I will be defending my Ph.D. dissertation in the near future.

Add a lot of naked lolis to the slides

>>8315805
My department does the public and closed-door sessions separately. I've already done the public part, now just the closed-door with my advisory committee (6 members, including major advisor). That's the part that is generating anxiety.

>>8315765
Practice your speech again and again and again.
I did nothing but that for the two weeks preceding my defense because I was anxious as fuck, until I could just give my speech in a daze.
It went well.

The questions will be the hard part, of course. Just don't bullshit if there's something you don't know or missed.

>>8315823
I have no problems with public speaking, so the public portion of the defense went very well.

The closed-door is worrisome though; my major advisor is the type that is overly critical, negative, and downright abrasive. He has, in conversation, insinuated he is going to ask questions about my work in an effort to embarrass me. This doesn't make much sense because he supposedly oversaw all of my work and his reputation is consequently tied to my performance, but he seems hellbent nonetheless. Thankfully the rest of my advisory committee are aware he's a gigantic tool and are very supportive.

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>>8315765
Never forget the hierarchy of argument

>>8315805
best course of action

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>>8317524

This. Smug anime girls top everything.
But on a more serious note OP: I'm just a filthy undergrad yet, but I've spoken to a few doctorates in my department and noticed that all of them underestimate the importance of courtship in their position. You are naive if you call this foolish or edgy - academia is just another form of business and it can surpass private industry in terms of being cutthroat, it is no safe space for "introverted" and smart people. The two best profs here are absolute sharks. You could put them into a negotiation about a merger and they would fit in perfectly. They appear fearsome. Please understand this and work on that front. You must master the skill of courtship or else you will always be afraid of superiors or rivals.

>>8315831

From my experience these are just scare tactics to make you prepare as best as you can for the day.

In reality he won't do that because he's inadvertently attacking himself and his effectiveness as a teacher in question.

>>8315831

Then sit down and write up a giant list of the most obscure questions you can think of that could possibly trip you up, and be prepared to answer every single one.

>>8315831
>He has, in conversation, insinuated he is going to ask questions about my work in an effort to embarrass me. This doesn't make much sense because he supposedly oversaw all of my work...

It makes sense to me. He's playing the role of a critic. I had a professor recently who despite knowing everything about what was being presented, made sure to break us down until he found something wrong. His excuse was that it would make us better defend our actual work in the future.

Even if he succeeds in embarrassing you, it likely wont result in you not receiving the approval of the committee. Good luck, anon.

HOw's your advisor? Unless they're assholes they should give a heads up on what to prepare for.

>>8318046
Thanks for the advice. I've spoken with some of my committee members who are faculty in my home department. They are very aware of my difficulties (and they are numerous) with my advisor, and they've gone so far as to tell me that I really have nothing to worry about. So, my anxiety has been lessened to a good degree.

>>8318066
See >>8315831 for a description of my advisor. It doesn't help that I'm his first Ph.D. student, and that no one in our department (or in all honesty, anywhere else) wants to collaborate with him. He is renowed for being a dick.