How to Survive your Viva by Rowena Murray

There is a good book on viva entitles How to Survive your Viva for those who are waiting for the examination. It's written by Rowena Murray. I am in the middle of reading the book at the moment. It's available in library.nu. However, today I am not able to reach the website at the moment. It's clarify the-state-of-the-art of the examination. My adrenalin runs fast when I read the book. What I learnt was that viva is subjective for everyone. And it is good if we can ask the institution of how the viva is in the particular uni that we're studying. Most importantly, we need to have a lot of practices before the viva examination.

I have submitted the thesis for examination

Alhamdulillah, yesterday (6 Dec. 2011) I submitted my thesis to the Graduate School Office (GSO). I hope to submit it on the 5th but the Dean of the Graduate Studies in the Faculty was entertaining some students. After all, it was already 5 something. I was actually able to submit it in the morning, but when I submitted it to the Graduate Studies in the faculty, the clerk told me that I used a wrong form. There's a new form that I need to fill-in or use. I told her that I was not able to access the postgraduate portal (for at least four days already). She asked me to refer to the IT Unit in the GSO. So I went there again. After I got the form, I need to make another appointment with all my supervisors (supervisory commmitee member). I was only able to have all their signatures at 4 something. The process was not completed yet since I need to have the signature from the Dean of the Graduate Studies studies. I waited for 30 minutes for the signature. However, the clerk told me to get the form tomorrow (i.e. 6 Dec) since the Dean has just got back from a meeting. And at that moment she was entertaining some students.

Hence, on 6 Dec. I got back the form from the office of the Graduate Studies and sent all the copies of the thesis to the GSO. Back home, I noticed that there were some technical problems. For instance, Part C and Part D of my Pre-test was in my Post-test. I did amended this but the sections somehow went to other pages. I also forgot to thanks a friend who helped me with my statistics in my Acknowledgements. I will need to adress this during the examination. I supposed they will notice the former obviously.

I hope to submit the thesis next week

Alhamdullillah. I got the thesis that was already proof read on Saturday. I am now inserting the pages for tables and figures. Also, I need to re-read the pages again just to make sure that everything it is its place. Then only I can print 5 copies of thesis and later submit it. Ya Allah, ease me the way in undergoing this task, Ya Rabb.

My main supervisor is a professor now. Congratulations!

I have sent my thesis to a professional editor

Alhamdulillah, I have finished editing my thesis after I received it from my main supervisor. Yesterday, I sent my thesis to a professional editor whom is a native speaker from UK. Previously, I sent the thesis for editing to a local. Yet, my supervisor still commented that the language that I used was not very proficient. So, I think it is rather good if I can have a native speaker whom is able to edit my thesis this time around.

I was told by my friend; who was formerly a postgraduate std. in Univ of Lancaster, that his supervisor liked the way this fellow edited her thesis. My memo was replied promptly when I asked him the deadline for editing and proofing my thesis. Alhamdullillah, he'll be able to complete doing the tasks within 2 weeks. Here's his charges.

"I charge £8 per 1,000 words, but there are large discounts for theses and dissertations over 5,000 words. A 15,000 word dissertation, for example, would be just £72"

I am determine to submit my thesis...

I received the comments on my writing from my supervisor. He required me to review my research question 6. Other than that, he requested me to send the thesis for professional editing (he meant this and stated clearly in the last page of the thesis). Hence, I am determine to submit my thesis for good...

Gathering views from my other supervisory committee members they commented that I shall proceed with submitting the thesis. I also asked one of the doctor's (a lecturer with phd) in the faculty I'm studying through text. She said, "you should not wait any longer". Coincidentally, I met another doctor from Management Faculty while I was having lunch at one of the cafes in the campus. She too, said the same. Go ahead, submit the thesis as she recommended me to do so. She felt the same and couldn't believed she finally made it till the end. Even on the viva day!

Hence, I'm going to review all the things my supervisor commented. Hope I can get through with this..Allah I seek your bless in easing me to undergo this task. I'm not strong if I have to do this alone, ya Allah.

Meeting with supervisor

Next week on Monday (31 Oct) I'll be meeting my main supervisor. This is the appointment to review all the chapters I submitted to him in April. Not sure what the reviews will be about. At the same time, my external, internal examiners and chair person are already appointed. I can view this in my postgraduate portal. Due to this, I hope that the meeting with my main supervisor will permit me to submit the thesis for viva. I really hope this will happen.

My two other supervisors have sort of read the chapters already. They gave their comments. And based on the comments, there are a few things I amended, added and discarded. One commented on my chapter 3 and 4 (he coaches me on methodology) and the other commented my literature review. When I sent them the chapters (hard copy) I often texts them asking whether or not they have completed reading the chapters.

I submitted Notice of Thesis Submission Form

I submitted Notice of Thesis Submission Form on 6 June 2011. After this form, then only another form Notice for Viva Voce can be submitted. While waiting for the form to be processed by the Postgraduate Office, I am now editing my chapters. One of the committee members whom I consulted regularly required me to change a few things. That is what I'm doing at the moment. I also seek assistance from another committee member to read my Chapter 2. My main supervisor was informed that one of the committee members have checked the chapters (my first draft). He said he would be reading it. When I met him the other day, he said he was quite busy and would do so after he went back from oversea. As far as publication is concerned, I submitted 2 abstracts for conferences in September. And I attempt to submit an article for a book chapter for another conference if my full paper is accepted by the conference committee. Perhaps anyone who is reading this can give me insights into the "best practice of writing for journal paper"?

Another thing, I'll be back to work next week! I applied for extension but the Dean didn't sign my application at that time. Last time the univ. decided that all staff are not eligible for extension, only extreme case would be considered (this applied to those studying abroad). But it was just recently that the Study Leave Unit came out with a guideline for staff applying for extension. I think it's because of the complaints made by some staff studying abroad (they need to work as the univ. didn't support their tuition fees anymore. So I was told but not sure how true it was). It was peculiar in that established universities are able to get at least four months for extension, but not in our univ. Staff exceeded three years of studying needs to come back to work. Due to this, the univ. reviewed the policies; so I believed. And therefore, my previous application was signed by the Dean of the Department this week. The executive staff in my Department required me to report for duty and wait for the result of the Study Leave Unit meeting next month. Sounds chaotic, right? When I thought about it, I guess it's funny and at the same I time, I think the univ. needs to be more concern with their staff's well-being. Expect the Unexpected ;-)