Workshops

Undertaking a PhD can be rewarding, but it also brings challenges that can affect your confidence, motivation and wellbeing. This interactive workshop explores three common aspects of the postgraduate research experience: managing motivation and procrastination, dealing with setbacks and failure, and building effective relationships with your supervisory team. Through discussion, reflection and practical activities, you'll develop strategies to help you navigate challenges, maintain resilience, and support your progress as a researcher.

Learning objectives

By the end of this workshop, you will be able to:

• Recognise common patterns of procrastination and identify strategies to improve your motivation and focus.
• Reflect on setbacks and challenges as opportunities for learning and growth.
• Apply practical approaches for developing resilience during your PhD.
• Understand the importance of effective communication and trust within supervisory relationships.
• Identify strategies for working productively with your supervisory team and managing research challenges.

Further support

Can't make this session? Talk to us online via Library Chat now, or send us an email: tls@manchester-uk.libanswers.com.

Shut Up and Write is an event for researchers to come together for a fixed amount of time and write. The aim is not to put pressure on you to be productive, rather, to help you carve out some dedicated time to write and to present a chance to connect with other researchers. It is a great way make progress on those thesis chapters, journal articles, or grant applications.

Whilst two hours doesn't sound like much, it is amazing what you can get done if you really focus. There will be short, scheduled breaks in between writing sessions of 30 minutes, to help keep you motivated and on-task. During the breaks there will also be time to reflect on some of the challenges we are facing as a research community and how we might support one another.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Make progress on a piece of writing or other research-related work during dedicated focus time.
• Experience the Pomodoro Technique and consider how it could support your writing practice.
• Develop strategies for maintaining focus and reducing distractions when writing.
• Connect with other researchers and reflect on common challenges and approaches to overcoming them.
• Identify further support and resources to help with academic writing and researcher development.

Intended audience

All researchers who are looking for protected writing time, community, and to develop productive and sustainable writing habits.

How to book on

This event will take place online via Teams. Booking onto the event is essential to receive the link to join.

Further support

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage.

Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Library support for writing
• Library support for Dissertations
• My Research Essentials Medium: writing strategies
• My Learning Essentials: writing online resources

Shut Up and Write is an event for researchers to come together for a fixed amount of time and write. The aim is not to put pressure on you to be productive, rather, to help you carve out some dedicated time to write and to present a chance to connect with other researchers. It is a great way make progress on those thesis chapters, journal articles, or grant applications.

Whilst two hours doesn't sound like much, it is amazing what you can get done if you really focus. There will be short, scheduled breaks in between writing sessions of 30 minutes, to help keep you motivated and on-task. During the breaks there will also be time to reflect on some of the challenges we are facing as a research community and how we might support one another.

Learning objectives

By the end of this session, you will:

• Make progress on a piece of writing or other research-related work during dedicated focus time.
• Experience the Pomodoro Technique and consider how it could support your writing practice.
• Develop strategies for maintaining focus and reducing distractions when writing.
• Connect with other researchers and reflect on common challenges and approaches to overcoming them.
• Identify further support and resources to help with academic writing and researcher development.

Intended audience

All researchers who are looking for protected writing time, community, and to develop productive and sustainable writing habits.

Further support

Talk to us online via the 24-hour Library Chat service. Alternatively, you can email us for advice or to book one-to-one appointments at tls@manchester-uk.libanswers.com.

Find out more about the workshops and online resources offered by My Research Essentials on the library webpage. Online resources related to this workshop include:

• Start to finish: writing
• Start to finish: dissertations
• My Research Essentials Medium: writing strategies
• My Learning Essentials: writing online resources

The aim of this one-day writing retreat is to provide a quiet space where staff and researchers can make progress with their writing. It is a great way to carve out dedicated time to get on with those journal articles, thesis chapters, HEA Fellowships or grant applications.

The majority of the day will be spent in concentrated writing sessions where there should be no talking, no internet, no research - just writing! There will be short, scheduled breaks (with free tea, coffee and snacks) in between these blocks of concentrated writing time, to help keep you motivated and on-task.

Don't forget your laptop!

Programme for the day:

9.00-9.20 Tea, coffee and registration

9.20-9.50 Set your writing goals for the day, and learn some useful writing strategies

9.50-12.00 Concentrated writing time

12.00-13.00 Lunch and optional wellbeing activity

13.00-13.10 Reflect on your progress so far, re-evaluate your goals

13.10-15.20 Concentrated writing time

15.20-15.35 Coffee break

15.35-16.50 Concentrated writing time

16.50-17.00 Reflection