So, having spent years and years on the PhD where now are the jobs, at least for those of us who did a PhD in the humanities or social sciences?

Like, 'PhD in the humanities is essential' (or its variants) is not exactly a requirement I've ever come across in a job advert. True, they appear in specific lecturing posts, but in the real world outside academia?

Personally, I'd love to spend the rest of my life as a researcher developing expertise in a wide range of social, cultural, educational etc issues and, for the first time in my life, get paid for it.

But where are such jobs?

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Does it really matter? The official word count in my uni was 80,000 - 100,000. Forrest here just kept going and handed them a princely 159,049 words including footnotes, 123,400 without footnotes.

They had no way of checking how many words I had. In order to disguise the number I put the space at 1.5 rather than 2, which cut a huge number of pages off the thesis. Likewise, they are not really going to notice if you have 75,000 words. The only downside is that with 75,000 you'd want to make sure you are giving them enough to pass you. Generally speaking, you would cover yourself better, in my view anyway, if you had more words. Lock yourself in a room for a few weeks. I guarantee you that you'll get another 20,000 words (and some good ideas).

Wow, TT; just f*cking wow. Wow. You should be publicising that story more.

You have my respect.

Just read the headline. I'm disgusted, disgusted beyond words, that this can be allowed to happen. Before reading anything else I just want to reiterate what has undoubtedly been said to you many times by now: it is your supervisor's fault that you are in this position.

The entire viva voce process needs to be kicked screaming into the era of openess and transparency and the age of supervisors getting away scot-free has to end. This process is a deep shame on the universities of the western world.

In the meantime, my instinct would be to discover what needs to be done in order to get you over the bar and push yourself over that bar like you've never, ever done. You will, I assure you, be a stronger person for it.

How are you getting on now, Olivia? I sincerely hope things have worked out successfully. It is a travesty that your university and in particular your supervisor have allowed this to happen. It is wrong on every count. You will come out stronger for it.

That was a wise post by Eueu. Listen to it.

Went through the same thing myself very recently. I have to resubmit now by 3 June. It was such a deep emotional feeling welling up inside me the night I left the uni after my viva on my own. I couldn't speak, I didn't want to speak. I wanted to disappear. 'Will nobody rid me of this turbulent thesis' entered my head again and again with deep feeling. My song since has been Nina Simone's 'I wish I knew how it would feel to be free'. Finally two months later I got the Report from the examiners and I'm basically being given 8 days to have the final corrected version submitted as my supervisor also said not to do anything until the Report comes back. And I had to put pressure on my supervisor to follow the Report up again and again.

You are far from a failure, but I think in your heart of hearts you know you will be absolutely fine. We all get corrections, many of us get lambasted. C'est la vie. It's hard not to take it personally sometimes but I find reading a review of my examiners' own works by their peers was very comforting. ;-) I found the waiting around for the Report and the attendant uncertainty about the extent of my corrections was the worst thing. Once the Report came I had a clearly defined objective. I knew precisely what had to be done. That made things so much easier. You need to get that Report asap. You also have a right to push your supervisor a bit more towards helping you achieve the PhD and make no mistake about it that she needs you to pass as well as it reflects really really badly on her if you do not. Do you have to have another viva? Or is it a matter of resubmitting the corrected thesis to a nominee of the Board of Examiners?

My supervisor used exactly that phrase used above: we have to "suck it up". The sooner we do, the better. The worst thing is the wait. You will be fine if you keep your eye on the ball - i.e keep writing/doing the work and keep setting and meeting your deadlines for submission. You have to give yourself those targets.

Only tell people who you want to know. Anonymous boards like this are good for all the obvious reasons. What's happening to you and me is normal. You are taking it too personally. The point now is to get that report and start writing asap and don't stop even if an earthquake hits you. You have to reach that line. You have to submit asap for the good of your mental health. You have to reach freedom.

So, I have to have 25000 words, which I'm guessing will be the size of this chapter, written by 3 June. I have all the research done, and I have the structure of the chapter, and I'm basically just going to 'search' on my computer when I get to each section and keying the subject/topic in and looking at all my research on that area and then writing it from that. I've just written a princely 154 words so far in 20minutes.:-)


It is more a creative exercise than a research one, about presenting my research well. I'm talking about writing 3000 words per day each day until next Wednesday night. Is it possible? How many words of PhD standard is the most you've written in a day or week?

