Dissertation Writing Retreat

Applications for the Dissertation Writing Retreat (formerly Dissertation Boot Camp) will open in April. The Dissertation Writing Retreat will run in-person from 8th July – 9th July 2024. 

Please note that this event will run alongside the Thesis Writing Retreat (formerly Thesis Boot Camp). If you are a Research student interested in attending this event, more information can be found here.

  • Are you at the writing up stage of your Masters project or dissertation?
  • Do you put off writing tasks until ‘tomorrow’?
  • Are you finding it tough ‘going it alone’? 
  • Would you like a supportive environment to help increase productivity? 

We have just what you need – the Dissertation Writing Retreat! Dedicated solely to getting words down on paper (or a computer screen), this once-a-year event is designed to help Masters students  kick-start their dissertation writing progress.  

Sign up to join other postgraduate students in a supportive, structured, intensive writing environment. With the help of your peers and an experienced facilitator, Dissertation Writing Retreat  participants will power through final-year blues, writer’s block, and thesis fatigue to achieve significant progress on their dissertation. 

You are eligible to apply for the Dissertation Writing Retreat if you are a Masters student at the University of St Andrews and are ready to write up your final dissertation/project . This event is not for reading articles, taking notes, editing, or polishing existing material. It is also not designed to offer in-depth advice and support in terms of language and writing style. 

What it is designed for is to support and motivate you in moving past writers’ block and procrastination to getting words down on the page. The ultimate aim of the Dissertation Writing Retreat is to write a significant amount of first draft material. 

Dates and Times

The Dissertation Writing Retreat will run in-person at the Gateway building from Monday 8 July – Thuesday 9 July 2024, 9.15am-6.30pm each day. Participants are expected to attend the entirety of the event.  

Important Information

The Dissertation Writing Retreat is a free event provided by MSkills which aims to build a writing community based on peer support with access to one-to-one support for each participant when required. As such, spaces are limited and will be allocated based on your eligibility and your completed application form (see below). We cannot guarantee participation for all eligible applicants.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply you must be:

  • A current Masters/PGT student at the University of St Andrews
  • Be able to attend in person for both days of the event
  • Have completed the majority of your research or data collection and be ready to write at the start of the event
  • Be able to complete pre-work to prepare for the event

I am up for the challenge, where do I sign up?

The application deadline is 5pm Thursday 30 May 2024. Late applications will not be considered. 

Applications will open April 2024.

 

Contact us

St Leonard's College
The Old Burgh School,
Abbey Walk
St Andrews
KY16 9LB

[email protected]

Phone:+44 (0)1334 46 2003

Upcoming events

Stretching and Guided Meditation with Dr Penny Turnbull
Wednesday 1 May, 5.30pm-6.30pm
Muir, Old Burgh School
Booking required:[email protected]

PG Cafe
Thursday 2 May 2024, 2.30pm -4.00pm
Fairlie Social Area, Old Burgh School

Movie Night ‘Troll 2’
Thursday 2 May 2024, 5.00pm -7.00pm
Graduate School Meeting Room, Old Burgh School

End of Semester Celebration/ St Leonard’s 50th Anniversary
Friday 10 May 2024, 4.00pm -6.00pm
Muir (109), Old Burgh School

Data management plans:writing workshop for first year reviews
Wednesday 15 May 2024, 9.30am to 11.30am
Sign up on PDMS

Microsoft Word: Producing a dissertation (MSkills)
Thursday 6 June 2024, 2.00pm to 5.00pm
Sign up on PDMS

Software Carpentry 2 day workshop: Shell/Git/Python (GRADSkills)
Monday 17 June to Tuesday 18 June 2024 – full days