The End is in Sight!

Hello everyone,

I hope you're making progress with your thesis and dissertation! With the semester winding down, it can be easy to feel tired and worn out.  It might be difficult to focus on writing especially with vacation around the corner. If you're feeling this way, an artcle, "30 Days Until Final," just came up in Inside Higher Education and might be of your interest.It has some useful suggestions that would help you plan ahead and set your writing goals for the rest of the semester!

Ideas for Writing

Hello all,

Are you writing already?  Are you thinking about writing? Two articles from Inside Higher Ed might be of your interest: "Why Aren't You Writing?" and "30 Writing Tips." 

We look forward to meeting all of you on Oct. 26, 5pm in the Writing Center (Eicher 218)!

IUP Thesis and Dissertation Group's getting started!

IUP Thesis and Dissertation Group's getting started! The 1st Fall 2010 information meeting's coming.

When: Tuesday, Oct. 26th, 5-6 pm
Where: the IUP Writing Center (Eicher Hall 218)
What: To organize and facilitate regular meetings for IUP students working on their theses and dissertations; to provide a place for the meetings in the IUP Writing Center and online; to help participants focus on achieving goals within a timeframe of two weeks.
Goal: A meeting every two weeks here in the IUP Writing Center for IUP students who are working on their theses or dissertations.

Activity and plan for the first meeting Oct. 26, 2010:

Freewrite for 5 minutes on what you would like to accomplish on your thesis or dissertation project within the next two weeks. What do you wish for? What are the challenges you face? How are you feeling about the project at this time?

Write for at least 30 minutes: Re-read your freewrite and try to set a goal for yourself for the next two weeks. Continue writing. Possible prompts: Why is this two-week goal important? What do you need to achieve this goal? What is the biggest obstacle to achieving the goal? Will you reward yourself if you achieve the goal? What will the reward be? What are you studying for your thesis or dissertation? How did you become interested in this project? How would you describe your project to a peer in another discipline? What is your biggest challenge at this point? What positive feedback have you received about your topic or project thus far? When did you begin working on your project and what have you accomplished since that time?

As you set out to accomplish the goals you recently established for the next two weeks, consider these questions:
What are you struggling with in your writing process?
What is the one thing that is keeping you from achieving your goals?
What are the ways you can work with or move beyond these concerns?

Our Next Meeting

Sorry we missed you today (June 24, 2010). Please join us again in two weeks (July 8, 2010) from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Next meeting

Sorry we missed you today (June 10, 2010).  Please join us again in two weeks (June 24, 2010) from 11:00 am to 12:30 pm.

Welcome to the TD Writing Group for May 13, 2010

Good afternoon!  Do we have anyone online with us today?

April 15, 2010

The next Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group meeting will be Thursday, April 15, 2010, at 4:30 pm in the Writing Center and with live chat on the blog.

We look forward to seeing you in the Writing Center or meeting you online!

Next Meeting -- April 1

Hello Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group!

The next meeting will be held on Thursday, April 1st at 4:30pm at the IUP Writing Center (218 Eicher Hall). Similar to last week, we are asking people to bring materials to help them draft and use the meeting as a time to write. In addition to bringing writing and research materials, if you are interested in participating in peer review and workshopping feel free to bring sections and drafts of your thesis or dissertation to share with someone else in the group. If you have any suggestions for upcoming meetings or there is something you would like us to do, please let us know.

We look forward to seeing you next Thursday!

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another. ~Walter Elliott

Though, it has been a while since we had a Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group meeting, try not to lose focus with the snow and other distractions. If you have not met the two-week goal you set during our first meeting, you have one more week to rid your procrastination and work hard to achieve it. If you have accomplished your goal, congratulations! But, this does not mean you have a week off; instead, set another goal and continue to strive towards completing these steps of your thesis or dissertation.

The next meeting will take place on Thursday, February 25, 2010, at 4:30 pm in the Writing Center. Dr. Theresa McDevitt from the IUP Libraries will attend our next meeting to offer advice about vital library resources for thesis and dissertation researchers.

Postponing Tomorrow's Meeting

Due to the inclement weather, which has resulted in closing all of IUP's campuses for tomorrow, Thursday February 11, we will be postponing the Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group meeting. The next meeting will take place on Thursday, February 25, 2010, at 4:30 pm in the Writing Center. Dr. Theresa McDevitt from the IUP Libraries will attend our next meeting to offer advice about vital library resources for thesis and dissertation research.

