PhD Write-In’s a success
The idea for a PhD Write-In arose from a post on the Nudge “blog”. The idea is simple … participants commit themselves to sit in a quiet room and write for five consecutive mornings. They emphasize that commitment by giving organizers a $50 cheque which is returned to them only if they actually carry out their commitment.
With the support of the acting SPPA Director Allan Maslove, the PhD Supervisor Les Pal and, later, current SPPA Director Susan Phillips, we were able to organize a Write-In for the week of July 25. The School provided space, coffee and lunch on the last day. We were able to organize — thanks Tabbatha! — a lunchtime talk by Christine Noja, from Graduate Studies, about the format in which theses must be submitted.
Three PhD students were able to participate. Another dozen or so said they wanted to participate but had other plans that stood in the way. All three showed up every day and sat in 1111A DT from 9 am to 1 pm … writing. Here are their reactions:
Overall, I think the write-in was a very good idea, especially because it was instrumental in the formation of what we could turn into a good habit. I personally liked the most the fact that the session took place in the mornings – it put me in a productive mode and motivated me to maintain that mode throughout the day so I noticed I was accomplishing other things after the write-in session in a more efficient and more effective manner. The feeling was similar to that feeling of continuity in those pre-comps weekdays when we had to diligently keep up with what was coming up on our to-be-done list for the next day, regardless of how many external obligations we had. Also, there certainly was something motivational in maintaining daily contact with the fellow Ph.D. candidates and especially in observing them staying focused on the task they set for the day. I probably would sign up to participate again if the School were to offer it in some near future, but I don’t think it would be necessary for me as I have already gotten what I needed from it – a big thank you to the inventors, to the organizers and especially to the administrators of this great idea!
I very much enjoyed the SPPA Write-In. It was one of the most productive weeks of my thesis writing. Was it the free coffee or was it peer pressure? Probably the latter: being sat in a classroom for four consecutive hours (from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) with peers witnessing my work ethic did indeed heighten my focus. I tested my personal discipline and structured my work, and I left motivated to reproduce that level of concentration after the Write-In. Not being allowed to leave before a specific time helped me with more than just my thesis; it compelled me to complete a series of logistical tasks that I had been putting off for some time, such as revising my résumé. And the workshop on thesis submission will save me hours in the final stage of the dissertation.
I would love to repeat the Write-In every semester. Thank you very much for organizing this.
Here are my thoughts about the write-in:
- I find that sharing experiences related to the PhD experience with peers and professors and university staff is rich in itself.
- It helps to break the isolation during the PhD
- The discipline associated with it makes you more productive
- As it was a well-balanced, not exhausting experience, it helped to keep motivation after the week.
Think if other students know this experience and its effects, it will foster them to move on in the completion of their PhDs.
Like to participate again, next term or when possible. Thank you.
Given these reactions, it seems like a good idea to repeat the Write-In either as an SPPA Ph.D. Write-In in the fall term or as a joint SPPA-NPSIA-Communications Ph.D. Write-In in the winter term in the new building.
In addition to Professors Maslove, Pal and Phillips, thanks are due to Mary Au, who did her usual excellent job of event organization, and to Meghan Hammond of the University of Chicago for some excellent advice.
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Posting by: Saul Schwartz, SPPA Professor