How? - Confidence for Oral Exam

I'm not a genius nor will I ever receive a PhD in anything, but I've taken oral exams for promotions in the military as well as the civilian world. Being the dummy I am, I've only taken leadership-based oral exams; the panel is testing my ability to think on my feet and be confident in my decisions on top of reciting random bits of trivia such as the statistics of various pieces of equipment and by-the-numbers procedures for various activities.

- dress formally / dress casually / dress comfortably for the exam

Dress formally. Short of a glittering cocktail dress, you can never be overdressed as a woman in a professional academic setting.

- take time to review the night and morning before the exam / go see a movie and relax the night before

If you don't already know everything, last minute cramming isn't going to help anyway. Relax.

- check the time regularly during the exam / don't look at the clock

Don't wear a watch. Don't look at the time. Time can't save you, it only ends the event.

- bring food, snacks, and beverages to share with examiners / don't bring food

Bring water/snacks for any breaks you get, otherwise the only thing around your mouth while in the room should be the pearls of wisdom falling out of it.

- remain confident with your answers / show humility by admitting you know nothing

Be confident by default, you're already going to second guess yourself to death. Only show uncertainty when they remind you of something and confirm an error.

- ask examiners to rephrase questions if you don't know the answer

Do it.

- your adviser will guide the discussion / you should guide the flow of topics

Not sure of the format.

- share everything you know / hold back some so you have a response when they probe for more

Always focus on answering the specific question thoroughly. Don't go all Pop-Up Video unless necessary.

- study more than you ever have in your life / don't bother studying, it's all basic stuff anyway

If you don't know the material by now, last minute cramming is going to do zero for you.

 

Visit the Buddhists and spend a while learning how to breathe. Part of my degree, we visited the buddhist monks. Here is a link Cittaviveka - Newsletter. You might like to pick up a broom and start sweeping.
Best wishes for your oral. You are an articulate individual. I am sure you will 'scrub up well' for your interview - no matter what your intended outfit. It is in their interest to pass you. Under 'less is more' - answer succinctly and be prepared to elaborate. Answer as yourself. Be yourself.

 

I've had an oral exam before in analytical chemistry, [sarcasm]super fun[/sarcasm]. It's really not much different from an essay style written test except you don't have an eraser. I don't know that I have much exam advice to offer in general, my typical response of doing a shot of whatever tickles your fancy an hour before the exam is probably not the best for this scenario. Probably the best advice is to just know yourself, and don't try anything new.

As for this particular exam, I've gathered a few tidbits from my professors over the years. If you can find out who your examiners are make sure to familiarise yourself with their body of work, not only is it probably relevant (otherwise they wouldn't be proctoring your exam) you should never underestimate the value of simple flattery. Good first impressions and all that. Definitely dress the occasion (tough to overdo it). Another one is to head to the library the day before/of and read over any journals that have just come out recently, particularly any you might have fantasies about being published in, just in case someone tries to throw you a perfectly legitimate curve-ball by asking you about a published-that-morning paper. Last but not least, do not feign knowledge you do not possess. I've heard several times about examiners who try their very hardest to get you to say something you could not possibly know. Instant failure, just don't do it. Saying you don't know something is fine as long as you have a good reason not to know it.

 

Treat it like an interview for a job/career you'd really like.

Is there anyone you could go to and ask for a mock/practice with..? Ideally someone with whom you are not so close, say, another Professor or professional in industry..?

 

I'm speaking in front of people on a daily basis, many of them being strangers or people of higher title/seniority than me. I have always hated public speaking and, still after doing it for the past 4-5 years in my work, it's still makes me sweat/nervous to this day. I spoke for only 40minutes for my grad work and I felt that went okay, but that was with 9 months of practice speaking infront of people at work. It was infront of 5 professors. I remember walking in to the ground level lecture hall with a large wooden semi circle table and behind it sat 5 older and stern looking people there to judge my future. 4 looked like they were about to sentence expulsion staring at me as I walked in and the other looked like someone drowning in paper work who could care less. Once I got to the desk/podium I started out by saying 'Everyone is dressed nicely today' while trying to smile. The mood instantly lightened, one of the professors mumbled thank you with a smile, they read off a sheet my name, field, topic and asked if I had any questions. I forcefully tried to smile while speaking during the first 2 minutes introing the topic and this one professor started to smile and nod his head ever so slightly so I just focused on him the entire time. Fed off him being positive while the other four looked at me like with eye's of sullen death. When anyone asked a question I'd answer and go straight back to the positive gentleman. At the end when all was said and done I was given the thumbs up two weeks later so it went well.

