Repeats :confused: help plz??

Vic Mackey

Hey all,

my 1st year arts repeats start next week, and as part of em i have 3 'vivas' in politics. supposidly 2 members of staff ask ya questions about course-work, tutorial work etc for ten 2 fifteen mins.....

hav any of uz done these vivas before? if so, what should i expect?

also, are any of u in 1st year arts doing politics (comparitive, political theory, international politics) cos id really appreciate it if u could post here some of the titles of da assignment work u got in tutorials as i missed alot of them through a family problem and i think il be asked about em at da vivas

thanks for your help

Jonny Arson

Nvr hrd of a ''vivas'' b4? Are you sure the members of staff weren't talking in txtspk?

panda100

Ive done at least five vivas in medicine at this stage so il try give you some pointers.
Firstly,dont be nervous.They arent as bad as they seem and the examiners really do try and pass you. In the room there will be one lecturer you will know and the other person will be an outside examiner who is just put there to calibrate UCD's marking scheme. I think the most important thing is to go over your summer exam paper well.They usually go over these questions and ask the ones that you got badly wrong in the exam.

The most important thing is to keep on talking about a subject that you know well or to lead them on to a question that you know well. For example last year I had a cardiovascular oral and they asked me about some drugs I didnt have a clue about so I just said that the drugs were used to tread MI's and then I spent the next 20mins talking about MI's which I knew lots about.

If I was you I would go into the politics department and ask the lecturers a question before the oral. This means they know your face and name and they'll think your intrested so will probably try and pass you.

Also another important advice for vivas is that you have to treat it as a job interview.DO NOT walk in wearing jeans and a tshirt.Wear a suit and good shoes. You might feel like a plonker but I assure you the examiners will be impressed with the effort you have made. My first two vivas that I wore jeans too I failed. But the last three I wore a skirt,a shirt and nice black shoes and I passed all three.The way you look really does make a difference.You have to look professional.

m1ke

There haven't been any viva's before in politics. In previous years, if you didn't do the coursework, there was no way you could repeat it. This will also be the first time lecturers/staff have ever had to do viva's for first years, so it will be new to them as well.

It think suit/tie style might be a bit overkill. Office smart-casual is a good bet though. However, it doesn't matter how you dress, what matters is that you know what you're talking about. Oh, I wouldn't mention any personal problems you had or make up any excuses, just focus on the subject.

The four main areas covered in comparative politics tutorials were: Various typologies of politics (Weber, Aristotle, Montesquieu etc..), American politics (specifically federalist paper 10 and the US political system), judicial review (mostly just in the US and Ireland) and the nation-state and its relevance in the world. You will have to have a good knowledge of these. I'm not sure if you need to know all 4 areas or just 2 in particular depth. Definitely ask for some guidelines in the School of Politics - otherwise you're going in blind.

I'm not sure about political theory and international politics as I didn't do these this year. You will need good knowledge of the work of several political theorists: Aristotle, Marx, Mill et al. International politics is quite broad this year - so you will need to know the various EU branches of decision making and their functions, the factors that shape the international system, state sovereignty, separatism, irredentism......

Seek further guidance, and starting studying - you can't bull**** your way through these. Don't expect the benefit of the doubt

Vic Mackey

Thanks.

i dont beleive the vivas are fair as they are far harder than the coursework.

do any of you have any more suggestions/help?

panda100

m1ke wrote:

It think suit/tie style might be a bit overkill. Office smart-casual is a good bet though. However, it doesn't matter how you dress, what matters is that you know what you're talking about.

Id wear something I was comfortable I was with but I would really reccomned a suit. .You have to treat this as a proper interview.Just like any face to face interview of coure you are getting judged 95% on what you are saying the other 5% will go on how you present yourself. So why lose 5% which you could almost have before you even start the exam? You wont be going overkill by wearing a suit.They will see a mature proffesional political student who wants to go far in life even though you might feel like a total phoney inside your shirt and tie.

m1ke wrote:

Oh, I wouldn't mention any personal problems you had or make up any excuses, just focus on the subject.

I would definatly mention problems that may have impeeded your study during the year as long as they are genuine problems not my dog died or something silly. However, as I said before you have to go into the politics department and speak to the lecturer and tell them this. Dont say these on the day of the viva.Also ask them a question,anything, about the course before the viva. I would try go into every lecturer and tell them your personal reasons and ask them a question. They will know your face then and it will also help you to get any nerves as you will have spoken to the examiners face to face before the viva.

m1ke wrote:

you can't bull**** your way through these..

Also you would be suprised at how many people find vivas a lot easier then written exams. If It wasnt for vivas I defiantly still wouldnt be in medicine. It is suprising as well how much you can bullsh8t during these vivas. You have to remember that there is no way you can know EVERYTHING that they could possibly ask in the exam. You will know some topics better then other so it is up to you to steer them to these topics.Practise with someone before at doing this. If they lead you onto a topic you like just KEEP ON TALKING. Even if they keep on butting in just keep on talking about that subject you know well.

You will be fine!They are nerveracking but they will try and pass you and from my experience it can be a lot easier to pass a viva then a written exam. Just act confident even if you are dying inside and never say 'I dont know 'to a question they ask. Say that you cant recall at the moment and they will move on.

Cannibal Ox

Vic have you gotten dates from them yet? I've been bugging them about this since after the results came out, and I still haven't gotten a date off them.

From what I have gotten out of them I'm 99% sure that they're based on the tutorials and not the entire course. What was in the tutorials? Haven't a clue, they were supposed to post them and the dates up on blackboard after the timetables came out.

panda100 wrote:

You wont be going overkill by wearing a suit.

Err..I think I have a tux somewhere...

Vic Mackey

comparative pol viva-15th aug

inter pol- 16th aug

pilitical the- 17th aug.

ya have 2 ring up the politics dep to book the time of your viva

Cannibal Ox

Cheers, good luck tommorrow.