I’ve got my “end of first year” viva in about 2 and a half hours, and quite frankly, I feel as if I know nothing. I’m going to be interrogated on aspects of my work, which includes radio and X-ray astronomy, as well as questions as to how my radio galaxies might form.
Well, I’m sat here, my stomach is churning, and I feel like I’m going to throw up. Eurk.
Help! Someone calm me down!!!
Chill. Relax. You’ll be fine.
Just don’t imagine the board people naked. I’ve found that in academic environments that never results in a pretty image.
Thanks garius, you’re a mate.
Probably a good idea, although my supervisor is a fairly attractive woman. 
However, I’m still sat here, churning. What I need is some kind of seeing into the future device to reassure myself. or failing that, a psychic to figure out what questions I’m going to be asked, so that I can go in really prepared. 
work on the basis that what happens, happens. You can’t do anything more about it now - Hakuna Matata and all that (guess what “special edition” DVD i was watching last night ).
Besides, as you’ve already pointed out in another thread - you’d actually earn more if you worked at McDonalds anyway. So even if you crash and burn on the viva, at least you can change career paths to something more financially lucrative.
Hell, you’re even numerate - they’d probably make you an area manager or something.
Either way, the future is bright…
Yeah, its what I’m doing. They can’t actually chuck me off my PhD. All they can say is that I write up an MPhil first before writing up the PhD. Now, considering at the moment, my supervisor thinks that the sun shines out of my arse, I believe I shall be OK.
Well good luck - the sooner its over, the sooner you can get down the pub and have a large stress-relieving drink.
Thank you. So long as the large stress relieving drink doesn’t have any alcohol in it.
hardly going to be stress-relieving then is it! 
Relax, Ang: If you’re nervous about it, you’ve already passed.
These things are to check that you haven’t pissed your first year completely up the wall, and I mean completely, such that you genuinely do not know the basics of your subject. The only people to be let go after 1 year during my PhD stretch was a foreign girl studying quasars who could not describe what a quasar was, and someone with serious absenteeism issues due to some equally serious compulsive behaviour of the bookies and off license kind.
Once they’ve checked this (and it should really be obvious from your report), they will prefer to talk about how you’d like your thesis to look overall. It’s a chance for you to sound off about a subject you hopefully enjoy and have some modicum of passion about.
So smile!
That must be some stellar evolution hypothesis, not to mention a paradigm shift in human anatomy.
I don’t know - i’ve seen the arse in question…
runs and hides
Good luck, Angua
The viva should be focus on what you’ve done so far and what do you plan to do/how will it all pan out.
so long as you have good reason for the methods you’ve used so far (and are clear on the purpose etc), then you’re fine on the thus far bit. The future hasn’t happened yet, so you can only say what you plan to do and how, which, of course, you will have thought about.
I think the examiners will want to see what has led you to where you are (and that you know how you got there) and that this thoughtfulness, sound planning and commitment will continue in the future.
Unless they’re gits with something to prove, anyway :eek:
Huh?! What?? Quasars are only tangentially related to what I do, and I know what one is, and how it fits into unified schemes etc etc.
Yeah, I know I should be OK, my heart’s stopped leaping into my throat with every beat, my stomach isn’t churning anymore, so I guess everything will be OK.
I don’t know - i’ve seen the arse in question…
And, what, exactly, are you saying about my arse? I think you’ll find that my arse is rather appreciated.
Thanks Sir Doris for your wonderful insight. I have a vague inkling of what I’m going to be asked, and I’ve swotted up on it. Having your supervisor as one of your examiners is always useful, seeing as she’s been dropping hints for the past week as to what will be useful to know.
And Angua proves that despite the fact she’s going for a viva in an hour, and has been called a geek-goddess, she still can’t code sometimes.
A couple of pints does wonders for the nerves, you know.
Yeah, except its Ramadhan at the moment, and so drinking is verboten.
Very inconsiderate scheduling. Just a few more days and you could go properly prepared.
Whereas I expect you’re on a caffeine high. Just try to keep still and don’t twitch.
Oh yes! I’ve had 1.5l of diet coke, and I’m about to start on the coffee now.
I haven’t slept properly for about a month - this explains why I need the caffeine.
I’m stuck with decaf. It’s raining too much to go out for something stronger. And I’ve got lectures and tutorials to prepare. Very dull. I think I’d rather have a viva.
You’ve got 45 minutes to get here, and do mine then.