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alexandercarey1989
[Registered User]
16 September 2017 21:52
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Stress and anxiety while waiting for PhD viva
User: alexandercarey1989 - 16 September 2017 21:52
I have already submitted PhD thesis more than a month ago. I was told by Postgraduate Department that I would have the oral examination in 6 weeks. It's been 6 weeks already and I haven't heard any news. I heard from former students that in some cases, the viva could take up to 3 months to be held. I am so stressful right now. I have been unemployed for more than 6 months now and I am running out of money. Currently I am living with my parents to cover my expenses. While they welcome I live with them, they seem to be disappointed that I have yet to land any job. Not to mention I have to worry about my viva as well. I have unsucessfully applied for job while waiting for viva. Most employers didn't want to accept me because they viewed me as overqualified and they thought I would leave the job once I obtained my PhD.
I have reached out to my supervisor to get the information when my viva will be but she said it all depended on examiners. It's so disappointing to know that how unprofessional my examiners are. I know they are busy with their works but to think that I paid a large sum of money to get my thesis examined, it's just so unacceptable. Does anyone know what should I do? Is there any possibility to apply for postdoc while waiting for PhD viva? Or should I lie on my resume when I applied for job?
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TreeofLife
[Registered User]
17 September 2017 09:22
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User: TreeofLife - 17 September 2017 09:22
You can apply for postdocs whilst waiting for your viva. Looking for postdocs is what most people are doing in between thesis submission and viva... that and writing papers.
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chickpea
[Registered User]
17 September 2017 10:58
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User: chickpea - 17 September 2017 10:58
Have you looked into things like temporary or casual jobs for just now? They don't tend to care so much about the qualifications you have, since they just want you for a fixed period of time. I hope you hear soon about your viva.
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alexandercarey1989
[Registered User]
17 September 2017 13:24
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User: alexandercarey1989 - 17 September 2017 13:24
Quote From chickpea:
Have you looked into things like temporary or casual jobs for just now? They don't tend to care so much about the qualifications you have, since they just want you for a fixed period of time. I hope you hear soon about your viva.
Yes I am currently working as a cashier in a mall but the pay is not enough for me to rent my own apartment. It's so stressful when you are 27 and still living with parents.
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newlease36
[Registered User]
17 September 2017 22:54
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User: newlease36 - 17 September 2017 22:54
HI alexander,
I'm not sure you will like my reply... but from the perspective of someone struggling to finish up, your 'problem' sounds like a non-problem. Can you not just enjoy some down time. You have just written a thesis.. an enormous achievement. Can you not just be happy about that, at least for a little while. I can understand the fear of the viva. But there is not a lot you can do about that.
In my experience with friends and family it took a while for them to find jobs when they completed their degrees. One of my sisters, it took six months, but she hasn't been unemployed since (nearly 20 years) and has a great job.
Sure I know some people land a job before they have even finished. But I think its fairly normal for it to take a while.
You will get a job and then it will be back to having hardly any time for hobbies, personal development, sport or family and friends.
Seems like you could just use this time to spend time with family and friends. Maybe take up a new hobby (it can be done cheaply) or do other hobbies you didn't have time for during PhD.
As for living with your parents (who are happy to have you) and working a cashier job. I have two things to say; 1) Congrats a finding a temporary means to support yourself , even in a small way
2) I'm old; my parents are even older and now they are getting sick. I actually haven't always the best relationship with them, but I'm really sad at the realisation they won't be around forever.
so my advice is to just enjoy this time spending time with your parents.
I wonder if maybe, with stress of final year, you so used to worrying and be stressed, your brain hasn't caught up with the fact, that it can take a break from being worried and stressed , if even for a little while.
continued below
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newlease36
[Registered User]
17 September 2017 23:01
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User: newlease36 - 17 September 2017 23:01
continued from above
I think the brain not switching off automatically from stress mode is probably fairly normal. It sounds like something that could easily happen to me and in fact anyone. But I feel if you can't relax , even now, you will never be able to relax or 'take in the good'. I fear (like I used to be, so I speak from personal experience and not judgement here).. that you will always be stressed and now matter what the circumstances in your life , you always be stressed and feel like you have crisis.
I cant wait to submit. I fantasise about it all the time. I have already labelled the time between submission and viva as 'the fallow' and have great plans for this period.. mainly involving relaxing and just doing whatever the hell I feel like it. Just to wake up in the morning and not have thesis having over me. I am struggling a bit with the write up, so I would love to be in your shoes. I guess its all about perspective. there are probably some undergrads out there who would love to me in my shoes.
I hope you find my reply helpful . I fear it sounds judgemental. But I actually speak from experience of being a major stress-head. meditation and mindfulness really helped me with that.
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alexandercarey1989
[Registered User]
17 September 2017 23:35
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User: alexandercarey1989 - 17 September 2017 23:35
Quote From newlease36:
continued from above
I think the brain not switching off automatically from stress mode is probably fairly normal. It sounds like something that could easily happen to me and in fact anyone. But I feel if you can't relax , even now, you will never be able to relax or 'take in the good'. I fear (like I used to be, so I speak from personal experience and not judgement here).. that you will always be stressed and now matter what the circumstances in your life , you always be stressed and feel like you have crisis.
I cant wait to submit. I fantasise about it all the time. I have already labelled the time between submission and viva as 'the fallow' and have great plans for this period.. mainly involving relaxing and just doing whatever the hell I feel like it. Just to wake up in the morning and not have thesis having over me. I am struggling a bit with the write up, so I would love to be in your shoes. I guess its all about perspective. there are probably some undergrads out there who would love to me in my shoes.
I hope you find my reply helpful . I fear it sounds judgemental. But I actually speak from experience of being a major stress-head. meditation and mindfulness really helped me with that.
Hey, Thanks for the advice. Yes I might have been so stressed out throughout the PhD journey, hence explains why I am so stressful right now.
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pm133
[Registered User]
18 September 2017 13:45
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User: pm133 - 18 September 2017 13:45
Quote From alexandercarey1989:
Hey,
Thanks for the advice. Yes I might have been so stressed out throughout the PhD journey, hence explains why I am so stressful right now.
I would agree with the advice from newlease. I think that is very solid advice. I think you are focussing too much on things you cannot control. Even when your viva date is announced it will be some time away. When you sit your viva it is highly likely that you will have corrections to make followed by a further period of waiting. Unfortunately there is not an easy way out of this but what you CAN control is your own expectations. You need to re-evaluate them. For example, I have no idea why you are fretting about your age. You are 27 not 87 so calm down my friend. Many of us have done or are still doing this in our 40's and 50's. Life is a marathon not a sprint. Control what you can control and accept what is outwith your control. Anything else will drive you up the wall and that would be a real shame at just 27 years of age :-D
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