VIVA experience

VIVA:

This is what all PhD student look forward too and always asking themself when is my time going to arrived. Doing a PhD can be a dragging, challenging, booring and self motivating process. I believe that if I could self motivate myself I would be able to reach my goal. This is applicable to all life challenges, motivation goes a long way. Doing a PhD involves alot of motivations.

VIVA is nerve cracking and it all revolves around luck as well. Before my VIVA i spoke with my friends who pass their VIVA for advise and guidance and the common response I obtained was 'luck' or 'bad luck'. Well I will like to agree with them. When I say 'luck' it does not mean if you do not know your subject area, you will pass because of luck, or if your do not have a valid research topic you will pass because of luck, but luck refers to the amount of corrections you will get (minor or major).

For instance:

1) My scenario: My report needed some additional clarifications as some areas were not clear and some typo errors. But during my exam, I had good knowledge and control of my subject areas and asnwered all questions and clarified all examiners query. At the end of my exam, my external examiner said reading my thesis, he was not quite sure of the focus but during my examination I made all points very clear and as a result was given three months corrections. I completed my corrections in one months and got my thesis sign off. Hence, my experience was the oral examination save me and the corrections were fair strengthen the understanding.

2) 2nd Scenario: one of my colleague exam lasted 4-5 hours and he was given three months corrections but completed his corrections in one weeks. His experience was the examiner wanted to go through page after page while my examiner when through major aspects of the works.

3) 3rd Scenario: Another colleague of mine exam lasted 4 hours and was given major corrections. His corrections were very details and entailed added additional informations and data and took him the 3 months to correct. The external examiner wanted him to add more details.

etc....... Every body have their own experience but at the end it comes down to the examiners.

Note: Just prepare yourself adequately, have good knowlege of your subject area, do not be afraid no research is perfect, know your GAP in knowledge very well (ensure you have made your reseach and what yo have done have not been done before), what did you contribute or find??? this is key