24 hours to go....

Anything could happen in the next 24 hours, but one way or another, by this time tomorrow I will have walked out of the viva hall and be on my way to the pub for a stiff drink (although the College warn you not to be too liberal with your "social refreshment", as the signing of the register of Fellows is a very solemn occasion etc....
Fair enough if you think your going to pass!

Anyway, my last tip before the exam (and more will follow, whatever the outcome) is practicing what is known as "The 60-Second Elevator Pitch". Actually a "sales" technique for "pitching" your idea to e.g. Donald Trump or Richard Branson to get them to give you hard cash for a business when your only chance to persuade them is jumping into the lift with them on the way down from their office in whatever tall building they work in, I think it can be adapted to delivering your spiel in a viva, or at least practicing a way of being succinct in a viva.

Imagine you have one chance and one chance only to impress someone with your knowledge on a single subject. Your entire pass/fail rests on this one chance. And you only have 60 seconds. There are clearly a number of factors which will influence your passing or not as well as your knowledge.

1. Make sure you speak for 60 seconds. No longer, as that's over time and will lose you marks, and no shorter, because even 1 second is long enough for 2-3 extra words.
2. Be confident. You want to pass. So pitch to pass.
3. Be calm and speak at the right pace. Too fast and words become garbled, too slow and you can't get enough information in, and you won't come across as knowledgeable or confident.
4. Breathe! You can't (realistically) speak under pressure for one minute without running out of breath before the end.
5. Choose your words. Even if you have to take 5 seconds before you speak, choose the right words. Remember the Five Word Viva Game? It pokes its head in here as well.
6. Use intonation to emphasize, rather than raising your voice or strong gesturing. Gesturing is important, but it might be useful to practice in front of a mirror or using a camcorder (or webcam, this being 2008), just to see exactly what your body language is like. Don't play with pens, it's distracting....
7. Dress right. Wear a suit, don't deceive yourself into thinking that you might be able to wear anything more casual; you are supposed to be a professional.

I wish anyone who has a viva this week the very best of luck.