that matters.

thanks everyone on this forum for your support, advice, encouragement. i could NOT have done it without you wonderful people and the support of this forum. it really saved me!

======= Date Modified 18 Sep 2009 03:24:27 =======
EDIT : finlly finished with my goals that i stated from 2 days ago! i'm frustrated that it took me 3 days to get it done. but in retrospect it was quite alot of work. but i'm happy that i've finally finished. yipeeeeeeeeee

tommorow brand new goals and better get cracking on the mega pile of papers i have to read before my mock viva next week and adding notes to my viva questions.
it's funny, the only thing that was motivating to get through the list, was just so i could say it was done with a smiley face in this message, haha funny how little things can motivate you! and also having a clear idea of what needed to be done. when you have a list of things, you are less inclined to procrastinate!
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EDIT for today. my goals same as from the day before yesterday.

======= Date Modified 17 Sep 2009 02:19:12 =======
*edit - i'm calling it a night. will finish the rest tommorow. did 3 more goals today
-----
My goals for today:

1. find and print the 7 articles that cited my first paper. DONE :-)

2. find and print recent related articles to my first paper. DONE! :-)
got loads of yummy papers to read!! some are real good ! that i can use for viva answers. one author was kind enough to send me a reprint, as my uni didnt have access to the latest journals. how nice eh!! so yah, anytime you find a journal that you must read, try emailing the author! he said that he would be happy to answer any questions i had aswell! turns out he cited my first paper in his paper. so thats 8 papers that have cited my 1st paper. goody goody gum drops lol you can tell i'm starting to lose it abit hahah

3. find and print recent related articles to my 2nd paper DONE :-)

4. put back thesis chapters back into the folder -and put in seperators for each chapter (to take in viva) DONE :-)

5. format and print out my summary thesis. - DONE :-)

5a - type up hand written notes for missing pages. DONE :-)

6. print out freewriting answers document. DONE :-)

7. print out summary questions and answers for each chapter. DONE :-)