Thank you and be safe.

Next Meeting -- February 11

The Writing Center's Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group meets again one week from today on Thursday, February 11, 2010, at 4:30 pm in the Writing Center. Any student, staff, administrator, or faculty member working on a thesis or dissertation is welcome to participate!

Dr. Theresa McDevitt from the IUP Libraries will attend our next meeting to offer advice about vital library resources for thesis and dissertation research. Dr. McDevitt earned her PhD in history and currently serves as the Interim Dean of Libraries at IUP. Her specialties in the library include reference and government documents. Feel free to bring questions as well as your writing to work on.

The Writing Center is located in 218 Eicher Hall (on Grant Street across from the Sutton Suites)

The writing group meets bi-weekly on Thursdays at 4:30pm. If you are not able to make this meeting, you may e-mail us at iupwritinggrp@gmail.com to indicate your interest, or sign in for a live chat at 4:45 on February 11.

We look forward to seeing you in the Writing Center or meeting you online!

Need help with a paper or assignment? Tutors are available for one-on-one meetings on weekdays and evenings. Hours: MTWR 9:00 am to 5:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm. F 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Contact us at w-center@iup.edu or call 724-357-3029.

Agenda for January 28, 2010 Meeting

Theme

Two at a Time: A meeting every two weeks here in the IUP Writing Center for IUP students who are working on their theses or dissertations.

Purpose

To organize and facilitate regular meetings for IUP students working on their theses and dissertations; to provide a place for the meetings in the IUP Writing Center and online; to help participants focus on achieving goals within a timeframe of two weeks.

Activity for the first meeting January 28, 2010

Freewrite for 5 minutes on what you would like to accomplish on your thesis or dissertation project within the next two weeks. What do you wish for? What are the challenges you face? How are you feeling about the project at this time?

Identifying possible groups (subgroups are optional and are not sponsored)

Ask everyone to complete questionnaire, and then suggest possible subgroups. Individuals may contact one another on their own, or not. Subgroups are optional and not self-organized. We will not sponsor, except to recommend new members to a group.

Write for at least 30 minutes: Re-read your freewrite and try to set a goal for yourself for the next two weeks. Continue writing. Possible prompts: Why is this two-week goal important? What do you need to achieve this goal? What is the biggest obstacle to achieving the goal? Will you reward yourself if you achieve the goal? What will the reward be? What are you studying for your thesis or dissertation? How did you become interested in this project? How would you describe your project to a peer in another discipline? What is your biggest challenge at this point? What positive feedback have you received about your topic or project thus far? When did you begin working on your project and what have you accomplished since that time?

Reflection Questions

As you set out to accomplish the goals you recently established for the next two weeks, consider these questions:

1. What are you struggling with in your writing process?
2. What is the one thing that is keeping you from achieving your goals?
3. What are the ways you can work with or move beyond these concerns?

Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group Questionnaire

Thank you for your interest in the IUP Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group. In order to get you involved with the Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group, we have a questionnaire that we would like you to fill out. Please click the link below to fill out the Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group Questionnaire. Please copy and paste this questionnaire into a Word document. Fill out the questionnaire in the Word document and email it to iupwritinggrp@gmail.com attaching your completed document.

Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group Questionnaire

With the information you provide us in the questionnaire, we will be suggesting optional subgroups for you to interact with, if you choose to do so. These subgroups are optional and not sponsored. You can choose your means of communication with people in subgroups to discuss your progress, struggles, feedback, etc. We will also be providing a meeting every two weeks. If you have any further questions, please let us know. Thank you again for your interest!

Informational Meeting

Are you or someone you know in a rut with your dissertation or thesis? Not scheduling enough time to work on it? Interested in forming a group to help you develop your writing? The Writing Center is here to help.


Who: Anyone working on a dissertation or thesis
What: Thesis and Disseration Writing Group led by IUP Graduate Students
Where: 218 Eicher Hall on Grant Street across from the Sutton Suites -- The Writing Center
When: Groups will meet bi-weekly and times will be based on your availability

At the first meeting we will:

• Find times convenient for everyone to meet
• Discuss goals and objectives for making progress on your thesis or dissertation
• Form special interest groups depending on subject and stage of your process
• Write for at least 30 minutes!

The first informational meeting will be on Thursday, January 28, at 5:00pm in the Writing Center. If you are unavailable to make this meeting, but are interested in the Thesis and Dissertation Writing Group please contact us at iupwritinggrp@gmail.com