Defense in 4 days....

[jobergstein]

Dear buddies,

I am originally from the Netherlands but have performed my PhD studies in Germany. I will have my viva voce in 4 days (Verteidigung in German) in 4 days and I have to admit that I am very nervous and dispair! It will be a public defense that means that everybody is welcome to join.
I haven't had time to prepare myself for this defense: after submission I got a non-academic full time job at one industry and they have drained my full energy. I have prepared my presentation and I have already "mocked" my defense twice in front of colleagues.
My PhD project had several pitfalls and my supervisor was horrible during the 4 years: completely absent and neglected with me and other in the lab. She didn't really care at all.
I fear that I may fail or have to repeat the presentation again.... I am really desperate and cannot sleep and concentrate at all. I've seen some people who failed but those cases are really rare and most stories are from UK and Netherlands.
How is the situation in Germany? Have you seen people failing or heard of someone who failed at the defense?
Could you guys give me some advice on how to overcome and go through this tough defense "season"?

Thanks

Jo

[Jack24]

Over the past 20 years, I have seen only 2 or 3 candidates failing a defense; well, one of them was a habilitation candidate. My role changed over that time from a PhD student and part of the audience to Scientific Assistant and finally Privatdozent and supervisor. I can only say that it is very unlikely to fail a PhD defense and it happens rarely. There are different kind of "defenses". The failures that I have seen happened when the second part after the presentation was an oral examination where all the faculty members would ask questions. The other version is a Rigorosum with Presentation on a different day. I do not know of any case, where such a presentation went wrong.

[jobergstein]

Dear Jack24

Thanks for your quick reply. Perhaps I might have understood wrong but you're already a PD? This is really cool and somehow calming my nerves down. I am afraid that I will get a total blackout during the presentation but i guess this is unlikely to happen.
So you mean, as long as I present and answer some questions everything will be alright?

Thnak you.

Jo

[mm42]

Could you guys give me some advice on how to overcome and go through this tough defense "season"?

What helped me a lot to calm down during the last days before my PhD defense was to think out (tough) questions I might get asked during the defense and then create "backup slides" to answer these questions.

[daherrdoggda]

If you know the grades they gave you for the dissertation already, the defense probably won't change much there. Typically a dissertation is only accepted when it is considered good enough, otherwise you would be discouraged from even submitting it (but if your advisors really don't care, they might also not care about that).

Most advisors would also see their reputation on trial, so they see it in their own interest to let their students succeed - a failed student also demonstrates failed supervision.

Did your work lead to publications? Are you the first author on at least one? Then you'll have little to worry about. If you're not even a co-author on a single paper, you might not get a good grade, but if the work itself is sound and did lead to novel discoveries or insights, you should still pass.

I've only heard second-hand accounts of defenses gone wrong. One of them was by a student who had a panic attack, couldn't speak, couldn't answer questions, and just kept shaking. They had to fail them. The other one was with a mean professor who asked the student to draw a ship on the blackboard and then asked them what ship it was. It was the one that just sailed. In both cases, the second attempt worked out, however.

Rumors and anecdotes aside, real statistics show that very few defenses fail: http://www.forschungsinfo.de/promotions ... php?ct=det (overall, 28/82659 failed in 2014-16)

[jobergstein]

Dear all

Thanks a lot for backing me up.
My thesis was evaluated as "Magna Cum Lauda" from both internal and external reviewers. The thesis was accepted by the faculty so that I was allowed to schedule the viva voce (defense).
Unfortunately by the submission date I had no publication as first author but several ones as second author. Nevertheless, those are not related to my work .

I confident and hoping for the best result though my nerves are on the edge and bursting. I'll let you guys know the outcome

Thx

Jo

[engineer]

Dear all

Thanks a lot for backing me up.
My thesis was evaluated as "Magna Cum Lauda" from both internal and external reviewers. The thesis was accepted by the faculty so that I was allowed to schedule the viva voce (defense).
Unfortunately by the submission date I had no publication as first author but several ones as second author. Nevertheless, those are not related to my work .

I confident and hoping for the best result though my nerves are on the edge and bursting. I'll let you guys know the outcome

Thx

Jo

All the best. I am sure you will do it. Just answer as much as you can and do not be embarrassed if you do not know the answer.
magna cum lauda is good enough

[spirograph]

Hi,

wish you all the best for your great day! You will suceed. The Power is with you! May your mind be crystal clear in that Verteidigungs-situation, may you be cool, calm and collected to the max! May the questions be all tetris-fitting and easy to answer and your replies will just come like easy does it! I pray for you. And when its all over: have a super-duper-overking-spacelord-bombastic-party-blast!!!

Be calm. This, too, shall pass.

spiro

[engineer]

Hey. Tell us how was it? Hopefully everything went fine