Language Centre

The first Writing Retreat powered by the Writing Centre

Monday 14 August 2023

From 19 to 21 July 15 German and international students spent 3 intensive days on the Zauberberg (translated: Magic Mountain – a true case of “nomen est omen“!) at the Theodor Heuss Academy in Gummersbach. The retreat was made possible due to the financial sponsorship by the Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity, Professor Jürgen Bode and the Vice President for Teaching, Learning and Further Education, Professor Marco Winzker. All the students were working on their Bachelor / Master thesis or R&D report – either in German or in English - and were guided and supported by Gabriele Menne-El-Sawy and Jill Yates.

„A retreat in the middle of nature, where you can escape from everyday life and concentrate completely on writing.”

this is how one of the participants describes the Writing Retreat / Schreibzeit.

Schreibretreat_Studierende arbeiten am Laptop_Foto Menne_210723

What is the best way to get myself motivated? How can I overcome my fear of the blank white page? How can I go about describing the state of the art? What should I include in the Introduction? These are just some of the questions discussed and, as the main focus was on actually writing, they were directly put into practice. After everyone had set themselves a goal, many of the students had already found their “writing flow” by the end of the first day and several carried on into the early hours.

Schreibretreat_Studierende im Feedbackgespräch_Foto Suhasini Venkatesh_210723

The participants exchanged experiences and not only received tips and feedback from their peers but also had individual sessions with the writing coaches: “The feedback from the coaches and from other students enabled me to considerably improve my writing style in a very short time” commented one of the group.

On the last day everyone revisited the goals they had set themselves on the first day and were pleasantly surprised to see that they had either reached these goals or taken a significant step in the right direction: “Many of the questions I had about my writing have now been answered” said one student in the closing plenary.

At the end of the retreat everyone agreed that writing in a group was a rewarding experience and that the Writing Retreat should be repeated next year!

„Thank you for organising this Writing Retreat. The retreat helped us to focus on writing, interact with each other and also enjoy Gummersbach. The individual feedback really helped me to set my goals and proceed. Thank you!”

„It was an informative and joyful experience. As most of them already described, it gave me a lot of motivation, energy, and new methods to write my article and proposal. It was a very friendly atmosphere and we learnt to critically consider our writing method and structure. Thanks a lot for this initiative both Ms Yates and Ms Gaby. ”

„I found the Writing Retreat very helpful not just with improving my writing skills but it also helped me with calming and soothing my mind, which was very much required. The kind of positive vibes and motivation I received here are very valuable. I am extremely thankful for this retreat. I thank Jill and Gaby for organising this event. Thank you! ”

„The Writing Retreat was an important element to improve my way of expressing into the thesis!”

Feedback from the participants of the Writing Retreat