first of all: Good Luck dear :)
I had my viva last year , what i did is :
- be prepared to answer any question..
- stand in front of a mirror, practice giving a small presentation about your thesis
-take a bottle of water with you ... u might need it
-grape a couple of articles that you might think you ought to have them ( maybe important , or u used them as an important reference )
- if you are doing law, make yourself familiar with the cases you have used, their location within you r text, and why are they important
- make your " contribution to knowledge " clear , and mention it over and over again.
- take a pen and paper with you , write down any note they might give you
-don't rush to answer, take your time

I really wish you all the best, I know the feeling you are going through and I hate it too.
please keep us updated

Eni
(up)

Dear all,



I had my viva last year and was asked to re-submit my work again within 12 months :-( I felt and still feel bad about that since I never thought that my work is that bad :(.



Now, I have submitted my work early June and until this moment I have heard nothing from the examiners. I don’t know how much longer should I wait, and what to expect.



I am worried, tired, and feeling that I am under pressure.



My superv. told me that I should wait, the Registry told me that the examiners were in contact to say that they are unlikely to give their feedback before September.

I am also worried that I might fail :( I don’t want to be given a lower degree, I worked really hard on my thesis... I don’t want an MPhil or a Master degree.... my superv. is saying that my work is good, and that it is a matter of luck now ( luck with the external examiner).



What do you think, what are the chances to give a PhD student a lower degree? Could anyone advice me please, I cannot keep holding on anymore...



Now 3 months and 4 days had passed since I've submitted my work again and received a confirmation that my thesis had been received by the examiners.



I don’t want to lose balance L

Congratulations!!!! I hope I will be done too..

Hi all,
First i would like to thank you for your kind thoughts. indeed you all were able to relax me a bit. I will wait for the report to come and see what it has to say.
For those who asked about my superv. as i said before, she was shocked and thinks that i dont deserve a ( re-submission)!
I will stick by your advice Eueo and will "suck it up" and see what will happen.

Thanks everyone

I will keep you posted.

Best,
-E

Hi all,
First i would like to thank you for your kind thoughts. indeed you all were able to relax me a bit. I will wait for the report to come and see what it has to say.
I will keep you posted.
Best,
-E

Hi all,

I'm sad,shocked & want 2 stop crying. I had my viva 2 weeks ago. It lasted for 2 hours. During the viva I felt that I am doing great. Then by the end of the viva i was given a resubmisson within 12 months! I was/and still am shocked, thought that it was a joke, i went 2 my superv. And she was shocked 2.
I am not sure what 2 do, am i a failure?

They told me that i havent fail, & i dont deserve a lower degree but i need 2 work more on my thesis.

What shall i do? What will happen ? I am lost, feel that i want 2 screem,keep on crying.
What 2 tell my family? No one will understand!

My superv. Wants us 2 wait 4 the report and see what z required,. I am afraid , and dont know what 2 expect. All my life my mom keeps on saying always expect the best, but this time i am not sure.

Any advice? Please.

Hi all,

I'm sad,shocked & want 2 stop crying. I had my viva 2 weeks ago. It lasted for 2 hours. During the viva I felt that I am doing great. Then by the end of the viva i was given a resubmisson within 12 months! I was/and still am shocked, thought that it was a joke, i went 2 my superv. And she was shocked 2.
I am not sure what 2 do, am i a failure?

They told me that i havent fail, & i dont deserve a lower degree but i need 2 work more on my thesis.

What shall i do? What will happen ? I am lost, feel that i want 2 screem,keep on crying.
What 2 tell my family? No one will understand!

My superv. Wants us 2 wait 4 the report and see what z required,. I am afraid , and dont know what 2 expect. All my life my mom keeps on saying always expect the best, but this time i am not sure.

Any advice? Please.

What advice will you give a student who will have her viva after 2 days from now, and is really afraid and shaking like a leaf?

:-(:p

My viva is this week too , I am gonna wear my lucky suit :P or at least i feel it is gonna bring me good luck .. I was told to NOT to wear casual, jeans and a trainers :P
let us know how things go with ur viva and what did u wear :P

HI,

I am so sorry to hear what is happening with you :( however, you must stand for yourself somehow.

I was put in a similar situation with one of my flatmates, we used to be v. close and best friends. Now we do not talk :( because i decided to move out without telling her what was annoying me . ( NOTE: I REALLY regret that i have not told her that now!!)

If i were you , i will talk to her, tell her what is upsetting you, and how you do not like her acts. at the same time, make her feel that you still want her to be part of your life, make her think about her acts. You mentioned that her dad had died, maybe you can tell her something like ( if your dad knows what you are doing , he will be upset, do you want to upset him?) maybe she might think again.

If you talked with her, and gave her some advices, and yet nothing had changed, maybe you need to think of moving out. Tell her that , and see how will she accept that. If she consider you as a best friend as you just said, she wont allow you to move out, on the other hand, if she does not care that much, she wont stop you.


I know how hard it is on you, but at some point you need to stand for yourself... You have a chapter to finish soon! and a PhD to finish too !You cannot spend your life trying to fix someone who DOES NOT want to be fixed or helped!

Wish best of luck

Go for Rowena Murray's book "How to survive your viva" , it is GREAT (up)

Hi,
I was wondering if anyone else had the feeling that i am having now, i feel that i am going to fail my PhD!
Sometime i think that my work is good , a minute later i feel that it is not good enough and i will be sent back with major corrections in my viva! My viva is only 6 days away, and i keep on telling myself that I will pass, while at the back of my head, this feeling keeps on pop-ing in between my eyes!
Eni

======= Date Modified 04 43 2009 15:43:11 =======
Hi everyone,
My viva is next week. I am not sure how to prepare for it. I looked at different website and threads and have a general idea of what to expect on that date. The idea itself is freaking me out !! I am not sure of myself, and whether i will be able to defend my work or not. The problem is that i could easily start crying if i am stressed , and until this moment, i am coping with my fears.
I am afraid that my tears, being stressed and worried all the time, will take me from preparing for my viva and I even might end up crying during my viva!!!!
can anyone help !
please..
:-(


update : 4/5/09
My viva date is a few days away, my feelings had frozen, tears are plucked, hands started to shake.. worried, no sleep, lots of chocolate!