Author: Dr Jennie Billot
The 4th Postgraduate Writers’ Retreat was held at Vaughan Park and proved to be another positive opportunity for thesis students to have quiet and focussed writing time. The weather treated us well and David and I enjoyed seeing the group share their topics and research strategies. Two students who had recently completed came along and talked to the group and shared their experience of the final stages of their research journey.
Some of the students sent us the comments below, they may well encourage you to apply for the next retreat which will be held in April 2014. (Call for applications will be posted out to the network in February-March, 2014).
Participants feedback from the Writers Retreat:
“I’m delighted to say that my output went beyond what I had planned to achieve at the Writing Retreat. For me it’s a case of the sum of its separate parts making a collective whole, with the parts being: (i) the venue and its facilities, (ii) a programme which allowed for a concentration of writing and thinking and more writing, (iii) ancillary support in the provision of meals and refreshments as sustenance which frees us to concentrate on writing; (iv) the sparking of energy between members of the writing group; (v) the collective energy evident in the focus of the writing group; and lastly and significantly (vi) two great convenors Jennie Billot and David Parker and their informative group workshops and optional sessions.” Nancy McIntyre
“The Writer Retreat helped me double my writing productivity. I completed my master’s thesis at the Retreat. Thank you.” Steve Huynh
“I would like to thank you and the postgraduate team for the fabulous Retreat Course. There were so many positives worth mentioning like the total relaxed learning environment, great location, accommodation, food, and the company of like- minded people. In particular, I found the professional advice on writing the introduction chapter and the plentiful time available for writing very useful. I also found the uninterrupted time helpful to focus and being away from my busy lifestyle (as a fulltime teacher and mother) was truly what I needed at this time of my writing thesis. So, Kia Ora- thanks for this wonderful opportunity.” Shahla Damoory
“Thanks again for organising the writing retreat. Is has been a great experience and I found it very valuable to be able to focus on my writing so intensively during the time of the retreat. The discussion with other post-graduate students about problems and strategies during the writing process has been really useful and motivating. I believe that the learned techniques will also be of great use for my writing in the future. I can only recommend any postgraduate student to participate the writing retreat during their studies.” Frederik Schmidt
“I don’t think that ‘Thank you’ is quite strong enough to represent my appreciation for what this retreat has meant for me. When I put forth my application my reasons were clear: to gain the space away from family responsibilities, as a mum of two young children, to be able to write. What I have come away with is so much more than just space for writing, although if that were all, it would have been success. But the retreat has offered me so much more, a little bubble from which to escape the world, to think about my work, why I am doing it, what it offers academically and professionally to me and to the wider field, to add depth to my understanding and depth to my interpretation of my research. This retreat not only allowed me time and space to put words on a page, but it added depth and scholarship to those words that may not have occurred otherwise.” I encourage all postgraduate students to participate in such a retreat, at all stages of thesis writing- at the beginning to kick-start deep thinking, in the middle to rejuvenate writing and refocus, and towards the end (like me) to step the intensity up a level. I particularly would like to thank AUT for the providing this opportunity, and to you, Jennie, and to David for your support and availability throughout these four days. I would also like to comment on how well the retreat was run and facilitated by you both; there were times when you would mention something, almost in passing, but those little gems added extra value to the retreat. Thank you most sincerely.” Lisa Mackay
“I would like to say thank you for the opportunity to attend the writers retreat, it was a great and very supportive environment to work on my thesis.” Tobias Blechschmidt
“I’d like to pass on my very sincere thanks AUT and our facilitators for providing us with this invaluable time at the retreat. With this support (and the wonderful meals and accommodation) I was able to focus and complete my projects in an environment where others were all doing the same. I really don’t know how I would have got so much done without it! So once again, please pass on my thanks.” Maxine Fleming
“An oasis of calm! A supportive re-focusing space to hone chapter ideas, get the thinking written down and begin to plan the next steps. Thanks to Jennie and David for the very helpful 3.5 days.” Katie Palmer du Preez
“As one of attendees in the writhing retreat, I would like to thank you for organising an excellent opportunity for PG students to progress their writing in a friendly and refreshing environment. I believe that students can be more motivated and productive in this kind of environments. They will also be able to exchange their knowledge and thoughts with their fellows, and to get help for editing and proofreading of their written drafts. Thanks very much for everything!” Saeideh Aminian
Dear Jennie and David, I am back in Hawkes Bay and still re-living some of the special moments of the Retreat at Long Bay! First, my very grateful thanks to AUT for making it possible that I could attend. Being a Distance Student, I hadn’t realised how much I had missed by not being on campus. The days at Long Bay, with opportunities for teaming up with a ‘speaking buddy’ right at the beginning, and for conversations at the meal times, provided wonderful opportunities for sharing processes as well as thoughts. The mixture of Masters and PhD students was also helpful: those who had completed Masters before their doctorates had helpful insights to share! Having a quiet room (our own ‘single person’ bedroom-study), as well as the opportunity to work in a communal space – like the postgrad room at the library – also gave varied opportunities for writing and sharing. A good mix of ‘writing’ space options. And a wonderful looooong beach to walk along at low tide, for fresh air and reflective time . . . There were also walks up around the cliffs . . . Most important, and helpful, were the opportunities to meet individually with each of you, for more specific guidance. I have been able to follow-up with my Supervisor, and after some Leave (and with an Extension) hope to be back mid-February next year to complete my thesis. This time, I will stay in Auckland so that I may take advantage of what the campus offers.
Thank you both, very much. And my thanks to your families, also, for giving you the space to be away from them! I hope AUT can continue to offer this very helpful opportunity.” Lesley Waite
“Hi Jenny and David, Thanks again for the organization of the writing retreat at this beautiful facility in Long Bay. It was a great opportunity for me to catch up with other postgraduates discussing research related issues and sharing experiences. I also achieved good output in terms of writing on my current chapters. The organized sessions were very useful, covering relevant and application-oriented topics. Also thanks to all attendees who created this wonderful calm and focused environment. If you need something else, please let me know.” Dominik Huber
“Dr Jennie & David, Thanks for the wonderful motivation that pushed me to start writing my thesis.” Nadia Kasto