Breathe. Chinese Crested has a good point.

I used to workout heavily before speaking with a decent amount of cardio. Got rid of stress and helped with the breathing. Sex helped in many ways too but that may or may not be more applicable to us guys.

Hektore hits good points. If you can get to know who you're speaking to, there's a sense of ease. Those hard to please, probably won't be pleased so don't focus on them. But if you don't know anything about who you're speaking with, when you're speaking focus on those positive because they'll only get more positive and inturn it helps you. My mentor would always tell me 'you can never say the wrong things to the right people and the right things to the wrong people' There's no point to trying to analyze what people are thinking while speaking when you're new to it.

I would take advice from people who have similar views on speaking as you. Their advice will be much more beneficial to you than the gal with the silver tongue. Things to lighten the mood are probably the best ways I've found to start. Like Hektore said simple flattery works wonders. I used to always make a comment on how nice everyone is dressed today as the first thing I would say as a side comment before I even started. It would make me feel a tiny bit more comfortable and kind of acknowledge you're about to speak, everyone looks good. If you can go in with a freshly tailored outfit/suit. You feel like a million bucks.

Smile as you speak. Probably felt like one of the hardest things to ever do. But it changes your tone of voice. People naturally want to smile back. It lightens what normally is a very boring, and heavy. You gotta try it out. Feedback is always more positive when I smiled while speaking and that advice is probably the most valuable one I have. Feedback will let you know what adjusts you need to make that you won't notice while speaking.

If you're allowed to, hand gestures are good to have while speaking. It loosens you up a bit but it does take practice. The biggest reason it helped me was knowing they would spend less time staring at me straight in the eye, judging what I was wearing or my haircut, and spend time watching my hand gestures. Anything to take less focus on my mistakes was a good thing in my book. Avoid pointing or the nagging finger, trigger gestures.

Story telling is a great way to convey information if it's appropriate. I used it while applying for my masters and at the end I was complemented on giving a quick story background, very few do that and it answered questions they had in the back of their minds. Approving nods across the table reaffirmed that. A quick background story leading up to the topic you want to discuss is usually a good way to go about it. Again lightens the mood a bit and seems to be more effective in getting information across. You may get questions on the background story which would take pressure off knowing the exact details. They help you fill time when you think you'll have trouble with enough to say and it helps you pass time with who you're speaking to. Stories are probably the second best advice I got. It gave structure to what I was saying and it helped people follow what I was saying.

 

Some good advice here.
I'd suggest forgetting about the exam part.
You are there discussing this topic because it is something you are interested in.
The other people in the room share similar interests.
Try to speak to them and engage them on this, rather then giving answers to an interrogation.
And the part about smiling that Wyvers mentioned really works. Your smile will be infectious.

 

What do they grade you on? Just knowing your stuff, or being able to ramble on for a while to thoroughly answer a question?

 

If extensive knowledge is required, I so my best in studying and thoroughly understanding the material in the time from when I schedule that I need to start until one day prior. In the middle of the night before the big day, I'd usually take a long cruise through the city and enjoy the empty streets as well as the cold breeze.

Failing that (such as if you live in Afghanistan), I work out like mad the day before and destroy my body.

Then on the actual day of doom, I don't give a fuck anymore as I enter the place.

 

A bad dress rehearsal genuinegirly, I believe is said to mean a good performance.

 

Hi, GG. I'll just address this bit: "I know there are gaps in my training. It is simply not possible to know everything. I just hope I can redirect conversation to what I do know, and show them that I am passionately interested in discovering/learning more."

If you know the gaps in your training, generate a few questions in those areas, purely for the purpose of developing and practicing smooth redirection phrases as you 'blur' back to what you do know; practice coming back to your track from a variety of unfamiliar points.

Also, make a mental post-it note of the area you've steered away from, in order to mention, later, that it's an area in which you are passionately interested in discovering/learning more. This is to flag up to them that you are perfectly aware that you steered back to your familiar territory, because they'll notice when you do, even though it is, as you indicate, better to stay on ground where you can present coherently, than to struggle areas which are over your head and give false impression as to your competence.

As for all the rest, I applaud the advice given above, and can see that you've got the psychogeography and positive anchoring firmly under your belt.

All the best