Dissertation Boot Camp

Accelerate Your Dissertation:
Dissertation Boot Camps--Classic and "After Dark"

^{"There is never a perfect time to write. There is only now." --Barbara Kingsolver}

 Dissertation Boot Camp:  What is it?

The Dissertation Boot Camp is a free program that gives you a chance to make some serious progress on your dissertation, master’s thesis, or other graduate writing project. In the classic day program, you will show up, ready to write, every weekday for two weeks from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The "After Dark" Boot Camps run from 6:00-9:00 p.m.  We provide a quiet, comfortable room and keep you supplied with pens, paper, post-its, staples, and light snacks.  Most Boot Camps are held in the Hume Writing Center.

Dissertation Boot Camp "After Dark"

The "after dark" boot camp is meant especially for graduate students who have classes or other obligations during the day and want to write in the evening. These special boot camps have one Monday orientation and then run for three weeks, three days a week, three hours from 6 to 9pm. Like the classic Boot Camp, the "After Dark" Boot Camp provides students with a total of 10 writing days. We offer "After Dark" Boot Camps only during the academic year.

Recipe for success

Dissertation Boot Camp aims to help students learn to write more productively, and sometimes better quality of writing, by providing students with the following four critical ingredients: 1) space with minimal distractions, 2) writing regiment / routine, 3) peer motivation and support, and 4) expert writing consultants. While the program focuses on helping students improve writing productivity, we also hope that students will take away with them writing habits and strategies that will aid them in academic and other writing projects in the future. For learn more about what to expect in a Dissertation Boot Camp, please download our Boot Camp handout.
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Registration process: All Boot Camps are limited to 20 participants on a first-come, first serve basis. Registration starts at 10am, two weeks before camp begins.  We recommend that students come to the writing center in-person to register and submit a check deposit (see description of the deposit below). Students can also register via email when registration officially begins. Preference is given to participants who have not attended a previous Boot Camp and who have submitted their check deposit. If you would like to register or if you have a question regarding Dissertation Boot Camps, please email the writing center.

Deposit incentives:  We collect deposits to encourage boot camp participants to stay with the program. Consequently, registrants must complete their registration with a $100 check deposit (dropped off within 2 days for email registrations).  Email registrations will not be considered complete without the check deposit. Checks should be made out to "Stanford University" and will be returned in full on the last day of Boot Camp.

Feedback: Once you have completed a boot camp, we collect your feedback in order to improve our program. Please help us by completing this Boot Camp Survey form for 2011-2012.

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Schedule for 2011-2012

We have the following four dissertation boot camps planned for this academic year at the Hume Writing Center.

Fall

Dissertation Boot Camp "After Dark"--session 1.
Registration begins: Monday, September 26, 10am.
Camp: (Mon) Oct 10 to Oct 27. Tu, W, Th; 6-9pm (10 writing days). 

Winter 

Dissertation Boot Camp "After Dark"--session 2.
Registration begins: Monday, January 9, 10am.
Camp: Mon, Jan 23 to Th, Feb 9. Tu, W, Th; 6-9pm (10 writing days).

Spring Break

Dissertation Boot Camp (traditional 5 days, 2 weeks)
Registration begins: March 5, 10am.
Please notice the change of dates for the Boot Camp:
Wed, March 21 to Tues, April 3. 9-1pm (10 writing days).

Spring

Dissertation Boot Camp "After Dark"--session 3.
Registration begins: Monday, April 9, 10am.

Please note a change in dates for the Boot Camp:
Camp: Tue, April 24 (orientation) to Fri, May 11
W,Th,Fri, 6-9pm (10 writing days)

Summer Camp 1
 

Dissertation Boot Camp (5 days, 2 weeks)
Registration begins: June 4, 10am.
Mon, June 18 to Friday June 29. 9-1pm (10 writing days).

Summer Camp 2

Dissertation Boot Camp (5 days, 2 weeks)
Registration begins: July 9, 10am.
Mon, July 16 to Friday July 27, 9-1pm (10 writing days).

Summer Camp 3

Dissertation Boot Camp (5 days, 2 weeks)
Registration begins: July 30, 10am.
Mon, August 13 to Friday, August 24. 9-1pm (10 writing days).
 

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Additional Resources 

"Establishing an Effective Dissertation Writing Group" : Starter Kit.  This kit is useful as a guide for any student interested in starting up an effective writing group that will last!  There are three basic types of writing groups:  feedback groups (reviewing student writing), "writing job" groups (meeting just to write), or goal-setting groups (meeting to set goals and report).  We strongly recommend that every member of a new writing group read the kit and use the worksheets to establish a writing group that works best for the group.

Dissertation Boot Camp Starter Kit:  If you are interested in starting your own Dissertation Boot Camp in a department or program, please contact the Writing Center for our Dissertation Boot Camp starter kit.