The PGR Writing Retreat offers an opportunity for PGRs to dedicate time to focus on writing their thesis. This intensive writing retreat will be held in person at our Colchester campus and PGRs will have a chance to come together to work alongside their colleagues in a dedicated space with no distractions.

Day 1 (afternoon only session) will focus on preparing you for the next two days of intensive writing. On day 1, we will be providing you with some knowledge of the PGR lifecycle, hearing from recent doctoral graduates. exploring techniques for staying motivated when writing and giving you some time to work on goal setting and building accountability by sharing those goals with the cohort. We will be ending the day with a guided campus walk.

Days 2 and 3 will be more typical of our ‘Time to Write’ courses. There will be a clear structure to the day with breaks scheduled, and tea and coffee will be provided. An active break will also be scheduled each day, such as yoga and a scavenger hunt (subject to change).

Across all 3 days, the group will offer mutual support and accountability, while members of Organisational Development and the Library’s Research Support team will be leading the days and are on hand to ask any questions you may have.

We understand life as a PGR student can be isolating, so by coming together to work on your writing we hope to provide a space where you can be productive, whilst also benefiting from meeting and learning from your peers.

Please note, this is not a space to have your work proofread, and content delivery is limited to motivation and strategies to keep writing, opposed to specific teaching on thesis writing. If you would like a course on writing your thesis, we suggest you book onto our Thesis Writing Course (Part 1 and 2).

PGRs Book Here!*

*Please note that this is a 2 and a half day event running on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th August. Booking guarantees you a place on all days. You only need to book once to attend all days.