I completed my VIVA in January 2026, and I wrote pretty extensively in a previous post titled How I survived my viva and PhD thesis defence in creative writing about how I prepared. Preparing for the viva was the most dominant part of the PhD journey. And since everything is leading up to that one […]

Viva Survivor. That’s the name of the preparatory course to get fourth-year doctoral students across the finish line and through their PhD defence. Organized by Nathan Ryder, the former podcast and now online workshop, is designed to calm the fears and anxieties of researchers, and set them up for success. General advice for success I […]

There is a date booked in the calendar. My viva, also known as my PhD defence, is scheduled for January 19, 2026 which is an auspicious date for me because it’s also my grandma’s birthday. Prior to submitting my thesis, I had enrolled in the Viva Survivor course offered by the university which outlined what […]