Coming together for the Lake Shift

Writing a PhD dissertation can be a solitary and daunting endeavour. During difficult times, connecting with colleagues and a change of scenery can provide a much-needed productivity boost.

Last summer, four TMU PhD students experienced just that when they joined peers from Ontario universities at the Lake Shift (external link) , an annual week-long thesis writing retreat hosted by Queen’s University. Held at the Queen’s University Biology Station on Lake Opinicon, an hour’s drive north of Kingston, Ont., the retreat provided a distraction-free space to work in community and nature while focusing on their dissertations.

“The Lake Shift experience erased my avoidance of social and collaborative work, allowed me to connect with brilliant people easily, facilitated much needed time away from the city and afforded great amounts of productivity,” said Melody Devries, a Communication and Culture PhD student who wrote 30 pages of her dissertation during the retreat.

In addition to self-directed writing time, students participated in workshops and one-on-one meetings with writing advisors. During downtime, they enjoyed outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming and canoeing, as well as board games and campfires in the evenings.

“While to an outsider these ‘non-academic’ activities may seem counterproductive, they are critical in ensuring you avoid mental exhaustion and to give time for your perspectives to shift enough to get yourself out of a writing rut,” said Nate Clark, an Environmental Applied Science and Management PhD student who honed his time management and writing skills from both Queen’s University staff and peers.

Participants supported each other and bonded over their shared challenges. The connections made during the retreat have continued via a WhatsApp group chat and Zoom working sessions hosted by rotating volunteers.

“Going into Lake Shift, I knew no one else attending,” said Devries. “But the connections I made were one of the best parts about it.”