Workshops, Retreats, and Write-Ins
The Graduate Writing Center offers many workshops, of varying length, to support graduate students with their writing. All workshops are open to enrolled University of Maryland graduate students free of charge. Please see the Events section for the current workshop schedule.
We welcome suggestions for workshops and will design and provide programs for specific departmental needs upon request. Please contact Dr. Linda Macri, Director of Academic and Professional Development, with questions.
This spring (2020), we will offer:
- Thesis & Dissertation Retreat
- Weekly Write-Ins
- GradTerp Exchange Monthly Prep Session
- Making Small Talk Weekly Conversation Hour
- How to Write a Literature Review
Thesis & Dissertation Retreats
January 2020 Winter Break Retreat: January 13-16, 10am-4pm daily
The Thesis & Dissertation Retreat will afford participants time to write along with opportunities for one-on-one writing consultations with Writing Fellows and presentations about topics such as setting goals and structuring writing time. Participants must have an approved prospectus or thesis topic and must commit to attending each day. Please contact gradwritingfellows@umd.edu with any questions.
The retreat is limited to 25 students. A $40 fee (to cover meals and refreshments) will be required to secure a place.
To apply, click here
Weekly Write-Ins
- Fridays, 1 - 4pm, beginning January 31
Writing regularly and with a sense of support contributes to accomplishing writing goals. You can join your graduate and postdoctoral colleagues every Friday afternoon from 1:00-4:00 p.m. in 4123 McKeldin for structured time to write. All graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty are welcome.
Sign in with your writing goal and/or writing question, grab a cup of something caffeinated, and we’ll begin with a short (less than 15-minute) presentation on some aspect of research or writing. Then, settle in to writing. Fellows from the Graduate School Writing Center will be available to offer support in brief, one-on-one consultations. On the first Friday of each month, librarians from the Research Commons will offer a Research Write-In, featuring brief presentations about various relevant issues in research.
Space is limited, so advanced registration for each session is encouraged (but never required). You can register through our online scheduling system.
GradTerp Exchange Monthly Prep Session
- Friday, January 24, 1-2:30pm attend live or via WebEx
- Wednesday, February 12, 10-11:30am
- Tuesday, March 24, 2-3:30pm
Interested in giving a talk at our monthly GradTerp Exchange – or just learning how to offer a talk for an audience outside your discipline? At this workshop, we’ll talk about using narrative, humor, strong visuals, and other features of a great talk for a broad audience, and you will have the chance to experiment with ideas and techniques and get feedback from your peers and fellows from the Graduate School Writing Center.
Making Small Talk Weekly Conversation Hour
- Thursdays starting February 6, 3-4pm, 0121 Stamp
Every day, in work places and professional situations across America, people make small talk – brief conversations that are unrelated to work but crucially important to creating relationships. But many of us—for a wide variety of reasons—don’t feel comfortable making small talk. Come join the Graduate School Writing Center to learn more about why we use small talk and to practice how to feel more comfortable making small talk.
How to Write a Literature Review: An Introduction to Writing and Research in Graduate School
- Thursday, February 13, 11am-1pm, 6107 McKeldin; click here to register.
New to research at the graduate level or just need a refresher? Not sure how to move from research to writing? Join us for this workshop, offered in conjunction with librarians from the Research Commons, focusing on entering an academic conversation through research and writing. The workshop will cover graduate-specific library privileges, effective research and citation practices, writing from sources, and a general introduction to the literature review process.
The slides from February 2018 are available here.