Oral Exam Experience

Oral exams were the scariest part of the PhD process for me. How did I prepare? 

1- Discussion-heavy lunchtime with colleagues

2- Standing in front of hundreds, singing into a microphone.

Daily Discussions

I had lunch with Dr. Jim Hickey and Dr. Mike Vincent nearly every day. They helped me to feel more prepared for my comprehensive exams. I asked them to quiz me, debate with me and help me prep. They loved that kind of challenge. 

I asked Dr. Hickey specifically because he had made me cry when I took a class from him before. Because he was the scariest and most skeptical person I could think of. And I needed to face that fear daily.

You see, the first time I tried doing my comprehensive exams I went mute. It felt like stagefright. Being in a closed room with a handful of critical older men was terrifying for me. Everything I knew went out of my mind and I couldn't function. Even the most basic questions - asked in a kind manner - made me shut down. They sent me out of the room and deliberated. Asked me to come back in two weeks. And to spend that time preparing. 

So, I found a "safe" person (Dr. Vincent) and a "scary" person (Dr. Hickey) and joined them for lunch, facing my fear daily. They were incredibly effective at helping me prepare. They asked question after question, finding gaps in my knowledge, helping me to clarify my explanations, and generally making me feel confident in my preparation.

Microphone 

I also walked into St. Gabriel Catholic Church, found Gene Ostenkamp - the organist who was the music director - and convinced him to put me on the Cantor list immediately so I could face my stagefright head-on. He did. He didn't even have me audition when he agreed to it! I had been to choir practice and he saw I had good posture and seemed to know what I was doing. But I was not a soloist. Just a choir member. Someone who could blend in and learn parts. Gene took that scared choir member and gave me the spotlight. I sang at every possible Mass, shaking and scared. Until my voice didn't shake anymore. It felt routine. I could do it.

And I went back into a conference room, prepared. I passed my oral comprehensive exams for my PhD. 

What have you done to prepare for a big, scary exam?