Viva Preparation Coaching
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You've dedicated years of your life to your research
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you know your subject
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but the thought of sitting opposite two examiners and discussing your research in English feels daunting
You might be thinking:
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What if I can't answer a question?
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What if I can't control my nerves and anxiety on the day?
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What if I freeze under pressure?
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What if the examiner is challenging?
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What if my English gets in the way of showing what I really know?
Prepare with purpose
Speak with Confidence
Defend your research
We'll work together to turn your thesis from something you've written into something you can confidently talk about, explain and defend.
A Personalised 6-week programme for International PhD researchers
1. Explore your thesis - together we create a plan of what chapters we will cover each week. We each read and focus on the particular chapter for the upcoming session.
2. Anticipate the questions - we each create a set of questions for the chapter. I ask you to adopt the mindset of the examiner when you're reading and creating questions. I can paraphrase them to ask you in our session together.
3. Develop your answers - I ask you the questions, give you practice at articulating the answers, and we discuss answer strategies based on the types of questions.
4.Defend your research - What decisions did you need to make in the process of doing your research that are likely to be challenged.
5. Communicate under pressure - Have an opportunity to feel uncomfortable and know how you will respond in a safe space before it really counts.
6. Become Viva ready - Every week is an opportunity to practice discussing your work at length. Our final session together is like a mock viva, covering the whole scope of your thesis.