Sailing into the Unknown: Passing the PhD Viva

I just passed my viva—final, oral examination—for my PhD at the University of Cambridge. Close to 5 years of work, summarised by 2 hours in a room with the only 2 other people in the world who’ve read what I made.

They asked me, “What are you most proud of in this PhD?”. I answered that near the beginning of studentship, I scoped out what I would need to do, what it would tell me, and predicted what answers I should see. The mountain of work was clear to me. What I’m most proud of is, that with all the setbacks, sidetracks, difficulties, it was being able to scale this mountain. The path didn’t look like I expected, but my predictions were right. My results were right. I knew what I had to create, and I did it.

Everyone else with the title of Doctor, as I soon will be, has done something to the same effect. They plotted a course, sailed into the literal unknown, braving storm and rough sea aided by a thousand other sailors on their own course, all to bring back tiny slivers of something truly different or new—half to share it with the world, and half to prove that they could. It is a brutal journey, but it feels so good to get out on the other side—slightly heavier, slightly older, and ever so slightly greyer than when I came in.

I am delighted, and proud to have taken this journey, so excuse me if I’m a little sentimental. Only a few steps more.