I'm sort of buzzing now as I look at all my info and the only problem is what to leave out. But having a deadline will definitely help me, I think.

I'll keep a little daily diary here if I think of it!

That sounds perfect. I had my viva two months ago and three nights before I text my supervisor asking him was smart casual OK or should I wear a suit. He said smart casual was perfect and not to wear a tie but bring a pen and notepaper to take down their recommendations. So I did. Text your supervisor sure.

Unless they are complete fairies academics usually shun ties anyway. That is one of the really cool things about academia.

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Hey Ruby,

I hope you are still there. I don't know if you had your viva or if your supervisor(s) asked you to resubmit before that stage? If you had a viva, do you have to have another viva, or just resubmit with corrections? If the latter, is your supervisor responsible for ensuring the changes are done?

I have been doing the PhD officially full time for a couple of years longer than you so I wouldn't worry too much (other than for your sanity/mental health, of course). I finally submitted late last year and passed my viva in March - 'PhD awarded subject to minor corrections' - and I'm still waiting for the report so that I know precisely what the corrections are. The viva board did appoint my own supervisor (who was not on the viva board) to be the person who ensures the final corrections are done. Then I'm finally out of here. But it is a long drawn-out process and I feel your pain when you talk about the PhD dominating your life. That is precisely how I feel every day and it is a burden and sometimes a suffocation.

I left the viva after they told me I had to go back and do minor corrections with the words of Nina Simone's 'I wish I knew how it would feel to be free' in my head. That was March. It's my anthem every day as I wait for these people to give me the final report. It's a very emotional time. If you know what has to be done, immerse yourself in it. Time will fly then. Work is definitely the best thing in this situation. You are so close now, so so close. Remind yourself of that every day. You've genuinely played a blinder to get this far considering the legions of PhD students who leave their course.

It's darkest before the dawn.

There is much really useful advice over on Google Books by doing a simple search for viva phd preparation: http://books.google.com/books?q=viva+phd+preparation


Particularly interesting is page 92 of this book - http://books.google.com/books?id=vPg80Nftks8C&pg=PA92&dq=viva+phd+preparation+history#PPA92,M1 - as I will be having 3 examiners, as well as my supervisor. I now understand why this is. I feel better now (although my supervisor should have given me the respect of explaining it to me)

Very helpful thread!

Good idea to make this a sticky. My viva is next week and I'm scrolling through all the old threads now for tips.

Very good stuff altogether, David. Thanks a million (having mine next week).

OK. Just got the date for my viva via email an hour ago (this day next week). And in the evening, too. I asked my supervisor do I have to prepare anything, or wear a suit. He said just turn up, don't bother with a suit, read thesis and be prepared for questions.

And that was it. The specifics will be the death of me yet - not, definitely not.

So, my learned scholars, how did you prepare for your viva? I at least thought I'd get some sort of chat with my supervisor beforehand. Nothing. And I've been waiting nearly 4 months for this.

Liminal,

That's absolutely fine. He is your supervisor: he is meant to be a complete biatch. Generally, that sort of snide sardonic comment is the prevailing culture in academia. Academic politics is particularly nasty because, to paraphrase Kissinger, there is so little at stake. On the other hand (and this is giving him more credit than he is probably due) sometimes managers and supervisors motivate people by giving them a put-down. I am one of those people it works with; a sort of eternal desire to prove them wrong. I know I spent far too much time ruminating over perceived wrongs and slights during my PhD. It was only when I just dug into the work that I changed my entire attitude. The best thing you can do is do your best; never mind what anybody else may or may not be doing, or perceived to be doing. It is totally irrelevant to you, your life, and your happiness. Just work all you can, and you will know you're OK. It is far more satisfying and rewarding and, I find, much more conducive to confidence. There is no reason why you cannot start publishing. With time and practice, you will become a much better writer and thinker. Indeed, if your supervisor is so keen on blowing another student's trumpet, maybe you could ask him to talk to you about ideas for papers and offer you corrections. That should turn the tables.